According to Sigma Labs President and CEO Mark Cola, “[C]urrently, the additive manufacturing process involves a lot of trial and error in order to get the right operating parameters. Companies use their best judgment and past experience, but new materials, new shapes, and new parts offer production challenges and the new Sigma Labs sensor technology could help reduce development time.”
For industries like racing and aerospace, which are fueled by innovative designs and novel geometries, the ability to create one-off prototype parts is essential. While advances in 3D printing have helped teams and companies innovate at break-neck pace, the ability to create reliable and consistent parts has lagged behind. If Sigma Labs’ new press release is to be believed, the company could create a new threshold for what’s considered acceptable in the world of metal AM components.
Elaborating on his company’s new design, Mr. Cola explained, “To know precisely when the laser is putting in just the right amount of energy into the powder layer - not too much and not too little - so that the layer is completely melted without overheating it is very important. Our new sensor and data analysis invention helps to accomplish just that - determine optimal coupling between the laser and the powders.”
Regardless of whether this new technology sets Sigma Labs’ product apart from the rest of the laser sintering field, it is a significant step in the race to expand additive manufacturing’s influence on industry.
Image Courtesy of Sigma Labs