Engineering technologies company Renishaw (
www.renishaw.com) is collaborating with Dassault Systèmes (a 3D modelling, simulation and industrial operations software provider —
www.3DS.com) as part of its commitment to developing software for metal additive manufacturing (AM).
Users of Dassault’s 3D-Experience platform applications can now design, optimise, simulate and set up AM ‘builds’ directly for production on Renishaw’s AM systems, which build 3-D metal parts using laser powder-bed fusion technology.
Dedicated Catia applications include a range of tools to develop and perform topological optimisation of parts: Delmia is used to generate the process from build set-up to generation of the necessary laser paths (scan paths); while Simulia simulates the entire AM build, including stress analysis and distortion prediction.
Both Renishaw and Dassault have software that is accessible to authorised third parties, and this played a key role in the collaboration, which ensures that the laser paths generated by Delmia are optimised for Renishaw metal AM systems and produce the best-quality builds.
Stephen Anderson, Renishaw’s director of group software, said: “The 3D-Experience platform coupled with Renishaw’s QuantAM build preparation software allows parts to be produced accurately from the outset, offering users tangible time and cost benefits. It marks the beginning of many enhancements we have in the pipeline to improve the AM user experience and streamline the front end of the manufacturing process.”