An Engineer’s Guide to Scaling Metal AM, Part 1: Overcoming Challenges in Standardization

December 6, 2022

 Metal additive manufacturing has been deployed successfully across countless industries, enabling engineers to reimagine what’s possible in the design and function of core parts. Where conventional AM systems have struggled, however, is in its ability to scale.

At Velo3D, we’ve made it our mission to overcome challenges in scalability in metal AM by creating a fully integrated solution that focuses on repeatability. In this series we’ll explore the roadblocks conventional AM systems have encountered in scaling, and the ways in which the Velo3D system is transforming what’s possible in metal AM. The first of these many challenges is mitigating variation in the printing process through standardization.

Overcoming Challenges to Scaling AM Production

For a more in depth look at how Velo3D is helping to scale additive manufacturing production, download our whitepaper.

Scaling metal AM for consistent production comes down to many factors. Executing a print with a single printer at one facility is relatively simply, but it’s much more challenging to deliver that level of quality and repeatability on multiple printers operating at the same or different locations.

Despite attempts by conventional metal AM suppliers to mitigate that variation through extensive “locked” or “fixed” process documentation (e.g., plate finishing method, powder quality requirements, laser parameters, gas flow speeds, etc.), the reality is if you are trying to print on machines from different makes, models and parameter sets, you are likely to get undesired differences across production parts.

The Challenges of Standardization

 This lack of standardization inherent in legacy systems boils down to variation in the process from site to site or printer to printer. Challenges to standardization include the following: 

  • Print preparation software may vary from company to company
  • Printers themselves can be calibrated differently from site to site and machine to machine
  • Engineers may create feature-specific printing processes unique to their site or machines
  • The resulting prints may cause even standardized materials to perform in different ways in the print process. 

In the end, space allowed for variation leaves room for inconsistency in the parts printed. This lack of a reliable, repeatable printing process in legacy metal AM systems degrades trust in metal AM as a manufacturing category and threatens its viability industry-wide. 

The Steps to Overcoming These Challenges 

The Velo3D integrated AM system is focused on repeatability, which is easier said than done. There are three key steps that need to be taken to address these challenges:

  • The first step to reaching the goal of repeatability is to control the parameters throughout the entirety of the process to minimize variation and create a consistent set of instructions for the printers to execute.
  • The second step is to ensure consistent execution of the print instructions through automated calibrations of the printers. Calibrations are critical to repeatability as they ensure the printer is following the proper instructions for each build before it begins.
  • The third step is to consistently measure the print layer by layer ensuring that each part prints with an identical fingerprint to the original. Once a part has been printed successfully, that’s great, but it’s not instructive for future success without proof through data. 

Through the integration of pre-print software, Sapphire printers—which present some of the tightest parameter controls in the industry—and quality assurance software, the Velo3D integrated metal AM system does more than any other solution on the market to mitigate variance from printer to printer and location to location. 

This predictability in printing outcomes means a repeatable process, which in turn enables scalability. Knowing how a part will print on any Velo3D printer, anywhere in the world unlocks never-before-seen possibilities in distributed manufacturing and supply chain agility. 

For more information on how Velo3D advanced metal AM is driving the NewSpace Race, download our whitepaper today

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About the Author

Amir Iliaifar

Director of Content

Amir Iliaifar is the Director of Content at Velo3D where he oversees the production and distribution of Velo3D’s global digital content marketing initiatives. Prior to joining the company, Amir worked for a leading professional drone manufacturer, several SaaS companies, and as an automotive tech journalist. He holds a Master of Arts in Digital Communication from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.