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AM process and quality control
Process and quality control for AM: Sigma Labs PrintRite3D® methodology for overall quality assurance Despite the outstanding promise of metal Additive Manufacturing technologies, inconsistent quality, process reliability and speed are currently holding back industry growth and impacting on the cost-effectiveness of new applications. In the following article Sigma Labs’ Dr Vivek R Dave and Mark J Cola review the technical challenges that are faced in enabling metal AM to reach its full potential and the systems that are currently available to address a number of critical issues.
Despite the outstanding promise of Additive Manufacturing for critical metal components, three basic limitations exist that will hold back growth and cost-effectiveness of current and future applications; consistent quality, process reliability and productivity or speed. In terms of quality, Additive Manufacturing for critical metal components such as those for aerospace and automotive still exhibits variability between runs, between machines, and over time. In terms of process reliability as determined by part geometry, Additive Manufacturing can only realise a dimensional accuracy of about 100 microns with a positioning accuracy of about 20 microns. Surface finish is also very rough as compared with aerospace requirements. Additionally, the geometry currently has to be measured by expensive post-process inspection methods such as x-ray CT scanning. In terms of productivity and speed, the typical output of an
Vol. 2 No. 1 © 2016 Inovar Communications Ltd
AM machine for metal is still below 20 cm3/hour. The entire world’s production capacity of metal AM machines running 24 hours a day, seven days a week for an entire year would still produce less material than a steel mill could produce in half of one daily shift.
Sensors
Sigma Labs is addressing the first two issues, namely quality and geometry, with its patented PrintRite3D® Inspect™ and Contour™ in-situ process control, monitoring and inspection software for metal Additive Manufacturing. Specific sensing and measurement
Statistical Analysis
Quality Reporting
Fig. 1 The process flow for the Sigma Labs process and quality control system
Metal Additive Manufacturing | Spring 2016
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