Industrializing additive manufacturing via partnerships and acquisitions
Siemens is moving additive technology or 3D printing into mainstream, to industrialize additive manufacturing in the industry, providing the printing of parts layer by layer via simulation and digital models for greater accuracy, while projecting defects during cool-down, where errors are revealed. Also, promoting the reality of building parts at scale with repeatable accuracy and quality – a stalwart claim in a lively industry.
Siemens is at the forefront of this technology with a state-of-the-art factory in Finspång, Sweden – a showcase for industrializing additive manufacturing. They are building quality parts at scale for gas turbines, transforming the process through consolidation of components, creating robust parts with greater strength and heat resistance. This is but one example where additive technology is transforming the manufacturing industry.
In overcoming the challenges to mainstreaming additive manufacturing, Siemens is continually partnering with new allies for enhancing these solutions.
Additive manufacturing digital twin
One of the measures to broaden Siemens’ capabilities within the failure prediction space is with MultiMechanics. This US-based company specializes in providing a digital twin of material properties and behaviors for detecting failures at a micro-structural level and applies a broad swath of manufacturing technologies via additive manufacturing, while seeking to use innovative materials.
“The addition of this technology enables our customers to build a digital twin of materials, which will help to shrink the innovation cycle of new products and materials, possibly saving millions of dollars and several years in development and certification in aerospace, automotive and other sectors,” says Jan Leuridan, SVP Simulation & Test Solutions at Siemens Digital Industries Software.
Conventional printing shows clear evidence of local overheating, whereas additive manufacturing printing optimizes the file, revealing little evidence of overheating with improved surface quality.
The addition of this technology enables customers to build a digital twin of various parts, while assisting to decrease the innovation cycle of new products and materials, thus reducing prohibitive costs incurred over several years of development and certification in many industry sectors.
Additive manufacturing – a comprehensive solution
Also, the relationship with Siemens and Identify3D provides dynamic solutions for additive manufacturing. These two companies enable an automated, end-to-end, secure and manageable manufacturing data distribution, collecting and monitoring the breadth of control systems and production equipment.
Customers can create encrypted data directions for operating additive or subtractive machines. These containers of instructions include machine parameters, machine type, operator privileges and several parts. Every action that impacts a container for a manufacturing operation is collected, tracked and displayed via a dashboard for full disclosure of the production process. Siemens and Identify3D are leading the charge with 3D printer OEMs for developing integrated machine interfaces that support transferring data securely.
“Following a multi-year partnership with Siemens, we are very happy to make one further step towards a broader commercialization of our solution. We are very keen on bringing a key innovative addition to the Siemens Digital Industries Software portfolio and excited to support their global sales organization,” says Fabrizio De Pasquale, VP Business Development and Strategic Accounts at Identify3D.
Additive manufacturing reducing failures
Moreover, Siemens and Atlas3D assist designers in defining optimal parts orientation – promoting first-time-right printing. Generated through a cloud-based solution and GPU software, it reduces downstream 3D errors resulting from thermal distortions one hundred times faster than other offerings in this industry. GPU-accelerated computing services a graphics processing unit (GPU) with a computer processing unit (CPU), facilitating process-intensive operations like intensive learning, analytics and engineering applications.
This innovative software from Atlas3D uses thermal distortion analysis, providing a simple automated method for optimizing part build orientation, and generating support structures. So, this tactic allows the designer versus the analyst to perform simulations – reducing downstream analysis performed via software to achieve the creation of parts meeting correct design necessities. Plans are underway for making the Atlas 3D solution available through an online network.
“We welcome Atlas 3D to the Siemens community as the newest member of our additive manufacturing team. Our solutions industrialize additive manufacturing for large enterprises, 3D printing service bureaus, design firms and CAD designers,” says Zvi Feuer, Senior Vice President, Manufacturing Engineering Software of Siemens Digital Industries Software.
The additive manufacturing advantages
The many attributes of additive manufacturing serve only to propel this mainstay innovation, which is soon to become a standard in the industry. Siemens is driving this charge with the challenge of industrializing 3D printing technology, providing improved design, printing and post-printing operations, allowing for optimization of parts and printing of parts at scale with repeatable quality.
To further meet these goals, Siemens continues to strategically align with innovative partners in the industry, providing the skills, processes and know-how to execute the industrialization of additive manufacturing in the marketplace.
For more information:
Siemens to acquire multi-mechanics and expand simulation for additive manufacturing
Identify3D and Siemens Digital Industries Software Sign OEM Partnership Agreement
Siemens expands additive manufacturing portfolio through acquisition of Atlas 3D
Where additive manufacturing meets tomorrow: challenges to industrializing 3D printing
