3DSIM Announces exaSIM Beta Software With Additive Manufacturing Simulation Tool

It goes without saying that in order to continue enhancing 3D printing technology, software must continue to evolve alongside the hardware. This is especially true when it comes to the costly endeavor of industrial-grade additive manufacturing, as each print must not only look a certain way, but usually must provide a specific mechanical function as well. That’s why it’s critical that software developers, such as the Park City, Utah-based 3DSIM, create programs that help simulate and predict the outcome of production-grade 3D printing before the item is made.

Since being founded in 2014, 3DSIM has focused on researching and developing optimized solutions for metal 3D printing processes, partnering with industry leaders to help break the boundaries of additive manufacturing. At the start of this year, the company partnered with fellow software developer Sigma Labs to create Quality Assurance and Testing solutions to certify and reliably 3D print metal parts. More recently, 3DSIM collaborated with the Netherlands-based company Additive Industries, known for their MetalFAB1 industrial 3D printer, to integrate their cloud-based simulation software into the metal 3D printing process.

The latest partnership made Additive Industries the first to utilize 3DSIM’s exaSIM and FLEX tools, which are still currently in beta testing. Now, the software company has made their exaSIM Beta Software available for all manufacturers to utilize with their metal 3D printing processes. Their new cloud-based program is an additive manufacturing simulation tool that provides metal laser sintering users with an in-depth prediction of the residual stress and distortion of a designed part. This will enable manufacturers reduce the costly trial and error process and increase the probability for successful prints, using informed support generation and trend analysis to accelerate metal part production.

Brent Stucker, CEO and a co-founder of 3DSIM LLC

“We’re using advanced computational solvers to predict residual stress and distortion in a layer-by-layer fashion,” said Brent Stucker, CEO and a co-founder of 3DSIM LLC. “exaSIM Beta offers two operational modes for predicting distortion and residual stress. A third mode will be introduced during the course of the program. All modes can be used to generate supports, conduct trend analysis, and ultimately, reduce the likelihood of build failures.”

With the exaSIM Beta program, users will be able to select software subscriptions depending on what they need out of the professional-grade software, from a basic feature product to an enterprise-level package. The exaSIM Beta program will run from September 2016 through mid-2017, at which time 3DSIM will be release the official version as an actual product. Throughout the beta period, additional physics and optimization capabilities will be added to the solvers to help increase the accuracy of the software. Upon full release, 3DSIM plans to offer installation of these cloud-based tools and solutions within their customers’ facilities. You can find out more information about exaSIM Beta program and FLEX tools on 3DSIM’s website. Discuss further in the exaSIM forum over at 3DPB.com.