Siemens and Interspectral collaborate on 3D visualisation tool for metal AM
April 8, 2019
With the help of AM Explorer, Siemens expects to be able to import and visualise a large amount of heterogeneous data from the metal Additive Manufacturing process (Courtesy Interspectral)
Siemens’ gas turbine business in Finspång, Sweden, has entered into a collaboration with Interspectral, Norrköping, Sweden, a provider of custom tools and software for interactive 3D visualisation, to develop a 3D visualisation tool specifically for metal Additive Manufacturing. The tool, AM Explorer, has been in development since 2017 as an R&D project supported by innovation initiative Visual Sweden, and now makes the transition into product development.
Andreas Graichen, Head of Additive Manufacturing Center of Competence at Siemens, explained, “To improve and ultimately industrialise the [Additive Manufacturing] process you need to capture, explore and understand large amounts of heterogeneous data from the manufacturing process and increase domain knowledge. There is a need for a tool that generates true insights and new knowledge from the data.”
“Based on our core visualisation technology we are designing an intuitive tool that will support interactive exploration and collaboration,” stated Thomas Rydell, Business Developer & Co-founder, Interspectral. “Using AM Explorer, Siemens will learn more from the data that they collect, increase domain knowledge and minimise trial and error.”
AM Explorer is expected to make it easier for engineers to gain insights into the Additive Manufacturing process and communicate challenges and solutions with stakeholders. CAD files, data from sensors and cameras, simulations, and metrology systems such as laser scanners and CT scanners, can be fused and visualised using the same tool.
Further, engineers will be able to filter, navigate, explore and analyse the data in an intuitive way. This is expected to enable them to detect anomalies and trace why and where in the manufacturing process they appeared.
“The collaboration with Siemens represents the beginning of a new and very exciting market segment for Interspectra,” added Rydell. “The project is a great example of how our 3D software platform can bring value to companies working with complex 3D data and digital twins.”
“We believe 3D-visualisation, including AR and VR, will be a key component in the industrialisation of additive manufacturing and tools such as the AM Explorer will be one part of the solution in our Additive Manufacturing roadmap at Siemens,” concluded Graichen.
