Thanks for reading til the end. Nice to have an actual conversation about the accomplishments of the company.
I agree the EAP was to keep us afloat, but i believe it was also a strategic move to become involved with OEMs as hardware integration into machines has multiple complications.
Firstly, some machines can't physically operate with certain devices and set ups because of their function or their size.
This is still a problem being addressed by engineering difference housings for the equipment or the machine itself. This is part of the reason we are seeing larger machines with bigger build chambers, besides the obvious advantage of more prints per build.
Another issue was that each machine needs to go thru a qualification process with IPQA installed, so everyone is working properly and the data readings are correct.
This is generally done by post process testing and destruction of test units, to ensure the hardware and software are properly calibrated.
Also, the EAP helped with exposure and data collection for our analytics software.
Both during America makes, and the projects after with Aerojet rocketdyne and Honeywell, Sigma Labs has been collecting both material and part data, to decifer quality powder and parts from non-quality powder and parts.
This is very valuable data, which most likely led to our agreement with NIST, as we've been collecting data from different machines and different powders (Aerojet and Honeywell both used different printers and different materials.)
This is all the behind the scenes operations that is never discussed here. Sigma Labs has been developing and creating a very strong network of IP, and business relationships with very powerful companies and government entities.
Glta
SGLB