NetworkNewsWire
Editorial Coverage: Heralded as the fourth industrial
revolution, 3D printing is about to transform the $12 trillion
global manufacturing sector.
Sigma Labs Inc. (NASDAQ: SGLB) (SGLB
Profile) is on the verge of unleashing the dynamic
forces of additive metal manufacturing that have been restrained.
Long heralded as the fourth industrial revolution, 3D metal
printing and its full potential have been stalled due to the high
cost and complexities of end-product inspection and quality
control. Sigma Labs’ PrintRite3D(R) software represents a seismic
shift in the quality-assurance process in the manufacture of
3D-printed metal components, and the entire sector is poised for
extraordinary growth. Software giant Autodesk Inc. (NASDAQ:
ADSK) has aggressively moved into the space developing
software across a range of uses in 3D printing. With nearly three
decades of experience, Materialise NV (NASDAQ:
MTLS) has integrated Sigma
Labs’ PrintRite3D technology with its Materialise MCP controller,
and the companies will jointly demonstrate the latest version of
the software platform to the global elite of additive manufacturing
at the Formnext exhibition. Siemens AG (OTC:
SIEGY) is a global leader in industrializing 3D printing
and assisted Sigma in evolving the early version of PrintRite3D
INSPECT version 2.0 towards 5.0. Even more momentous,
General Electric’s (NYSE: GE) Baker Hughes
division has begun the final phase of
the PrintRite3D rapid-test and evaluation program, the last step
before commercial orders.
- Global 3D printing metal market expected to exceed $3 billion
by 2025, progressing at a CAGR of 31.8%.
- Industry hampered by costly and cumbersome quality-control
process, inability to scale production.
- Sigma Labs’ PrintRite3D appears to be the only solution that
enables real-time, in-process detection and intervention of
quality-control manufacturing irregularities for critical metal
parts.
- Patented and third-party validated by DARPA, PrintRite3D
reduces waste, weight, cost and time; allows manufacturers to truly
scale-up production.
To view an infographic of this editorial, click here.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution Is Here, But Challenges
Remain
A computer-aided manufacturing process, 3D metal printing is
used to create physical (3D) objects by laser sintering metal,
layer by 10-30 micron layer, computer directed by a precise digital
design file. Unlike traditional manufacturing techniques that
create final products by forging, casting or cutting away from a
block of material, additive metal-part manufacturing uses a laser
to weld 10-30 micron layers of metal together to “sculpt” a final
3- dimensional product.
Now embraced by global industrial companies, 3D printing is
about to disrupt the $12 trillion global manufacturing industry.
Companies are clamoring for ways to create hypercritical components
and prototypes, improve current products, reduce costs and increase
speed to market. The global 3D-printing metal market, projected to exceed $3 billion by 2025 with a CAGR of
31.8%, may grow even faster if operational and production
challenges are resolved. The newfound ability to deliver nearly
instantaneous parts and customized components that can’t be created
with other manufacturing techniques has spurred large investments
and research in additive manufacturing. Demand for 3D
metal-printing solutions in precision-dependent industries such as
aerospace, defense and biomedical is exceptionally strong. However,
the costs and challenges of quality control have stymied the
process and inhibited the ability to scale production that these
companies so desperately desire.
The Sigma Solution
With its PrintRite3D software, Sigma Labs Inc.
(NASDAQ: SGLB) has established a new paradigm in the
development and commercialization of real-time, computer-aided
inspection solutions. Sigma Labs PrintRite3D product is designed to
resolve the bottlenecks and costly quality-control challenges that
impede the 3D manufacture of precision metal parts. The company’s
breakthrough software could revolutionize commercial additive
manufacturing by enabling nondestructive quality assurance during
production and uniquely allowing errors to be corrected in real
time.
Currently, 3D-printed metal parts are inspected after production
using CT scans and other techniques. The reason that 3D metal parts
require so much cost and care to inspect after manufacturing is
that manufacturing 3D metal parts requires that a machines is
making the metal of a part at the same time that it is forming the
part. The process is synthesizing the metal-manufacturing functions
of foundry or casting into the manufacturing process. New processes
and methods create exciting new capabilities, and with 3D metal
printing exciting new methods also created a big unintended
problem: how can the manufacturer know if the newly formed metal is
good in every 10-30 micron layer of a 3D part? The manufacturer
doesn’t really know until after parts are made which of the
finished parts meet design specifications. Lost time, lost profits
and the difficulties of economically scaling production plague the
metal additive manufacturing process. 3D metal-printing
manufacturers must find ways to dramatically increase production
speed and quality yields and dramatically decrease the excessive
cost of post-process quality control to reach economically viable
commercial production.
To move 3D metal printing into the mainstream, parts must be
inspected and certified during the manufacturing process rather
than after. Parts in the production process that are developing
signs of quality-control problems must be identified in real-time.
The anomaly, along with the solution, must then be communicated to
the machine operator to immediately implement repairs. 3D printing
will only truly surpass conventional manufacturing techniques when
the additive manufacturing industry moves from post-process quality
control to in-process quality assurance. Sigma Labs believes it has
the solution.
Driven by Science
Sigma Labs was founded in 2010 by a team of Los Alamos National
Labs scientists and engineers to develop and commercially license
advanced metallurgical products. After assessing 3D metal-printing
technology, riddled with capricious and costly quality-control
issues, the team realized the enormous potential of 3D metal
printing could only scale up if in-process, quality-assurance tools
were developed to observe, manage and control manufacturing
complexities. Only then could the reliability and repeatability of
high-precision quality metal parts be achieved. Sigma Labs’
patented and third-party validated software has achieved these
objectives and now delivers the critical elements needed to unleash
the promise of 3D metal printing and usher in the fourth industrial
revolution.
Recognizing the immense value, Sigma Labs has established a
strong IP portfolio consisting of 34 issued and pending patents
both domestically and across the globe. These patents encompass the
fundamental technologies underlying Sigma Labs’ melt pool process
control, data analytics, anomaly detection, signature
identification and future “closed-loop control” of 3D metal
printing. Third-party product
validation of efficacy was shown to ensure process consistency
and product quality in metal additive manufacturing in a research
study sponsored by the prestigious Defense Advanced Research
Project Agency (DARPA) conducted in tandem with Honeywell
Aerospace.
OEMs and End Users Line Up
Sigma Labs is now in the execution and delivery phase of
commercial development. Millions have been poured into R&D,
perfecting the latest PrintRite3D 5.0, protecting the IP and
engaging 19 beta customers with many of the biggest names in
industry. Along with other large OEMs and end users, Sigma Labs has
a test and evaluation program in place with aerospace behemoth
Airbus, purportedly for use in the helicopter
division since components are cheaper to produce and weigh less
than counterparts made by conventional methods.
Even more momentous may be the recent revelation on Sigma Labs’
earnings call that General Electric’s Baker Hughes division has
begun the final phase of
the PrintRite3D rapid test and evaluation program. This two-machine
contract is the last step before full commercial orders, and there
are 18 other test programs currently in place. The contract award
with Baker Hughes, a global leader in energy and industrial
solutions, is Phase 2 of the rapid test and evaluation program, the
final validation phase. A successful Phase 2 program could evolve
into a material commercial order, integrating PrintRite3D into
dedicated production machines.
"The conversion from our initial test and evaluation program to
the Phase 2 pilot rollout is a testament to the traction our
enabling technology is garnering in the additive manufacturing
industry,” stated Sigma Labs
chairman and CEO John Rice. With 19 current beta customers and
more likely on the way, the traction Rice refers to could quickly
turn to a tsunami of commercial orders.
"The third quarter of 2019 was highlighted by continued success
in engaging both OEMs and end users as PrintRite3D customers,
driving continued industry awareness and developing promising
commercial opportunities," Rice further stated on the earnings call.
Committed to the Future of 3D Printing
There’s little doubt that the next industrial revolution is at
the doorstep and about to transform the way products are made.
Additive manufacturing is rewriting the rules for how products are
designed, built and created. Major companies across the globe are
dedicating massive resources and talent to bring additive
manufacturing into the mainstream. This titanic transformation
provides a generational opportunity for those with the vision to
recognize the explosive impact and speed to market realities. As
Rice stated, "Additive manufacturing is, in our mind, undoubtedly
the next industrial revolution and we are on the forefront of
revolutionizing an essential element for its widely forecast leap
to serial manufacturing.”
American software giant Autodesk Inc. (NASDAQ:
ADSK) specializes in producing software for people who
make things, from architects to engineers and beyond. The company
has aggressively moved into the additive manufacturing space,
developing software across a range of uses in 3D printing. The
company’s highly regarded Netfabb(R) is a connected software for
additive manufacturing, design and simulation used to streamline
workflows and reduce build errors.
Among the world’s largest industrial manufacturing companies,
Siemens AG (OTC: SIEGY) is leading the way in
adopting 3D printing on an industrial scale. Working in partnership with other companies, it has
been developing new control technology that seamlessly integrates
hardware and software to optimize 3D printing. Siemens is currently
evaluating the Sigma Labs’ PrintRite3D software
on one of its metal printers.
An early pioneer of 3D printing, Materialise NV (NASDAQ:
MTLS) has been instrumental in developing the technology
since 1990. The company’s
research indicates that 3D printing could help shift the
balance of power and challenge China’s intent to become the world
leader in manufacturing. Materialise has integrated Sigma Labs’
PrintRite3D technology with its Materialise MCP controller, and the
companies will jointly demonstrate the latest version of the
software platform to the global elite of additive manufacturing at
the Formnext
exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany, on November 19-22.
General Electric (NYSE: GE) has made a major
commitment to bring additive manufacturing into the mainstream. GE
features some of the most advanced additive technologies available,
from machines that create products quickly and precisely to
powders, 3D-printing services and consulting. GE’s Baker Hughes
division has begun the final phase of the PrintRite3D rapid test
and evaluation program, the last step before commercial orders.
For more information on Sigma Labs, visit
Sigma Labs Inc.
(NASDAQ: SGLB)
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