Last month, Markforged released an important feature update for its adaptive manufacturing platform Blacksmith, including Variable Scan Density and Fiber Placement Verification.
In case you don’t know, Blacksmith is a premium feature of Markforged’s slicer and 3D print preparation software Eiger, which uses AI to automate part quality assurance by inspecting and analysing the outside and inside of 3D printed parts.
It is the only software of its kind, and it is essential because the tolerances in engineered parts are low. Blacksmith replaces manual post-print inspection processes with a more efficient, automated solution.
New Blacksmith features
Here’s a rundown of the new features in Blacksmith:
Variable Scan Density
Before the update, Blacksmith had a tiered density scanning feature that let you choose from low, medium and high-density scanning. These produced different resolutions, but it only allowed one density per part.
With Variable Scan Density, Blacksmith now lets you visually identify parts that require different scan densities. You choose an overall density of the part but can tune the scanning level of different sections.
The benefit is you can inspect and analyse parts that are dynamic in design, balancing the requirements for every individual part.
Fibre Placement Verification
Before the update with Blacksmith, you could not inspect and analyse the accuracy of fibre placement in 3D printed parts. You could only inspect the core material, limiting the level of inspection and leaving room for error.
With Fiber Placement Verification, you can now automatically inspect the accuracy of carbon fibre placement in 3D printer parts. Blacksmith provides a visual indication of fibre placement, verifying the print’s quality.
The benefit of this non-destructive inspection is it eliminates the need for breaking open parts and using expensive imaging equipment.
How does Blacksmith work?
Blacksmith integrates slicing data with tracked print data, integrating the two datasets to provide a detailed breakdown of part accuracy.
The integrated scan toolpath generates dimensional point cloud data based on the printer’s workflow. Blacksmith then compares the point cloud to the sliced file, creating a visual overlay with an error field. An online report is created for every part, based on tolerances and print requirements that you set.
Overall, there is nothing else like Blacksmith. It is an exceptional tool that will transform how you inspect and analyse part quality.
Find out more
You can find out more about Blacksmith here. We can also demo Blacksmith and show you around the latest Markforged printers.
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Or contact our award-winning team on 01765 694 007 or email sales@additive-x.com.