Additive Industries and Materialise launch faster build processor for MetalFab AM machines
Additive Industries, based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, and Materialise, headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, have announced the release of the Next-Generation Build Processor. The software, jointly developed for Additive Industries’ MetalFab Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB) Additive Manufacturing machines, is designed to reduce build preparation times and provide greater control over process parameters.
The new build processor incorporates features developed for the MetalFab 420K, including optimised laser load balancing, variable beam diameter control by vector type, ghost vectors to improve thermal stability, and additional exposure strategy controls. It is also designed to support larger, more complex builds and provide greater control over scan strategies.
In benchmark testing reported by the companies, processing time was reduced from 46 minutes using the Classic Build Processor 2.6 to 6 minutes with the new software. This improvement is attributed to multiprocessing and optimised algorithms.
The Next-Generation Build Processor integrates with Materialise Magics for build preparation, configuration and job submission. Existing MetalFab users can also import profiles from the Classic Build Processor when transitioning to the new software.
Rik Bakker, CEO of Additive Industries, stated, “By unlocking the advanced features developed for the MetalFab 420K platform, we are enabling manufacturers to produce more parts, more efficiently, and with greater process consistency.”
The software also connects to Materialise’s CO-AM ecosystem, enabling build data to be incorporated into a wider digital workflow.
SWISSto12 was among the customers testing the software during its beta phase. Lionel Simon, Manufacturing Engineer at SWISSto12, stated, “The Next-Generation Build Processor opens up clear opportunities to improve workflow speed and make print preparation more efficient.”
The Next-Generation Build Processor is now available to MetalFab customers.
