AMFG
AMFG's tablet-optimised post production page
AMFG's tablet-optimised software.
AMFG has made available tablet-optimised and downloadable desktop versions of its additive manufacturing automation software to enable increased flexibility for its users.
Now offering a multi-platform solution for additive manufacturing, AMFG’s AI-driven production automation software can be used across all devices, meaning manufacturers can switch between a computer and a mobile device as and when it suits. With the downloadable desktop platform, users can also make progress on tasks without needing an online browser.
AMFG’s tablet-optimised platform is designed to be used on the production floor, giving project engineers and technicians a portable and digital way to quickly track and identify parts post-production. Using the system’s advanced 3D viewer, successful parts can be identified in real time, and any failed prints placed back into the system’s production queue. The 3D viewer also includes all data about the part and also logs all user activity. To ensure the quality of printed parts, AMFG’s post production solution also offers the ability to track quality assurance checks.
“Manufacturers value the benefits of added mobility, which is why all of our software’s production management functionalities are optimised for tablet use,” explains Felix Doerr, Head of Business Development. “For the post production stage in particular, the real value of this is in the added efficiency. Identifying parts following production is a time-consuming, manual process, but our tablet solution completely eliminates the need to manually print out job sheets to identify parts.
“Our post production management solution also offers the ability to add annotations and an automated QA system, making the entire production process paperless and, more importantly, fully traceable.”
In addition to the tablet solution, AMFG has also released a downloadable desktop application, giving its customers the flexibility to use the production management software directly from their desktop in addition to within their browsers.
“The desktop application is an extension of our vision to make managing the additive manufacturing process as seamless and efficient as possible,” says Felix. “With many of our customers using a variety of different software, from design to ERP and PLM, our desktop application will help create a streamlined user experience and make it easier to accommodate third-party integrations.”
The new offerings will make managing production workflows that little bit easier for AMFG customers, who are typically service bureaux, and increasingly OEMs. AMFG’s goal is to provide a fully autonomous manufacturing process, and eventually help in establishing additive manufacturing as a higher volume production tool. The company’s CEO, Keyvan Karimi, acknowledges the significant improvements needed – ‘hardware is not set up for automation’ and with some machines, ‘the fact that I need to take the build out, wait for hours for it to cool down and then take my parts off manually, I can’t do this with a million parts, there’s no way that’s possible.’ – but by working with OEMs is hoping to solve them.
Even before those improvements are made, though, Karimi believes AM technologies are themselves providing more flexibility to manufacturers. It enables products to be manufactured closer to customers, and personalised to their wants and needs too. The key, in his and the company’s eyes, is automation.
“We are absolutely obsessed with automation,” he told TCT. “The first thing we think every morning is how can we automate the process. That’s the first thought and last throught every single day. We want factories that run in a fully automated way. That’s the end game for us. The underlying trend is shorter product lifecycles, mass customisation, that creates a need for autonomous manufacturing that we are serving.”
AMFG will be showcasing its post production management system and desktop application at Formnext next month (3.0, F68).
