Qualification and certification are the ‘billion-dollar issues’ within the industrialisation of additive manufacturing, in line with Hexagon Director of Enterprise Enablement Jeff Robertson.
Robertson was discussing the potential of additive manufacturing ought to it overcome the challenges round qualification and certification on the most recent Additive Perception podcast episode alongside Flow3D Senior CFD Engineer Allyce Jackman.
All through their dialog, they supplied insights on computational fluid dynamics and simulation processes, earlier than coming onto what position these applied sciences play within the qualification – ideally fast qualification – of additively manufactured elements and processes.
“There’s the need amongst the contributors,” Robertson stated, “whether or not it’s the machine producers, the software program corporations, the top clients, the federal government businesses, the place the funding comes from at this stage. Folks need to see metallic AM – and polymer AM – achieve success. And we recognise we now have a methods to go. I wish to name the issue of qual/cert the billion greenback drawback of AM as a result of if we might determine it out, it’s a billion-dollar potential. I’m not attempting to place a quantity on it, but it surely’s a giant quantity if we might recover from that hump – one of many largest humps – that stops widespread industrialisation.”
With the additional growth of CFD and simulation applied sciences, alternatives are there for producers to realize higher insights on the outcomes of their additive manufacturing processes earlier than elements are printed. Having these insights and detecting defects earlier than they change into an issue will, in concept, present a larger understanding and management of AM processes for these working in extremely regulated industries.
Each Robertson and Jackman have been concerned in accelerator and collaborative programmes, reminiscent of LIFT, to additional advance additive manufacturing and the US’ nationwide functionality. However they consider extra cooperative effort can be required to make the progress that’s wanted.
“The drive is definitely there, I don’t suppose that’s even the problem,” supplied Jackman, “It’s an enormous drawback and an enormous enterprise to deliver this know-how full circle to the purpose the place it’s simply adoptable and it’s simply understood what the advantages are, the way it impacts half high quality, how one can truly adapt it to new functions. To drive requirements and qualification is, realistically, in all probability half a decade off. However you’ve bought to place within the groundwork and collaborations should be there. That’s the most important factor. Collaborations should occur for this to work.”
