- Aerospace
3D-printing market forecast to reach more than $3 billion in 2022
- Industry
expert calls in-process quality control “one of the most promising
developments in metal ALM production”
- SGLB
technology represents paradigm shift in quality-control process for
manufacturing of 3D-printed metal components
The additive marketing, or 3D printing, industry is flying
high in the aerospace sector. A Research and Markets study reported the
aerospace 3D printing market is expected to grow from $714.5 million in 2017 to
$3,057.9 billion by 2022 — a CAGR of 27.42% (http://ibn.fm/ly23w). Those numbers could go even higher as
quality-assurance obstacles that have impeded the full adoption of 3D metal
printing are successfully eliminated by Sigma Labs Inc. (NASDAQ: SGLB), the only provider of
in-process, quality-assurance software to the commercial 3D-metal- printing
industry.
“Aerospace has a long history of latest technology
inventions’ early adopter and ultimate trendsetter in manufacturing,” according
to an article by Farinia Group – a manufacturing organization dedicated to
material transformation using state-of-the art equipment, know-how and
technical expertise (http://ibn.fm/qeUsL).
“New materials, state-of-the-art manufacturing processes and sophisticated
software were created and absorbed by this industry decades ago and are now
common for other industries.”
The Farinia Group noted several advantages of 3D printing in
the aerospace sector, including the following:
- Shorter
development process and time to market
- Freedom
to design complex geometries, leading to maximized performance,
consolidated design, improved reliability, and improved fuel efficiency
- On-demand
and on-site spares manufacturing
- Higher
material efficiency
- Reduced
costs for certain components
- In-process
quality assurance reducing overall lead time
It is in this last area – in-process quality assurance –
where Sigma Labs shines. The company’s proprietary PrintRite3D® software is the
singular solution that enables real-time, in-process detection of manufacturing
irregularities for critical metal parts. The technology then provides the
operator with the information and ability to adjust and mitigate the developing
anomaly. Sigma Labs’ software represents a paradigm shift in the
quality-control process for the manufacture of 3D printed metal components. The
company is the only provider of in-process quality-assurance software to the
commercial 3D-metal-printing industry offering these capabilities.
“Aerospace, as an industry obsessed by performance and
reliability, has since long performed quality-assurance downstream to
manufacturing,” the Farinia Group article continues. “A critical stage for aerospace
manufacturers in which any serial production often have to meet high
specifications to satisfy stringent applications with high quality to ensure
reliability. Insomuch that quality assurance can account significantly in the
overall lead time and overall cost.”
In its report, the Farinia Group noted that “one of the most
promising developments in metal ALM (additive layer manufacturing) production
systems concerns the real-time and closed-loop in-process quality
control…Monitoring the system settings and process parameters during the
ongoing manufacturing permits to regulate and optimize conditions… In-process
inspection of the material health and dimensional accuracy will surely unlock
the power of ALM technology for serial aerospace production as qualification
and consistency variation are now the main concerns.”
Founded in 2010, Sigma is a software company that
specializes in the development and commercialization of real-time,
computer-aided-inspection (CAI) solutions known as PrintRite3D for 3D advanced
manufacturing technologies. SGLB’s advanced computer-aided software product
revolutionizes commercial additive manufacturing, enabling nondestructive
quality assurance mid-production – uniquely allowing errors to be corrected in
real time.
For more information about Sigma Labs, please visit www.SigmaLabsInc.com
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates
relating to SGLB are available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/SGLB
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