Machine performance is a key indicator of part quality in Additive Manufacturing (AM). Repeatability from build to build and from machine to machine can only be achieved when machine performance is understood and controlled. Hardware can degrade, causing build problems which may be hard to detect and/or diagnose. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor characteristics of the printer which can impact material performance. In a production environment, equipment understanding is vital to repeatable quality. Metrics like gas flow, platform heating, and recoating mechanisms have substantial impacts on performance. Similarly, geometry capability is a critical element to understand in the production of AM parts. Minimum feature size, overhang angle, and as-printed tensile properties are important to understand in order to minimize support structure and maximize part quality through surface finish and mechanical properties. Understanding baseline capability will also be necessary in order to validate performance improvements as a process matures.
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