At Formnext 2019 in Frankfurt, Germany (the leading global exhibition and conference for additive manufacturing), Renishaw (www.renishaw.com/additive) launched InfiniAM Sonic acoustic process-monitoring software to complement its InfiniAM suite of additive-manufacturing (AM) monitoring tools.

InfiniAM Sonic enables engineers to detect acoustic events in the AM build chamber and turn this data into useful information about build quality. Renishaw says this software is the first of its kind in the AM industry.

The InfiniAM Sonic package is installed in the RenAM 500Q system as a ‘factory fit’ option and includes four acoustic-energy sensors.

These detect minute vibrations and collect the sound waves so that they can be heard, viewed and analysed. Using four high-frequency sensors in different locations results in a slight time difference, due to the speed of sound.

The software then uses this to triangulate the position of the noise on the build plate; it also indicates the level of certainty regarding where the noise occurred, and the magnitude.

This data can then be combined graphically with other sensor data to build a comprehensive view of the part and the conditions at the time of build.

InfiniAM Sonic works alongside InfiniAM Central and InfiniAM Spectral, which provide improved understanding of build quality, increased confidence in the build process and accelerated process development.

The InfiniAM Central mobile app is also available, so that users can receive notifications on their build process in ‘near real time’.

David Ewing, AM product manager at Renishaw, said: “The rapid heating and cooling that takes place during an AM build leads to residual stress in the part. While each laser weld results in a small amount of stress, residual stress can build up within the part; and if it increases past the strength of the metal, it may lead to a fracture in the support material or the part itself.

“The InfiniAM software suite makes it a lot easier to understand what is happening during an AM build. Spectral and Central give manufacturers ‘eyes’ inside their AM component and process; now we have launched InfiniAM Sonic as the ‘ears’.

“These tools help engineers to better understand their AM parts and processes, and to identify potential causes of defects early on.”

Renishaw manufactures laser powder-bed metal additive-manufacturing machines.

Its product portfolio includes the RenAM 500Q, a highly productive machine that features four lasers in the most commonly used platform size.