Desktop Metal previews its new Live Sinter software to mitigate sintering distortion
September 25, 2020
In the latest issue of PIM International, Desktop Metal shared details of its upcoming sintering simulation tool, Live SinterTM. Andy Roberts, VP Software at Desktop Metal and the inventor of Live Parts, the company’s generative design software, presented the new simulation software along with a number of case studies illustrating its capabilities.
Sintering distortion is a fact of life in the Metal Injection Moulding industry. However, through the combination of an experienced eye, the ‘trial and error’ iteration of a part’s design, and the use of sintering supports when needed, stable high-volume production is achieved.
With the growth of sinter-based Additive Manufacturing processes such as metal Binder Jetting, however, the need to manufacture a much wider range of parts at lower production volumes and in a shorter time frame means that a more efficient and streamlined approach is required.
Desktop Metal’s Live Sinter simulation tool is said to enable users to simulate, in minutes, the deformation parts undergo as they sinter, allowing them to predict how parts will change shape as they densify. The software uses iterative simulation operations to create ’negative offsets’, proactively deforming parts by specific amounts in specific directions that allow them to achieve their intended shape as they sinter.
Learn more about the science behind Live Sinter and how it can help engineers to address the challenges of sinter-based manufacturing in the new issue of PIM International, available to read for free online.
