Renishaw launches InfiniAM software for AM process monitoring
July 18, 2018
InfiniAM Spectral screen shot showing 3D data reveal (Courtesy Renishaw)
Renishaw plc, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucester, UK, has released its new process monitoring software, InfiniAM Spectral, for use on Renishaw systems. The software package provides real-time spectral monitoring technology that enables manufacturers to gather melt-pool data to enable traceable production and process optimisation.
The InfiniAM Spectral software is part of a developing line of products designed for users of the company’s Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) systems. The software offers two measurement functions in the sensor modules: LaserVIEW, which uses a photosensitive diode to measure the intensity of the laser energy, and MeltVIEW, which captures emissions from the melt pool in the near-infrared and infrared spectral ranges. These two sensor signals can be compared to help identify discrepancies.
Data collected from LaserVIEW and MeltVIEW is streamed across a conventional computer network on a layer-by-layer basis, enabling manufacturers to analyse process monitoring data in real-time, and as the build progresses, the data is rendered live in 3D for viewing in InfiniAM Spectral. The engineer can then compare the data from each sensor to identify any deviations, which may indicate the presence of anomalies that could lead to defects.
“For Additive Manufacturing to become a truly ubiquitous manufacturing technology, users and practitioners require a deep understanding of the process,” explained Robin Weston, Marketing Manager at Renishaw’s Additive Manufacturing Products Division. “The software will be hugely beneficial to manufacturers looking to achieve consistent processing with AM.”
“The amount of process data generated during an AM build is immense, which means it can be difficult to make practical use of it without the correct interpretation tools,” he continued. “InfiniAM Spectral enables manufacturers to easily interpret data and gain a more detailed understanding of their AM processes. Access to real-time data opens the door to future developments in process control – detecting and correcting problems in real-time.”
InfiniAM Spectral is expected to be most useful for the series production of identical parts in high-value applications. When producing the first part in a series, data from LaserVIEW and MeltVIEW can be compared with existing X-Ray or Computed Tomography (CT) data from a known ‘good’ part. The manufacturer can then use this signal data as the ‘gold standard’ to compare data from subsequent parts against.
