Sigma Labs Inc (SASI)

[silversmith]

I had some interesting conversations this week. Metallurgical thermal imagery and signature concepts, and the SGLB white paper about PR3D comparison/union with CT. I was originally floored by the huge contrast in intuitive understanding between the PR3D data map and the CT image. I mean that crack was front and center visible in the CT image. But I saw nothing that looked like a crack in the PR3D data plot. It all looked less than spectacular to me in the PR3D image. Well, the fact is that we aren't born knowing how to interpret PR3D data. I was thankfully enlightened to the fact that the crack wasn't even born yet in the PR3D data image. Duh. Now I get it. The CT image was after the part was already made. The PR3D image was of captured data from a single layer from a point in time that existed BEFORE the layers which will eventually, in the future, contain the crack.
The PR3D image captured the signature of an event that gives rise to the opportunity for a crack to form. PR3D is capturing information about events that have yet to occur in the build. Holy F'n cow. It was the signature of overlapping laser trace paths that PR3D picked up, and this is known to create big localized internal stress at that region of the build that can lead to cracking.
And just for you wick, PR3D works. SGLB has a fully operational IPQA process. Apparently, the issue isn't PR3D. The issue is the engineers getting up to speed about being able to put it through its paces. Apparently we are now at the point where metal AM is genuinely taking a hard look at where and how IPQA will be best used. And there will have to be a kind of leap of faith in using it fully, in placing the heavy weight of reliability, risk and responsibility upon it. Just because anyone, GE and SGLB included, has a product that spits out a certification, doesn't mean an OEM is going to just roll over and accept it at face value. The use of IPQA in metal AM is a gigantic deal with huge consequences for all involved.

All the best,
Silversmith