The Part Is Only Half the Story: Why 3D Printing Needs a Digital Thread

A 3D printed part can generate a lot of information. The challenge is keeping track of it. Manufacturers need to know which design was used, what material went into the part, which machine produced it, and what happened during production and inspection. In industries like aerospace and medical manufacturing, having that record can be critical. This is where the digital thread comes in.

Philadelphia-based Authentise has spent more than a decade building software designed to connect those pieces. Rather than focusing on the 3D printer itself, the company works around the manufacturing process, helping organizations quote jobs, review them, schedule production, track materials, manage workflows, and capture data along the way. Authentise keeps that information connected as a part moves from design to production.

Following the Part

Authentise CEO Andre Wegner describes the company as a software business focused on the stage that turns designs into parts. Its systems can connect directly to manufacturing equipment and collect real-time data. They can also track materials through production.

For metal additive manufacturing, that can mean following powder as it is used, sieved, blended, and reused. Authentise’s Material Management software creates what the company calls a “material powder genealogy,” connecting batches and material-handling steps to the machines and jobs where that powder was used. That level of traceability becomes particularly important when manufacturers need to show how a part was made.

There is also information that does not come directly from machines. Wegner says valuable production knowledge often stays with individual employees. When those workers leave, or teams change, some of that knowledge can be lost. Recording those decisions and production details can help keep that knowledge from being lost. It can also support quality, compliance, and training.

More Data, More Opportunity

AM machines can also generate a lot of data while a part is being made. That gives manufacturers more information about what happened during production. Wegner says that data can help improve processes and develop better standards. It is also one reason Authentise has remained involved with America Makes.

Authentise is a longtime member of America Makes, the U.S. public-private partnership for additive manufacturing technology and education. Wegner says the organization provides a place to exchange ideas with other companies and organizations working seriously on AM, including through committees and industry collaborations. What’s more, working together can also help tackle AM challenges that go beyond a single machine or software system.

From a Broken Part to a Digital Supply Chain

Authentise’s focus on manufacturing data goes back to the company’s beginnings in 2013. Wegner indicates that the idea behind the company was partly inspired by a plane crash involving a failed part and the difficulty of getting a replacement part where it was needed quickly. And that actually got Wegner thinking about making parts closer to where they were needed, instead of waiting days for replacements to arrive. That idea helped shape Authentise’s early work around secure digital manufacturing and eventually expanded its focus to managing production data.

Today, the company works with manufacturers including Boeing, Eaton, GE, and 3M. And its software has expanded beyond the factory floor. Authentise’s Threads platform focuses on an earlier stage of the process, helping engineering teams manage collaboration and the information created before a design reaches production. According to Wegner, Boeing has used Threads to save about 115 hours when creating the technical data package needed to certify a spare part.

Authentise is also developing AI tools that can collect and organize information from emails, chats, and documents. This could help keep project information together from the early design stages through production and qualification.

Making the part is only one part of the job. Manufacturers also need a record of how it was made. That can include where the material came from, which machine made the part, what happened during production, and whether all the required steps were completed. The digital thread helps keep that information together instead of spreading it across machines, spreadsheets, emails, and individual employees.

Authentise wants to make that process easier and, over time, reduce how long it takes to go from identifying a need to producing a qualified part. Faster printers are only one part of that. Keeping the information behind each part organized and available is another.