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21 July 2018

Renishaw improves consistency in Additive Manufacturing

To allow additive manufacturing (AM) users a greater understanding of their processes, Renishaw has developed new process monitoring software, InfiniAM Spectral, for use on Renishaw systems. After its successful launch at formnext 2017, Renishaw released the software package to help manufacturers overcome the barriers to AM in critical applications, process stability and part quality.

Laser powder-bed fusion (LPBF) builds components from millions of laser exposures. This process must be highly accurate to produce a functional part. However, there are sources of variation that can occur during the build process, which can produce anomalies that impact the longevity of the part. Real-time spectral monitoring technology enables manufacturers to gather melt-pool data to enable traceable production and process optimisation.

InfiniAM Spectral is part of a developing family of products that helps users capture, evaluate and store process data from Renishaw LPBF technologies. The software enables data capture, presentation and analysis, representing a powerful tool for developing a deep understanding of the AM process.

The new software offers two measurement functions in the sensor modules. The first module, LaserVIEW, uses a photosensitive diode to measure the intensity of the laser energy. The second module, MeltVIEW, captures emissions from the melt pool in the near-infrared and infrared spectral ranges. These two sensor signals can be compared to help identify discrepancies.

MeltVIEW and LaserVIEW stream data across a conventional computer network on a layer-by-layer basis, so manufacturers can analyse process monitoring data in real-time. As the build progresses, the data is rendered live in 3D for viewing in InfiniAM Spectral. The engineer can compare the data from each sensor to identify any deviations, which may indicate the presence of anomalies that could lead to defects.


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