Sigma Labs Inc, a provider of quality assurance software under the PrintRite3D brand, is to work with Airbus to complete a test and evaluation programme of Sigma Labs’ new PrintRite3D (version 5.0) hardware and software, followed by a validation phase on a powder-bed fusion printer.

Under this programme, Sigma Labs (www.sigmalabsinc.com) will provide comprehensive PrintRite3D In-Process Quality Assurance (IPQA) systems and services — hardware, software, training, engineering and metallurgical consulting and support services — to demonstrate the company’s “ability to monitor and characterise material, machine process and production consistency and repeatability of additive-manufacturing operations”.

John Rice, chairman and CEO of Sigma Labs, said: “We are honoured to have our IPQA tools, as well as engineering staff, engaged with Airbus.

'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 — warn process engineers of ‘signature’ precursors of process discontinuities and thus enable them to extract actionable data to restore the process.

“The application and growth of additive manufacturing in the aircraft industry continue to advance, and 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.”