Sunata software enhances accuracy and speed of metal Additive Manufacturing
March 4, 2018
Atlas 3D, Plymouth, Indiana, USA, has released its new design software, SunataTM, for Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) Additive Manufacturing systems. According to the company, the Sunata software is capable of automatically generating the necessary support structures for a successful build, as well as helping users to choose the correct build orientation for a part. This has the potential to cut down on build time and cost, as well as enhancing accuracy by avoiding warpage of the part.
Sunata is a cloud-based software, into which users can upload their designs (as .STL CAD files) and automatically receive the optimal orientation and associated support structures. According to Atlas 3D, the software uses its patent-pending Thermal Circuit Network (TCN) to parse CAD designs into thermally similar layers, before dividing into thermally similar segments. By running the design through one-hundred different orientations, the tool is able to analyse the results and offer what it deems the optimal orientation and support structure.
The software was developed in collaboration with the technology group at Indiana Technology and Manufacturing Company (ITAMCO), who worked with the developers at Atlas 3D to create a program which would be able to balance minimal distortion with reduced print times. The aim of the project was to create a system which will enable users to profitably additively manufacture viable metal components, not just prototypes.
The company states that Sunata gives users the ability to scale their requirements from next-to-zero distortion with longer print times, to more a tolerable distortion with shorter print times. Because it provides orientation and support specifications prior to a build, it can also provide the total print time and amount of sintered material the design requires, and may therefore offer accurate cost-to-print data.
