Sigma Labs Announces PrintRite3D System

Quality assurance (QA) is important in any kind of manufacturing. Probably the best method of QA to date for additive manufacturing (AM) is basically just X-raying an object to see if something has gone wrong during the build. Although better than nothing, that’s hardly an optimal solution, particularly when working with potentially expensive metal materials.

The continued growth of metal material AM really requires some sort of QA tool to ensure clients get the quality part they are expecting. Sigma Labs has announced a suite of hardware and software solutions to conduct QA for metal 3D printing before and during a build.

“It is much more difficult to 3D-print metal parts than plastic parts because they must meet very demanding engineering specifications,” said Mark Cola, president of Sigma Labs. “PrintRite3D is a suite of quality assurance tools that we expect will enable AM manufacturers to meet the rigorous requirements of metal parts for critical applications, and allow end users to use AM metal parts with confidence. The PrintRite3D suite of software and sensors are designed to guarantee that part quality can be monitored in real time and to report any anomalies during production, further enabling lights-out production or minimal worker presence on-site.”

The suite is set to include PrintRite3D Inspect, which is software intended for use by OEMs and end users. It verifies each layer of a build in progress. According to Sigma Labs:

 Sigma’s unique PrintRite3D Inspect module enables manufacturers to assure microstructural control during additive manufacturing. Sigma’s approach provides process engineers with microstructure quality control based on rigorous algorithms performed during additive manufacturing. The PrintRite3D Inspect module enables process engineers to tailor deposit microstructure throughout the part by controlling thermal history to meet stringent engineering requirements. Interrogation of in-process data can also be used to perform process improvement and optimization.

The PrintRite3D QA solution suite will also include the Sensor Pak, a hardware unit that will work with 3D printers to collect data; Deform software to predict distortion and assist with design; and Thermal, which can predict the thermal profile of a build.

Because I was unable to find a video that was even tangentially related to Sigma Labs’ upcoming release, below you’ll find a video of a keepon wearing a 3D printed Batman mask. Think of it as an early good vibe for the weekend.

Source: Sigma Labs