Addressing Quality Issues in Additive Manufacturing with Digital Twin Technology for Metrology

Conference Abstract: Companies are rapidly developing their additive manufacturing capabilities within their digital transformation strategies because it helps them make better parts faster while optimizing processes and keeping costs down. From aerospace to automotive and consumer goods to medical, companies use 3D printing to increase production efficiencies, deliver greater customization and achieve a faster time-to-market. However, quality issues can arise easily when transitioning from low-volume to high-volume production. Without a fast and effective method of inspecting parts to locate the origin of the issue, it is difficult to devise a resolution, optimize processes and improve quality. 3D scanning is a fast and reliable method of capturing complete surface data from a part, generating its digital twin. This digital twin offers comprehensive information about the part that serves as the basis of root cause analysis and reveals valuable insights into the health and performance of additive manufacturing processes.

This session will discuss how to use a digital twin for metrology to directly resolve common quality issues facing additive manufacturers and optimize quality control processes to prevent future issues. Audience members will learn how to perform efficient dimensional verification on the complex and free-form shapes that 3D printing enables, including GD&T analysis and material thickness. They will also understand how to achieve near-net-shape optimization using digitized warpage and shrinkage compensation to an accurate digital twin for 3D printing, how to use 3D scanning technologies for 3D printer calibration, and how to leverage PMI/MBD within digital engineering tasks to streamline the manufacturing workflow. In addition, this session will explore how to use digital twins for metrology throughout all stages, from design to print to post-processing to the final part, and how to use digital twin data to perform trend analysis and move from low and high-volume inspection requirements with quality, repeatability, and agility.