Metal Additive Manufacturing Simulation Suite Launched

Software said to enable continuous workflows from quick manufacturability assessment to in-depth material quality investigations.

Software said to enable continuous workflows from quick manufacturability assessment to in-depth material quality investigations.

ESI Group has launched the ESI Additive Manufacturing simulation solution suite. The ESI Additive Manufacturing suite, according to the company, provides a comprehensive solution to accelerate metal additive manufacturing (AM) development. ESI adds that the solution suite enables users to quickly address manufacturability issues on the shop floor and that it also connects with material quality investigations. These characteristics, ESI says, make it a “perfect” solution to ensure efficient and continuous workflows from CAD through manufacturing and part qualification.

This nacelle hinge was 3D manufactured using a powder bed fusion process. Click here for animation. Image supplied by ESI Group and courtesy of Bombardier Aerostructures & Engineering Services / AMAZE FP7. 

ESI Group reports that its new ESI Additive Manufacturing suite builds on its long history with process simulation for metal manufacturing, including welding, casting and sheet metal forming. ESI Group adds that its AM solution is intended for process and manufacturing engineering departments as well as 3D printing bureaus seeking “first-time-right” prints, shortened time frames and fewer associated costs.

ESI Additive Manufacturing supports manufacturers of 3D printed metallic parts in achieving greater productivity, while providing key information on final part quality. Image supplied by ESI Group and courtesy of Volum-e.

As detailed on the ESI Group website, the ESI Additive Manufacturing suite offers computational modules for:

  • process window pre-scanning tool; 
  • powder coating;
  • melt pool shape and dimensions;
  • consolidated material porosity;
  • surface roughness; 
  • thermal history as a function of deposition strategy; 
  • residual stresses; and
  • distortion during build process and after release.

At the end of this powder melting animation, porosity bubbles can be seen and the surface roughness can be quantified. Click here to see the animation. Image courtesy of ESI Group.

“To achieve manufacturing excellence in additive manufacturing, engineers must first understand and control the complex relationship between part design, 3D printing processes and material quality. This know-how is essential to engage in process qualification,” explained Dr. Jean Sreng, Business Development Manager for ESI Additive Manufacturing, in a press statement.

With ESI Additive Manufacturing integrated into ESI Group’s comprehensive platform of simulation solutions, future developments will deliver chaining capabilities to anticipate challenges linked to post 3D printing operations such as advanced heat treatment and machining, the company says. 

To learn more about the ESI Additive Manufacturing simulation solution, click here.

Download the paper “Metal Additive-Manufacturing Process and Residual Stress Modeling.”

Download the paper “Towards Rapid Qualification of Powder-Bed Laser Additively Manufactured Parts.”

Request a free trial of the ESI Additive Manufacturing solution.

See why DE's Editors selected the ESI Additive Manufacturing simulation suite their Pick of the Week.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.


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