Phase3D has introduced User Profiles in Fringe Operator to help give teams a 'repeatable framework for translating calibrated inspection data into actionable quality criteria.'
By combining application-specific measurements, thresholds, and alerts, User Profiles establish building blocks for automated decision-making and more consistent manufacturing from R&D through production, the company says.
Since scaling metal additive manufacturing in critical industries requires defensible, measured specifications for quality assurance, Phase3D’s approach starts with calibrated measurements, giving manufacturers a quantitative basis for evaluating build conditions. User Profiles bring those measurements into application-specific workflows, enabling teams to define acceptable conditions, identify deviations, and establish criteria that can inform automated AM operation.
Qualification requires significant investment in machine time, materials, inspection, testing, and engineering review. When problems become apparent only after a build is complete, manufacturers have already committed resources to parts that may require investigation or rejection. Earlier visibility into process deviations helps teams understand where issues begin and assess whether intervention is warranted before investing additional time and expense.
A User Profile is a saved, customisable inspection configuration in Fringe Operator that combines selected use cases, measurements, thresholds, and alerts for a specific application. Teams can define criteria that distinguish conditions requiring engineering review from deviations calling for more urgent action. These explicit, measurement-based criteria create a consistent basis for operator decisions and a foundation for automated responses.
Powder spread quality and part protrusion illustrate this approach. Powder thickness measurements reveal inconsistent deposition, while protrusion measurements identify elevated regions that may increase the risk of recoater interaction. Application-specific thresholds connect these measured conditions to defined response criteria, making inspection data actionable within the manufacturing process.
During R&D, engineers can use profiles to investigate process behaviour, evaluate deviations, and refine inspection criteria. As an application moves toward production, reusable profiles carry that process knowledge forward. Engineering and production teams can evaluate repeated builds against established criteria, while separate profiles accommodate different parts, processes, and development objectives.’
“The knowledge gained during development needs to carry through to production,” said Niall O’Dowd, PhD, CEO and Founder at Phase3D. “User Profiles let teams set limits for their process, refine them as they learn, and apply those same limits automatically across their fleet. That consistency helps teams build on previous qualification work and focus testing where it’s needed most.”
That continuity also supports more focused qualification work. Connecting calibrated in-situ measurements with subsequent inspection and testing gives teams a basis for investigating root causes, identifying recurring issues, and refining process specifications. Earlier identification of deviations can reduce avoidable iteration and limit further investment in builds with identified quality concerns.
User Profiles advance Phase3D’s vision of inspection data as a foundation for automated AM operation. By turning calibrated measurements into repeatable evaluation criteria, Phase3D enables manufacturers to strengthen quality assurance, manage qualification costs, and build the process consistency required to scale. This measurement-based approach supports faster adoption of metal additive manufacturing in critical industries where quality must be demonstrated through defensible specifications.
