Q.ANT demonstrates quantum sensor for additive manufacturing particle analysis
German start-up Q.ANT has developed a compact and industrialised particle sensor based on quantum technology for analysis of additive manufacturing powders.
The ‘quantum sensor’, which is being shown at the AM Forum in Berlin this week, is said to use AI to analyse and improve the quality of materials in powder production, reprocessing or powder-based additive manufacturing. The sensor detects and analyses particles in raw materials and feedstock whether in liquid, gaseous or powder form, and provides powder manufacturers and processors with feedback in real time.
A homogeneous mixture and high quality ingredients are crucial for industrial 3D printing process flow. AI can classify particles according to their shape and, according to Q.ANT, quantum technology allows conclusions to be drawn about the size, number and distribution of individual particles. The AI can be trained for specific use cases and in future, the company says the sensor will also be able to classify shapes.
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Q.ANT is offering partnership programs for specific use cases. Pilot projects are said to have demonstrated very high data quality so far.
"This gives industry early access to this new solution for particularly challenging problems without having to go through long development cycles," says Vanessa Bader, Customer Project Engineer at Q.ANT. "Our partners have the opportunity to work with us to integrate the quantum sensor into their production processes and adapt it to their applications."
The compact quantum sensor is designed to sit on any laboratory worktable and is said to be faster and easier to handle compared to time-consuming conventional sampling processes for analysing particles. According to Bader, "you don't need any extra computing power or complicated training for employees.” A normal computer is all that is required to transfer and visualise the measured data, and analysis is carried out using a small server that is built directly into the particle sensor.