SANTA FE, N.M./October 25, 2022 — Sigma Additive Solutions has partnered with Novanta to create an integrated hardware/software solution to make quality assurance a standard part of the optical train.
Novanta’s Firefly 3D scan head positions real-time monitoring as a standard, enabling Sigma’s data analytics and quality assurance software suite. The next generation 3-axis scan head designed for Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) machines enables OEMs instant access to process monitoring with Sigma’s analytics suite. Additionally, it provides end customers in the field, agnostic of the OEM, the ability to implement monitoring solutions across machine fleets without complicated retrofits to optical trains.
This product brings an industry-leading 200kHz data acquisition rate, enabling the potential for closed-loop control and laser correction that Sigma’s technology has already demonstrated. The solution easily scales to add additional scan heads to OEM machine design to attain the benefits of multi-scanner architectures up to 100% field overlap. Single, dual, quad, and multi-row setups can boost machines’ productivity to mass produce high fidelity parts with the benefit of Sigma’s quality assurance solutions’ support.
According to Sigma Additive Solutions Chief Executive Officer Jacob Brunsberg, “This is an exciting moment for the additive manufacturing industry. Quality, and corresponding cost of quality, is one of the greatest barriers to industrialized scale of this technology. Today we have taken a big stride in breaking down this wall, providing access to an agnostic analytics and monitoring solution integrated with scan head technology. This value-add is expected to speed up OEM implementation, while providing solid benefit to additive producers. We are focused on decreasing the cost of quality by shortening development and qualification time, increasing production quality, and decreasing the need for post process inspection for end users.”
Simon Matthias, Product Manager for Novanta, added, “We are very pleased to show the world the work we have done with Sigma Additive Solutions. Adding real-time monitoring to our scan head sets a new standard for the industry and enables increased quality control of our high-performance laser beam steering solutions.”
