In the second edition of 3D Printing Industry’s series on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and 3D printing, interviewees tell us how the technology is helping step up the process of identifying, optimizing and qualifying new additive manufacturing materials. As engineers that work in the industry will no doubt be aware, before 3D printing with any novel material, it’s necessary to ‘qualify’ it first. Traditionally, this has meant identifying a link between entered parameters for processing a given feedstock, and the properties of the parts it produces, in a way that provides later users with assurances on quality. However, qualification can be lengthy and laborious, and in the past, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has criticized its “lack of repeatable process outcomes,” as an “impediment to [3D printing’s] widespread implementation.” One of those now seeking to accelerate the process is Intellegens, which has developed its own AI toolset that’s… read more