Dyndrite’s LPBF Pro Software Enhances Precision, Traceability, Repeatability for 3D Metal Printing

Dyndrite’s LPBF Pro is a software application for laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) that empowers metal 3D printing users with previously unattainable part printing capabilities, accelerated build rates and cost savings. The software enhances precision, traceability and repeatability to streamline processes and push the boundaries of additive manufacturing (AM). It can be accessed through the company’s VIP Onboarding Program for key industries and 3D metal printing users.

The LPBF Pro software offers a streamlined workflow. It provides an intuitive interface and Python programmable tools, enabling the development of innovative parameter strategies, optimization routines and the elimination of manual build preparation hassles. Dyndrite LPBF Pro interfaces directly with a wide variety of 3D metal printing machines, including Aconity3D, Renishaw, SLM Solutions and others. Dyndrite is a member of the EOS developer network.

The software offers power, freedom and control to materials scientists, process engineers, application engineers, quality engineers and production engineers. It gives AM professionals GUI- and Python-programmable tools to develop new parameter strategies and optimization routines, streamline materials and process development, accelerate repeatable qualification processes, eliminate manual build preparation and enable lights-out-metal printing.

“In AM, software has become the bottleneck limiting industrial users from adopting and maximizing the value from AM technologies,” says Harshil Goel, Dyndrite CEO. “Dyndrite’s mission is to break this bottleneck by equipping AM engineers with tools that make them effective at their job. These tools naturally deliver precision, traceability and repeatability, serving not only those pushing the boundaries but also those seeking an on-ramp as new customers embracing AM as a scalable and reliable manufacturing process.”

Dyndrite LPBF Pro gives material, quality, process and applications engineers scalable multithreaded CPU and GPU-powered performance to solve the toughest geometry and compute challenges, while streamlining print preparation processes. It enables materials experts to experiment, iterate and innovate, while quality engineers can simplify and accelerate qualification processes.

“For over six years AMS has worked with aerospace, space and motorsport companies to push the boundaries of what’s possible in LPBF,” says Rob Higham, CEO of Additive Manufacturing Services (AMS) Ltd. “Within two days of using Dyndrite we were able to print a thin-walled heat exchanger that, for over 18 months, others attempted and failed to print. Such an achievement speaks for itself.”

CobraMoto says that when it made the commitment to AM, it went all in. “We changed our design philosophy, we changed our manufacturing processes, we even modernized our accounting systems to reflect the difference in our business,” says Sean Hilbert, CEO of CobraMoto. “With Dyndrite, the last piece of the puzzle is in place. Up to this point, all build manager software made the implicit assumption that AM would only be used for one-off or very low volume situations. Dyndrite is further opening up our world to efficiency, personalization and automation like we have never seen before. And, and now finally, we can see an end-to-end solution for high-volume, efficient additive manufacturing of our products.”

Elementum 3D is also pleased with the software. “At Elementum 3D our aim is to provide our customers with the highest quality product we can deliver. Using Dyndrite, we surpassed our internal parameter set results on the very first try,” says Dr. Jacob Nuechterlein, CEO, Elementum 3D. “Dyndrite LPBF Pro allowed us to increase the quality of our material parameters, while dramatically reducing the time it takes to prepare, test and qualify each build. Dyndrite helps Elementum 3D deliver a better product to our customers.”

Renishaw wanted to demonstrate how this software could potentially increase the robustness of the certification of production processes. “In particular, we want to show how volumetric segmentation can be used to deliberately induce nonconformance in specific regions of 3D geometry,” says Kevin J Brigden, AMG Applications engineering manager, Renishaw Inc. “The ability of the QuantAM API to allow complete control of RenAM500 series laser parameters enables a simulation of process degradation by deliberately ‘fudging’ the laser parameters in these regions of interest. This is merely the first step along that journey. And, in coming work, we will be leveraging machine learning approaches to help customers actually put this information to meaningful use.”

Using Dyndrite’s geometry region segmentation Renishaw says it can easily create advanced complex tool paths for the Renishaw machine than those normally generated with other software. “In a Design of Experiments, we deliberately controlled and varied the laser power along the leading edge of an array of blade singlets, one of the most critical functional areas for performance and quality control,” Brigden adds. “Exaggerated for visual effect here, the range of samples show increasing thermal input across blade samples to the point of deliberate nonconformance and poor build quality.”

This approach is novel as it shows how optimal print parameters can be systematically derived, and a functional process engineering window explored using Dyndrite software with the Renishaw QuantAM’s API to enable complete control of RenAM500 series laser parameters to make more performant parts faster, especially useful with multilaser systems.

“These results also offer the possibility to use simulation software to define the regions, again accelerating development and, during print, the ability to use machine learning to identify areas for subsequent further parameter refinement,” Brigden says.

Aconity3D is another user pleased with its results. “At Aconity3D we’ve longed for more powerful and flexible software to drive our metal 3D printing machines, especially for experimentation and research,” saysYves Hagedorn, CEO, Aconity3D. “Dyndrite LPBF Pro with its built-in Python scripting interface immediately enabled our researchers to create programmatic builds that would normally take days or weeks to complete, if at all. We’re excited to put Dyndrite LPBF Pro on our price list and recommend it to our customers.”

SLM Solutions has also benefited from working with the new software. “We’ve enjoyed working directly with Dyndrite in support of SLM’s 3D metal printing product line, including our flagship NXG XII 600,” says Garett Purdon, vice president of Sales - Americas at SLM Solutions. “We’ve seen firsthand how Dyndrite’s capabilities help bring new customers to our platform and supercharge their additive manufacturing process. We look forward to working more closely with the Dyndrite team to further explore how their tools can enhance SLM’s value proposition.”

Dyndrite LPBF Pro is available for VIP Onboarding. Through this program, customers receive direct hands-on support in applying Dyndrite to their metal printing use.‍

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• Learn about the Materials Consortium for 3D Metal Printing established by Dyndrite, Constellium, Elementum 3D, and Sandvik. This joint effort aims to make laser bed power fusion (LPBF) powder parameters and related testing data for common materials freely and publicly available to end users, enabling increased knowledge sharing, better outcomes, and faster adoption of materials and techniques.
   
• Read about Dyndrite joining NMIS to advance 3D metal manufacturing research. Dyndrite has joined NMIS to help develop build recipes and shareable knowledge in materials process development across all major laser powder bed fusion OEM file formats.