‘New age’ of digital manufacturing, Enable and others launch new software platform to enable large-scale 3D printing

March 25, 2022, Automationpost-processingSystem developers PostProcessTechnologies andMetal3D printingServeThe companies EnableManufacturing have each launched a new3D printingsoftwareplatform to take additive manufacturing and post-processing to the next level.PostProcess has announced the launch of its CONNECT3D platform, a new addition to its hardware, chemistry and software stack designed to address a longstanding void in the post-print market. Meanwhile, Enable has developed a custom software package, EnableChain, designed to automate and accelerate the delivery of metal parts manufactured through its additive casting technology.

“Our CONNECT3D additive manufacturing platform sets the stage for the next step in the industry – the functional advancement of additive manufacturing,” said Rich Caplow, vice president of product at PostProcess. “In today’s additive manufacturing landscape, data is captured during the design and printing stages. and connections, but the digital line of the 3D part is cut before its final finishing stage. CONNECT3D connects the finishing or post-printing stage with the digital line of the part to unify the entire workflow.”

△In the UK Innovation Agencyfunding, Enable Manufacturing has partnered with The Curve to develop its EnableChain software package. Image via Enable Manufacturing.

Scale up additive manufacturing with CONNECT3D

Late last year, PostProcess noted in its 2021 Additive Manufacturing Postprocessing Industry Trends Survey that postprocessing is becoming a priority for additive manufacturing to begin moving into high-volume production. Complementing the company’s current AUTOMAT3D software application, the CONNECT3D platform is a new addition to the company’s software and hardware portfolio, designed to address a historical gap in the post-print processing market.The platform incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to automatically generate optimized recipes for specific part requirements, while leveraging the Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) to optimize performance and maximize customer value. CONNECT3D can be integrated with factory automation systems to automate large-scale part production. The platform is built on an open architecture that includes public APIs to simplify 3D printing digital lines and introduce third-party software applications throughout the workflow.

Standout features of the CONNECT3D platform include intuitive alerts and alarms for real-time operations management, allowing users to plan and schedule functions in advance to increase efficiency. It also enables remote monitoring, sending notifications to users via text or email, enabling them to stay informed about the process at all stages.
The CONNECT3D platform, which has been in beta for several years, is now available as an annual subscription service and will be showcased at AMUG 2022 next month.
Tugce Uslu, analyst at Lux Research, said: “With the launch of the CONNECT3D platform, PostProcess is using data analytics and machine learning to improve the performance of its full-stack solution. PostProcess recognizes the unification of printing and post-print processing into an end-to-end The need for a solution. Its software is one of the company’s key differentiators as it focuses on leveraging artificial intelligence for end-to-end process optimization. This makes Postprocess one of the leaders in automated post-processing technology.”

△Ostrum uses VAD to depowder a batch of polymer parts. Photo via PostProcess Technologies.

The “New Era” of Digital Manufacturing

Meanwhile, with the launch of the EnableChain package, Enable is taking process automation to a new level to more efficiently advance its orders of additively cast parts.Developed in partnership with technology company The Curve, the platform enables Enable to deliver within four weeks by integrating the supply chain in a “Lego building concept”Metal 3D Printingpart.Enable’s additive casting technology combines 3D printing and traditional casting techniques to more cost-effectively manufacture complex metal parts of various sizes.The technology is capable of producing parts in over 130 different metals and is said to cost less than directMetal 3D Printingand traditional manufacturing techniques are low.

With 17 million possible configurations of additively manufactured parts, coupled with a complex multi-step supply chain involving more than 50 suppliers, Enable needed to automate its on-demand manufacturing process to consistently deliver high quality parts.
With funding from Innovation UK, Enable has partnered with The Curve to develop and launch the EnableChain software platform to meet the growing demand for its additive casting services. The software can track and trace print jobs from order to invoice, each configured with a unique dedicated supply chain.

James Ridgeway, CTO and co-founder of The Curve, said: “There was no off-the-shelf software solution on the market that would meet Enable’s need to custom configure the supply chain for each customer order, so the team approached us to work together on a custom software solution. Over the next nine months, we conceived, developed and delivered a unique approach to digitize enabling supply chains and will help them achieve their growth goals.”

On the EnableChain software platform, customers can monitor the status of their orders and get notified about the progress of their orders with the click of a button. At the same time, suppliers will receive proactive notifications on part progress and can integrate with Enable via an API to further improve the efficiency of the process.

Anja Stolte, Head of Marketing at Enable, said: “We believe that by combining our additive manufacturing services with the new EnableChain tracking software, we have now laid a solid foundation for bringing on-demand digital manufacturing to the metal parts market, with the ability to A better customer and supplier experience across the Enable network.”

△ A lattice structure with a wall thickness of 1.5 mm fabricated by vacuum rapid fabrication technology. Photo via Enable

(responsible editor: admin)

‘New age’ of digital manufacturing, Enable and others launch new software platform to enable large-scale 3D printing

0 Comments for “‘New age’ of digital manufacturing, Enable and others launch new software platform to enable large-scale 3D printing”

Leave a Reply Cancel reply