
Asahi Kasei/CASTOR
Asahi Kasei has announced an investment in 3D printing software specialist Castor Technologies Ltd. In addition to utilising CASTOR’s software and services, Asahi Kasei says the investment will allow the company to pursue synergies between its computer aided engineering (CAE) technical service for plastic products and CASTOR’s software.
With CASTOR’s software, its proprietary algorithm can automatically select parts that are suitable for 3D printing from CAD drawings of thousands of parts in a bill of materials, and propose shape modifications. The company says that it further optimises manufacturing processes by estimating lead times, costs, and CO2 emissions of the analysed parts.
Asahi Kasei provides support for its customers’ product design and development through its CAE technical service focused on engineering plastics. The company says that CASTOR’s service for judgement of part formability and simulation of manufacturing costs is expected to improve response time to customer enquiries.
The company adds that by applying the CASTOR software and service prior to its plastic CAE technical service will contribute to automate more advanced simulations.
“Through this investment, we will further investigate the synergies between CASTOR’s software and Asahi Kasei’s CAE expertise,” said Yukihiro Bann, Senior General Manager for Business Strategy and Marketing, Mobility and Industrial SBU at Asahi Kasei Corp. “We aim to provide our customers with more advanced and automated real-time simulations, as well as to expand the range of technical services that both companies can offer.”
TCT spoke to Omer Blaier, CEO of CASTOR in 2022 about the company’s CO2 calculator capability.