Ulendo Technologies
Additive manufacturing software firm Ulendo Technologies has introduced an add-in laser path optimisation software tool to Dyndrite LPBF Pro.
Ulendo announced the integration with Dyndrite at the IMTS event in Chicago.
Dyndrite's LPBF Pro application has been designed to support users of laser powder bed fusion 3D printing technologies accelerate build rates and cost savings.
Using the platform's extensive list of APIs, Ulendo has developed the Ulendo HC (heat compensation) capability, which analyses and optimises the layer path of a LPBF printer to cut mean deformation by 50% and residual stress by 88%. It has been developed using research conducted at the University of Michigan by Ulendo Founder Chinedum ‘Chi’ Okwudire. Ulendo HC is said to eliminate the 'costly and wasteful' trial by error approach to part build planning, reducing the number of failed parts, while improving part qualit yand production repeatability. It is also said to reduce the need for some post-processing to address stress and deformation.
The capability's laser path optimisation feature allows users to bypass the trial and error approach for selecting scan strategies, automatically optimising the laser path to significantly reduce thermal-induced distortions and part stress. Ulendo says the impact will be most significant for those using laser powder bed fusion machines for metal parts, particularly for those using expensive metals or metals which require significant post-processing to address heat-induced stress and deformation. An Early Adopter Program has been set up to allow users to trial the thermal optimisation technology.
“When working with high cost materials or large, complex builds, even one failed build can significantly impact the bottom line,” said Ulendo CEO Brenda Jones. “Ulendo HC aims to eliminate these issues, improving the profitability and reliability of LPBF as a production tool.”
“Our goal is to enable customers to print new materials, print faster, print features like thin walls, print without supports and improve surface finish. Our tools can be combined with tools like the one Ulendo provides to accelerate this goal,” added Dyndrite CEO Harshil Goel. “We welcome Ulendo as the first company to provide add-in software to the Dyndrite LPBF Pro platform. With the addition of Ulendo HC to the platform, we are working toward our collaborative vision of Dyndrite LPBF Pro as a powerful metal 3D printing engine into which innovative companies like Ulendo can integrate their software add-ins and features. I’m excited to see what new ways Ulendo will use our powerful core tools to achieve previously difficult prints for our customer base.”
