Last year Markforged, one of the largest manufacturers of industrial 3D printers made of high-performance plastics and metals, acquired Teton Simulation Software, a company specializing in creating software for virtual testing of strength and stiffness of manufactured parts. In November 2022, at the Formnext fair in Frankfurt am Main, Makrforged presented Simulation – an integrated version of the program with its proprietary solution for preparing models for 3D printing – Eiger. In this article, we will present the possibilities of the software and the benefits that the user can get by using it.
For nearly a year, Markforged has been working on integrating Teton SmartSlice technology with Eiger, thanks to which users can verify the performance of their parts before starting the 3D printing process. Until April 2023, Simulation will be available as a free trial to anyone with a Markforged Eiger account, after which it will be offered as a paid subscription service. You can try it for free here.
The Markforged 3D printing technology, combining pure polyamide with carbon, glass or Kevlar aramid fibers in one production process, is on the one hand extremely functional in the production of parts with high fracture strength, but on the other it is so unique and specific that not every operator is able to properly adjust the amount of amplification to the requirements of the application.
Markforged Simulation offers a fast and automated way to validate the performance of parts that will be perfectly optimized for the most demanding end-use applications when printed. Eliminates lengthy design testing cycles or adding excessive amounts of a specific fiber to rebuilt parts.
Simulation ensures that printed parts will have the strength required for demanding industrial applications. Advanced simulation technology, optimized for additive manufacturing, allows any user to virtually test parts – taking the guesswork out of setting up 3D printing parameters, which parts will be most stressed? Another advantage of the program is that, unlike traditional simulation tools that require specialist knowledge and time-consuming analysis, Simulation is integrated with Eiger and streamlined for 3D printing, allowing users to test parts as part of a familiar manufacturing process.
Simulation also reduces the cost of printed parts by automatically optimizing the amount of material needed and reinforcing them with fiber. Replacing typical 5-25 iterations with virtual tests to find the best possible solution by trial and error can save hundreds or even thousands of zlotys per part. Ultimately, this enables a wider use of fibre-reinforced composite parts, such as dispensing with metal tools and components for end-use applications.
The simulation generation process is extremely simple:
Those interested in seeing how the software works live can watch a dedicated webinar.
Source: www.3dphoenix.pl
Photos: www.3dphoenix.pl
