Materialise
Materialise will introduce its e-Stage for Metal+ software for laser powder bed fusion 3D printing processes at next week's Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) Conference next week.
The software tool has been designed to optimise data and build preparation for metal laser powder bed fusion systems using physics-based modelling to automate the generation of support structures. This, Materialise believes, will make metal additive manufacturing more economically viable.
Materialise has been encouraged to pursue the development of its e-Stage for Metal+ software after an independent industry survey revealed to the company that a lack of knowledge and the cost associated with the production process were among the biggest barriers for companies to adopt 3D printing technology.
e-Stage for Metal+, Materialise believes, will help companies navigate these challenges by leveraging physics-based modelling to calculate where deformations will occur and automatically generate needle-thin and cone supports where needed. This will help to optimise stability and heat distribution during the 3D printing process, meaning deformations should be avoided and post-processing efforts should be reduced. Materialise hopes this will help to make metal additive manufacturing easier to adopt and easier to achieve success with.
“Metal AM users tend to overload parts with support structures during manual data preparation,” commented Ian O'Loughlin, Metal Practice Lead at Materialise. “They want to avoid defects and the costs associated with reprinting the parts. That’s why intelligent tools like e-Stage for Metal+ are crucial. Automating support structure generation at the sweet spot of printability and required supports saves time, material, and post-processing costs.”
“By automating support structure generation with Materialise’s software, you can streamline your 3D printing process,” added Mirco Schöpf, Product Line Manager Software at EOS. “It simplifies support removal, reduces support volume up to 80%, eases powder extraction, and decreases build plate machining after an effortless part removal. We look forward to exploring e-Stage for Metal+ and discovering additional benefits.”
“We are continuously enhancing our software solutions to support AM users in their daily business,” offered Lieve Boeykens, Solution Strategist at Materialise. “Automation can support AM users in bridging knowledge gaps to adopt the technology faster, accelerating return-on-investment, and helping them lower the overall production cost. Materialise’s e-Stage for Metal+ helps companies achieve economic viability.”
Materialise's e-Stage for Metal+ software tool will be released as a module for the company's Magics software for data and build preparation.
