Additive Industries Adds In-Process Quality Monitoring to MetalFab LPBF Systems

Additive Industries and Additive Assurance are collaborating on providing in situ process monitoring for additive manufacturing (AM) with Additive Industries’ MetalFab portfolio of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) machines. The partnership extends the capabilities of Additive Industries’ MetalFab series of LPBF printers with the addition of Additive Assurance’s AMiRIS in-process monitoring to inspect quality during production.

This partnership is said to leverage the complementary strengths of both companies to improve the process monitoring of additively manufactured parts in high-performance applications.

Additive Industries manufactures metal LPBF machines for production-oriented customers for over a decade. The company says its MetalFab printers offer class-leading automation, scalability and capability with a product portfolio that includes its newest machine, the MetalFab 300 Flex. The company says its the only metal printer on the market that offers a unique on-demand platform size, providing flexibility for manufacturers and making metal AM more accessible than ever.

As AM printers are increasing build rates and productivity, the requirement for in-process monitoring and quality assurance is becoming essential in many industries to ensure repeatability and generate high production yields. Additive Industries says it is responding to this need by offering this extended process monitoring capability to its customers.

Additive Assurance’s AMiRIS offers the ability to inspect quality during production. This can accelerate the quality validation process and ultimately lead to higher yield and production consistency of LPBF manufactured parts. The company says AMiRIS is a logical extension to the MetalFab series, addressing the quality assurance (QA) challenge with state-of-the-art in situ monitoring, enabling manufacturers to detect and address quality problems during production. By providing real-time insights into the build process, AMiRIS strengthens certification and quality assurance efforts, ultimately leading to shorter production cycles and higher confidence in the final product's quality.

“Our partnership with Additive Assurance aligns perfectly with our commitment to advancing the capabilities of metal additive manufacturing,” says Mark Massey, Additive Industries CEO. “By integrating AMiRIS with our MetalFab portfolio, including our new MetalFab 300 Flex, we’re enhancing real-time quality assurance, offering our customers greater flexibility and setting new standards in production consistency and reliability.”

The partnership between Additive Industries and Additive Assurance is expected to result in a broader deployment of in situ monitoring for users of the MetalFab portfolio and ultimately a broader adoption of the maturing manufacturing process of LPBF.

“We are delighted to be working with Additive Industries to add value to their customers’ experience and to push the boundaries of what is possible with LPBF AM,” says Marten Jurg, Additive Assurance CEO.