Renishaw Simufact
Renishaw and Simufact have partnered to develop enhanced simulation capabilities for users of Direct Metal Laser Sintering.
The companies are working to enable the successful prediction of stress and distortion during the print process by enhancing the simulation of frequently used materials. A QuantAM API for build preparation and export has also been added to the recently-launched Simufact Additive 2020 platform to enable error-free data transmission to Renishaw’s printing systems.
This collaboration is seeking to provide users of Renishaw’s metal additive manufacturing technology with parts of greater quality by sufficiently assessing design files before moving to the build.
With metal additive manufacturing vendors like Renishaw aiming to make their 3D printing platforms quicker and more efficient, multiple and stronger lasers have been incorporated into their machines. Renishaw’s RenAM 500Q, for example, has four 500W lasers. With faster energy input can come residual stress, distortion and problems with microstructure because higher temperatures being generated during the print. Simufact and Renishaw are thus carrying out research into these occurrences to then develop simulation tools to combat such defects.
“Our customers are looking to push the performance envelope using the latest multi-laser AM systems, but they also require consistency and precision,” commented Victor Escobar, AM Director, EMEA at Renishaw. “A seamless integration with Simufact’s powerful simulation tools will help manufacturers to develop processes that take full advantage of multi-laser productivity, maximising build rates to make a stronger business case for AM.”
“Simufact Additive 2020 broadens the scope of our build optimisation software and underlines our commitment to openness and interoperability with third party products,” added Dr. Hendrik Schafstall, CEO and Managing Director at Simufact. “With the integration of the QuantAM build processor, we can provide an end-to-end build optimisation process, helping the users of Renishaw systems to produce AM components with repeatable dimensional accuracy right first time.”
