Materialise broadens metal Additive Manufacturing solutions and launches inspection software
May 31, 2017
Materialise, Plymouth, Michigan, USA, has announced the latest enhancements to its Materialise Magics 3D Print Suite, as well as the launch of its new inspection software, Materialise Inspector. Materialise Inspector allows users to analyse data at all stages of the production process in order to meet predetermined quality standards. According to the company, the software optimises image processing for efficiency in post-build analysis and is capable of processing more than 4,000 images in minutes – making big data analysis easier and more efficient.
Materialise also offers Magics Print Metal software, a solution designed to facilitate access to metal Additive Manufacturing for newcomers to the industry. This software combines basic build preparation and straight-forward job file generation, which Materialise states will streamline the AM process. Metal machine manufacturers can tailor the lay-out and bundle it to their machines.
“Demand for additively manufactured metal products and components is increasing across several industries, and manufacturers need the tools to adapt and meet this demand,” explained Bryan Crutchfield, Vice President and General Manager of Materialise North America. “Magics Print Metal extends our existing metal offerings. The Magics 3D Print suite represents the full digital thread, giving metal machine manufacturers the ability to develop, implement and manage each step of the 3D printing process. Now, with the new Inspector software, users can also efficiently analyse data during each step to ensure workflows and products will fit their needs as well as the needs of their customers and partners.”
Materialise announced the following enhancements to the Magics 3D Print Suite, aimed at allowing users to take full control over their metal Additive Manufacturing workflows:
- The company’s Robot 5.1 software update offers a 3D Nesting module, optimising part positioning to save time, money and materials within automated AM workflows.
- The 3-matic 12 software update includes new ways to manipulate and optimise CAD designs for Additive Manufacturing and accepts a wider variety of FEA file formats to create improved lightweight structures and save users time and money.
“The components of the Materialise Magics 3D Print Suite work together to address each step in the AM process and form the software backbone of AM solutions for all businesses and industries, from design optimisation and data preparation to production management and automation,” added Crutchfield.
Materialise also announced its commitment to embedding simulation technology into its AM software, allowing users to simulate builds before production to avoid costly defects in designs, materials and processes. Simulation can improve the quality of final products and decrease the number of defects, eliminating the need to rebuild. This is especially beneficial for users in highly-regulated industries, such as aerospace and medical.
