Hexagon eliminates trial-and-error when 3D printing precision metal components

“This data-driven approach takes the guesswork out of printing small batch parts.”

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Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelligence division has revealed its new solution to eliminate precision metal part production trial-and-error. The Advanced Compensation approach uses advanced geometry compensation to ensure that large and complex metal parts distort into their intended shape during the printing process. Combining process simulation and 3D scan compensation, the new solution can print challenging parts with strict quality tolerances.

Due to the complex physical processes of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) printing, safety-critical and precision-engineered applications have struggled to adapt to additive manufacturing. Sectors including machine building, aerospace, and medical prosthetics rely upon high-quality surfaces, repeatability, and dimensional accuracy and LPBF printing can result in inconsistencies, defects, and deviations that would be unacceptable in these types of applications.

Hexagon’s Simufact Additive software helps manufacturers predict distortions and shrinkages with accurate simulations, reducing the need for print trials. For more complex features, the VGSTUDIO MAX software provides powerful metrology and 3D scan analysis capabilities that compensate the printable mesh based on the measured deviations from an optical or computed tomography (CT) scan to address localised distortions.

Key features of Hexagon’s Advanced Compensation approach:

  • Combines process simulation and metrology-based compensation.
  • Helps the user achieve consistent high quality, even with thinner walls prone to buckle or features challenging materials.
  • Speeds up the process of producing high-quality printed parts.
  • Achieves surface profiles that are 98%-100% within tolerance.

Using the new approach, Additive Industries was able to print a stainless-steel jet engine exhaust mixer. The 3D printer OEM achieved 0.2mm precision using only on prototype build.

“Thanks to Advanced Compensation, we successfully printed a large 316L steel component with an impressive surface tolerance of +/-0.2 mm – despite natural distortion of over 3 mm in previous builds,” explained Alex Redwood, Head of Applications & Additive Studios at Additive Industries. “Achieving this precision required only one previous trial build, reducing time, material waste and allowing us to reduce the support structure to the bare minimum. This level of control and efficiency opens up new possibilities for large-scale additive manufacturing applications.”

Now, Hexagon’s Simufact Additive software comes integrated with the new approach, making it more accessible for engineers. Users can now pre-deform a part for global distortions using simulations and then compensate the same print-ready mesh using a 3D scan. Additionally, users don’t need prior metrology knowledge, as VGSTUDIO MAX has improved ease of use.

“If you’re making a large complex geometry, the simulation will save you time and money – even for a one-off part,” said Mathieu Perennou, Director of Additive Strategy at Hexagon. “But when simulation alone isn’t enough, we’ve made it much easier to take an optical 3D scan and then compensate those remaining problem features so you can print ‘second time right’.

“This data-driven approach takes the guesswork out of printing small batch parts, and it can be scaled up to refine a process for larger volumes using digital twin approaches that consider not just the geometry, but also the machine parameters or material behaviour where part performance is critical.”