Sigma Labs, Inc., a provider of quality assurance software under the PrintRite3D brand, announced that it will work with Airbus to complete a Test and Evaluation Program of Sigma Labs’ new PrintRite3D version 5.0 hardware and software followed by a validation phase on a powderbed fusion printer.

Under the Test and Evaluation program, Sigma Labs will provide comprehensive PrintRite3D In-Process Quality Assurance (IPQA) system and services—hardware, software, training, engineering and metallurgical consulting and support services—to demonstrate their ability to monitor and characterize material, machine process and production consistency and repeatability of additive manufacturing operations.

John Rice, Chairman and CEO of Sigma Labs, said, “We are honored and indeed feel very privileged to have our In-Process-Quality-Assurance tools as well as engineering staff engaged with Airbus, a leading aircraft manufacturer. PrintRite3D INSPECT 5.0 provides the market with a user-friendly experience to rapidly qualify an AM metal machine for serial production, and then, in the course of continuous production runs, to be able to warn process engineers of ‘signature’ precursors of process discontinuities and thus enable them to extract actionable data to restore the process. Our industry appears to be accelerating in its sophisticated quality requirements including highly accurate and economic third-party quality assurance. We at Sigma have committed ourselves to meet that need.”

The Test and Evaluation program will demonstrate the power of Sigma Labs’ new PrintRite3D INSPECT 5.0 and reveal the value-add of implementing IPQA to ensure process quality by identifying process defect thermal signatures.

The application and growth of additive manufacturing in the aircraft industry continues to advance. Process qualification is critical to increasing and assuring quality, reducing waste, and raising quality yields. PrintRite3D provides process knowledge and understanding about melt pool dynamics that can lead to improved process consistency and a broader scope of applications for additive manufacturing.

Sigma Labs
www.sigmalabsinc.com