- Northwestern University awards SGLB a contract to implement 3D-metal-printing, quality-assurance software on laser melting machine
- Sigma Labs’ unrivaled PrintRite3D software is singular solution for quality assurance roadblocks to 3D-metal-printing industry
- Global 3D-metal-printing market size expected to expand to $3.05 billion by 2025 with a CAGR of 31.8%
Sigma Labs Inc. (NASDAQ: SGLB), the sole provider of in-process quality-assurance software for the commercial 3D metal printing industry, has been awarded a contract by Northwestern University to implement its patented PrintRite3D(R) software. The company’s real-time, melt-pool analytics technology is set to transform the commercial additive-manufacturing space by addressing costly quality control issues – a step required to maximize profits and move forward from the prototype phase to widespread industrialization.
In collaboration with the Northwestern Initiative on Manufacturing Science and Innovation (NIMSI) and the Center for Hierarchical Materials Design (CHiMaD), the PrintRite3D system will be installed on a DMG MORI LASERTEC12 Selective Laser Melting machine. DMG MORI – a global leader in machine tool manufacturing – is expected to capture significant market share of the burgeoning additive manufacturing industry with the LASERTEC12. Sigma Labs will further validate the technological performance and capabilities of PrintRite3D in identifying real-time defect formations during the printing process, in addition to demonstrating its software’s unparalleled capability for third-party, independent, quality-assurance monitoring of metal additive-manufacturing systems.
Following an assessment of the costly quality-control issues impeding the progress of the 3D-metal-printing industry, Sigma Labs realized that the enormous potential of 3D metal printing could only scale up if in-process, quality-assurance tools were developed to observe, manage and control the manufacturing process. With a stated mission of becoming the de facto standard for such monitoring systems, SGLB continues to demonstrate the achievement of these objectives with its patented PrintRite3D software.
“We are honored to have the opportunity to work with Northwestern University,” Sigma Labs Executive Chairman Mark Ruport stated in a news release. “This type of collaboration is critical if additive manufacturing is to realize its potential and reach full industrialization.”
Jian Cao, Cardiss Collins Professor of Mechanical Engineering and NIMSI director, agrees. “Sigma Labs provides us with one critical element in our ICME framework for model validation and for process control,” said Cao. “We look forward to our collaboration [bringing] the science and technology of additive manufacturing to the next level.”
Quality control remains one of the primary impediments to scalability due to the high number of rejected parts found in the post-process stage by costly CAT scans. Sigma Lab’s patented PrintRite3D software addresses this issue during the production phase by monitoring compliance with design and metal quality criteria in real-time to ensure the consistent quality of each part during the manufacturing process, layer by layer. This in-process monitoring and reporting allows operators to stop the production of a defective part and implement solutions during the process – resulting in reduced error rates and higher yields. In addition to being evaluated by tier-1 aerospace and OEM partners worldwide, Sigma Labs has also engaged 19 beta customers across 23 installations.
The global 3D-metal-printing market size is expected to reach $3.05 billion by 2025, progressing at an eye-popping CAGR of 31.8% during the forecast period (http://ibn.fm/eGIUT). As the definitive solution for quality-control issues, PrintRite3D is poised to catalyze this hypergrowth industry, positioning Sigma Labs as a leader in what is often referred to as the next industrial revolution.
For more information about Sigma Labs, please visit www.SigmaLabsInc.com
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