Introducing a full suite of monitoring solutions to increase confidence in part quality for both prototyping and mass industrial applications. At the heart of AddUp’s monitoring strategy are 3 key elements.
1.) AddUp Dashboards ~ a macro view of what is occurring inside the machine. This solution presents both real-time and historic process data in an easy-to-read dashboard view. The software tracks 80+ manufacturing parameters such as oxygen levels, humidity levels, the state of the lasers, powder consumption, the state of gas flow, and more.
2.) Meltpool Monitoring ~ a microscopic analyzation of the execution of the production. AddUp measures KPPs at a very high frequency: physical position of the laser spot, actual power delivered by the laser and the emissivity of the melt pool. Meltpool Monitoring makes it possible to characterize any defects without destroying the part, which is specifically useful for unique one-off builds.
3.) Recoat Monitoring ~ an analysis of the quality of the layering. AddUp’s Recoat Monitoring system not only checks the homogeneity of the powder bed, revealing the possible presence of deposits or lack of powder, but it also triggers a correction sequence when necessary, making sure the powder bed will be nice and smooth before melting resumes.
The use of these monitoring solutions during the AM process could take the place, or at least reduce, the amount of post-production inspections that are needed and provide an increased confidence in build quality.