Sigma Labs, developers of the in-process quality control system PrintRite3D, has been hoping to establish itself as a necessary part of integrating 3D printing into mainstream manufacturing. After signing deals with large OEMs, like Honeywell, the company continues to push its quality control technology further, most recently filing a patent for a “sensor invention” that will improve additive manufacturing quality control.
On March 25, Sigma Labs filed a patent for a “unique sensor invention that will significantly enhance the ability to improve the quality of additive manufacturing processes especially for critical metal parts like those for aerospace, automotive and defense.” As potentially dull as a sensor might be, the aerospace and defense manufacturers have been demanding better quality control and reliability on the part of 3D printer manufacturers. If they’re going to 3D print a metal part for an extremely expensive jet, they want to know that that part will always come out of the laser sintering machine the same. As Mark Cola, CEO and President of Sigma Labs, puts it:
Currently, the additive manufacturing process involves a lot of trial and error in order to get the right operating parameters. Companies use their best judgment and past experience, but new materials, new shapes, and new parts offer production challenges and the new Sigma Labs sensor technology could help reduce development time. Additive manufacturing typically involves lasers scanning over a layer of powder, melting it, and building up the part layer by layer.
To know precisely when the laser is putting in just the right amount of energy into the powder layer – not too much and not too little – so that the layer is completely melted without overheating it is very important. Our new sensor and data analysis invention helps to accomplish just that – determine optimal coupling between the laser and the powders. As we proceed with development, we expect to offer this sensor to current and future customers of our PrintRite3D systems.
The new sensor may be a component of an America Makes project of which Sigma Labs is a part. The project, titled “In-Process Quality Assurance (IPQA) for Laser Powder Bed Production of Aerospace Components”, involves General Electric Aviation, Honeywell Aerospace, and Aerojet Rocketdyne. Though it’s possible that their sensor will be used for manufacturing by large aerospace and defense OEMs, I’m hoping that it will find its into the low-cost 3D metal printer project with Michigan Tech, on which Sigma Labs is also a partner.
Source: Market Watch
