10.14.15
Leuven, Belgium-based Materialise N.V., which designs additive manufacturing software and provides 3-D printing solutions, has partnered with Swedish company Arcam AB to create the Arcam Build Processor.
Materialise partners with 3-D printer manufacturers to create build processors that enable a seamless integration between software and printer. Similar to the way 2-D printer drivers work, build processors simplify the 3-D printing workflow and give users more control over their 3-D print.
Users of Arcam’s Electron Beam Melting (EBM) machines mainly are active in the orthopedic implant and aerospace industries. To reduce the weight of parts or to facilitate bone ingrowth for implants, complex designs such as porous, lattice and lightweight structures are created. Materialise’s 3-maticSTL software is designed to handle exactly these types of challenges. The new build processor is hoped to help the user avoid the large STL (stereolithography) data stage by using a compact file format and slice-based operations. Materialise’s proprietary slicing technology is meant to allow for easy handling of these complex designs.
In addition, facilitated by the two-way communication between the printer and the software enabled by Streamics, the build processor does not just tell the printer what to do—it also can pick up feedback from the printer, which enables the tracing and storage of data on specific jobs. This provides a controlled 3-D printing environment, helping meet the rigorous manufacturing requirements of, for example, the medical and aerospace sectors.
Arcam makes electron beam melting systems for use in additive manufacturing. This process makes parts out of metal.
Materialise partners with 3-D printer manufacturers to create build processors that enable a seamless integration between software and printer. Similar to the way 2-D printer drivers work, build processors simplify the 3-D printing workflow and give users more control over their 3-D print.
Users of Arcam’s Electron Beam Melting (EBM) machines mainly are active in the orthopedic implant and aerospace industries. To reduce the weight of parts or to facilitate bone ingrowth for implants, complex designs such as porous, lattice and lightweight structures are created. Materialise’s 3-maticSTL software is designed to handle exactly these types of challenges. The new build processor is hoped to help the user avoid the large STL (stereolithography) data stage by using a compact file format and slice-based operations. Materialise’s proprietary slicing technology is meant to allow for easy handling of these complex designs.
In addition, facilitated by the two-way communication between the printer and the software enabled by Streamics, the build processor does not just tell the printer what to do—it also can pick up feedback from the printer, which enables the tracing and storage of data on specific jobs. This provides a controlled 3-D printing environment, helping meet the rigorous manufacturing requirements of, for example, the medical and aerospace sectors.
Arcam makes electron beam melting systems for use in additive manufacturing. This process makes parts out of metal.