e-Xstream has embedded the Senvol database within its MaterialCenter platform, which means that operators now have access to a wider range of possibilities to additively manufacture metal, polymer, composite and advanced materials.
The Senvol Database gathers a comprehensive list of additive manufacturing materials and machines on the market. The MaterialCenter on the other hand is a 10X Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) solution developed by the Hexagon company.
This merging of both companies’ capabilities makes it now easier for operators to analyze how they can improve their products using additive manufacturing capabilities.
Filling the gap between material data and printing processes
Put simply, the MaterialCenter is a material lifecycle management platform that aims to track, collect and store all material-related data. In an exclusive interview on a tripartite collaboration (pp 44-48) of MSC Software, Markforged and Danfoss that led to the delivery of performance optimisation tools for Markforged users, e-Xstream’s Business Development Engineer explained:
“Specifically for AM, MaterialCenter enables manufacturers to improve the print quality and ensure the traceability by capturing all AM data. Those data can be linked to the material (the batch number), the machine (the type of 3D Printer used for the production, its serial number), the process settings, the number of parts in the build or the testing”.
The MaterialCenter has been further improved. Today, it is possible to export material candidates from the platform to computer aided engineering tools for conceptual design exploration. This new possibility opens door to enhanced collaboration between design, materials and manufacturing professionals, who can develop the full product virtually. Furthermore, to ensure optimal results using the 10X ICME solution, they utilize detailed proprietary material models and process definitions from suppliers.
“The combination of the Senvol Database and MaterialCenter has made what used to be disparate, specialized knowledge much more accessible. I believe greater understanding of the rapidly evolving capabilities of additive manufacturing will enable product development teams to rapidly explore new design possibilities and encourage wider collaboration to adopt new manufacturing techniques within organisations”, Philippe Hébert, Product Marketing Manager at e-Xstream engineering, explains.
Since the Senvol database is now embedded within the MaterialCenter platform, users can now trace the full pedigree of data (powders, machines, builds, parts, tests, post-process, design, CAE models) to understand the relationship from feedstock through build, post-process, and material testing.
The good news is, all data is recorded and available to others throughout the organization to avoid repeating unnecessary work throughout the product development process.
With this partnership, both companies are taking the right steps to enable engineers to make the right design choices and increase the aperture of AM applications.
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