- On-demand 3D printing revolutionizing supply chain dynamics for manufacturing industry
- SGLB is sole provider of urgently needed software solution that uniquely addresses in-process quality-control issues for 3D metal printing
- Provision of quality-assurance software is valued at more than $1.4 billion, expected to grow to $3.9 billion by 2023
Referenced as one of tomorrow’s “greatest conduits for converting scarcity to abundance,” the 3D printing industry is transforming the $12 trillion manufacturing landscape while simultaneously disrupting the supply chain model (http://ibn.fm/HLeLE). At the frontline of the movement is Sigma Labs Inc. (NASDAQ: SGLB), the industry’s sole provider of quality-control software that puts more control of the 3D-printing metal process into the operator’s hands for the purpose of eliminating inefficiencies, reducing rejected output, and saving time and money.
Traditional metal machining manufacturers mostly carve, slice and grind away at raw materials to produce their products (called ‘subtractive manufacturing’) while the 3D metal printing process (also called additive manufacturing) creates objects by laser sintering powdered metals layer by 10-30 micron layer on top of each other using a computer-aided design (CAD) model and formed into the desired three dimensional object. Since the objects are built in layers, customizations are made by altering instructions in the digital file. Unfortunately, errors made during production are not found until after the process is complete, which results in excessive cost and material waste.
SGLB addresses this crucial issue through proprietary software solutions that enable operators to monitor the production process in real time and receive notifications about errors or anomalies while the process is taking place. This gives operators the knowledge required to make changes in real time, enabling them to avoid the creation of flawed output while producing yields of consistent high quality.
The demand for quality-control software increases as the production process becomes more complex. Two decades ago, 3D printers cost several hundred thousand dollars and used only plastic; today’s machines are 150 times faster and can print items using more than 500 different materials across the entire periodic table of elements.
While the first items printed were simple household items, before long, 3D printers were creating prosthetic limbs, rocket engines and car parts. However, as the uses for 3D printers increased, so also did quality-control challenges. The increased complexity of the production process demands better quality control, and SGLB has focused on software solutions for the industry. To date, SGLB has 19 beta programs in place with some of the largest names in industry – obtaining many tier-1 OEM enterprises such as GE Aviation, Honeywell and Airbus in the process.
Originally founded in 2010 by a team of Los Alamos National Labs scientists and engineers, SGLB first operated as a developer of commercially licensed, advanced metallurgical products. Forecasting high demand for quality-control solutions in the 3D-metal-printing space, the company shifted its operations to creating in-process quality-control software solutions for highly demanding, precision-dependent companies in the aerospace, defense, transportation, oil and gas, and biomedical industries.
The provision of quality-assurance software to the commercial, 3D-metal-printing industry is valued at over $1.4 billion and expected to explode to $3.9 billion by 2023. As the sole provider of innovative software solutions that address this demand, SGLB is likely to benefit from this unmet need while securing itself as a leader in what many are calling “the fourth industrial revolution.”
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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