Additive Industries’ MetalFAB1 has been described as a game changer in the world of industrial metal 3D printing due to its high level of automation and quality control; however, when we first caught wind of the machine it stood out due to a partnership between the manufacturer and a startup called 3DSIM, whose CEO Dr. Brent Stucker had developed an advanced software solution for accurately predicting prints before they were manufactured. Today, Additive Industries has officially announced that they are the first to integrate 3DSIM’s exaSIM and FLEX tools into their own software, the Additive World Platform.
Given issues of repeatability and quality control faced with metal 3D printers, the idea of a print preview software could have profound implications. The ability to predict what your documents will look like when inkjetted onto a piece of paper is somewhat simple when compared to the vast array of variables associated with melting metal with a laser in a gas vacuum. 3DSIM’s exaSIM and FLEX software tools combine algorithms with real-time data to accurately predict the physics of the printing environment both before and during the printing process.
Brent Stucker, CEO of 3DSIM, commented on the use of 3DSIM by Additive Industries, “We believe 3DSIM’s physics-based software tools will revolutionize the way future products are designed, produced and qualified. By seamlessly enabling our customers to manage parts and builds in the Additive World platform, simulate production in 3DSIM’s software and finally producing that build on a MetalFAB1 machine, we are creating the tools needed for a truly integrated and predictable metal additive manufacturing process.” Mark Vaes, Technology Manager of Additive Industries, says of the software, “The 3DSIM software will allow us to speed up the development of our MetalFAB1 system and help our customers to increase productivity, speed up process qualification and reduce the cost of printed parts.”
The MetalFAB1 will be the first system to implement these powerful tools, adding to the automation and quality control already existing in these machines. The beta MetalFAB1 machines have all already been bought up by firms as reputable as Airbus, further lending credibility that Additive Industries’ metal 3D printer could really be a game changer.
