3D Printing

Siemens integrates AM Path Optimizer technology in NX for additive manufacturing

Siemens Digital Industries Software announced Additive Manufacturing (AM) Path Optimizer, a beta technology integrated in NX software, to help customers solve overheating challenges and help reduce scrap and increase production yield to achieve the industrialization of AM. Siemens has developed this next generation advanced simulation technology to help maximize the production yield and quality of powder bed fusion manufactured parts.

Building on the Simcenter Additive Manufacturing Process Simulation solution announced in November 2018, AM Path Optimizer complements Siemens’ strategy for the digital twin of the manufacturing process and addresses errors originated from suboptimal scan strategies and process parameters. These can lead to systematic failures due to overheating, which can cause scrap and inconsistencies in component quality.

Siemens has had success demonstrating this beta technology with TRUMPF as a partner. “With the AM Path Optimizer, Siemens and TRUMPF can push industrialization of additive technologies further forward,” said Jeroen Risse, AM Expert at TRUMPF. “In our demonstrations we saw an improvement of geometric accuracy, elimination of re-coater errors caused by overheating, as well as a more homogenous surface quality. Also, the scrap rate is expected to be reduced.”

AM Path Optimizer determines overheating criticality from the scan vectors. The impeller part on the left is printed using the original file and shows clear evidence of local overheating, highlighted in red. The part on the right is printed using the optimized file, which shows no evidence of local overheating and improved surface quality.

The technology combines physics-based simulation with machine learning to analyze a full job file in few minutes before execution on the machine. This technology is expected to help achieve “first time right” prints and drastically reduce trial and error. It can also help reduce printing costs and enable the printing of components that are nearly impossible to achieve today.

Siemens is actively engaging early adopters to further prove out the AM Path Optimizer solution.

Siemens Digital Industries Software
www.siemens.com/plm/additivemanufacturing