by Melissa Donovan
Three-dimensional (3D) printed pieces are often complex builds that require software to help in managing the design. This software needs to be able to handle both large volumes of data as well as build sizes. Converting or transferring that data is also a required feature. Build preparation software is an efficient tool for executing complicated 3D builds.
Above: Autodesk’s volumetric capabilities in Fusion are at the forefront of implicit modeling.
Main Purpose
In additive manufacturing (AM), build preparation software is a necessity. When used correctly it creates efficiencies across production, which leads to reduced spending.
“Build preparation software for 3D printing enables more efficient workflows, allowing users to streamline and automate processes, minimize printing time, and accurately plan resource allocation,” notes a representative from Formlabs.
Shawn Hopwood, CMO and head of relations, Dyndrite Corporation, attests that it serves a crucial role in the AM process. “Build preparation software translates CAD into instructions that 3D printers can execute. These software packages are indispensable tools for users across various industries and expertise levels, enabling efficient slicing of models into layer, support generation, optimal orientation, and customizable print settings.”
The three purposes of build preparation software, according to Egwin Bovyn, product line manager Magics 3D Print Suite, Materialise, is to control part quality, optimize machine output, and avoid build failure.
“Build preparation software arranges multiple parts with placement and orientation tools to help find an optimal build strategy and ensure part quality. This minimizes time spent on manual placement and reduces printing time by optimizing the build volume usage. Good build software also helps with the profitability of your business by optimizing the total usage of the machine and reducing the number of failed builds,” continues Bovyn.
Alexander Oster, director of AM, Autodesk, says the main goal of build preparation software “is to help designers and engineers turn 3D models, ideas, and pixels into matter.” To achieve this “elegantly requires delivering well in several domains,” such as opening a file in another CAD tool, revising the design or modifying it, simulating a model prior to print, and executing inspection tools successfully.
Software solutions available today are increasingly advanced to keep pace. For example, Dyndrite’s GPU accelerated processing and Python APIs enable what Hopwood refers to as “lightning-fast slicing and preparation of complex models. Its innovative approach to handling massive data sets and intricate geometries positions it as a game changer in the realm of AM software, offering unprecedented speed, efficiency, and scalability to users in various industries.”
With Formlabs PreForm software, users receive important details about their build, including print time estimates, material usage, and packing density. Additionally, PreForm provides real-time feedback on the printability of a print job to maximize print success rates. Users choose the ideal settings and let PreForm automatically generate supports to ensure optimal results every time.
Managing Data
Build preparation software must handle large file sizes as well as large volumes of data. In addition, this data usually has to be converted or transferred fairly quickly. This is increasingly important with 3D build sizes increasing.
Data growth is a huge bottleneck in AM, according to Hopwood. “AM faces a pressing challenge—managing the exponential growth of data. Larger build volumes, higher resolutions, and growing metadata requirements all contribute to a cubic increase in data requirements. Legacy build preparation software struggles with this immense data volume, leading to lengthy processing times that can surpass the actual printing duration. This bottleneck is a significant pain point for AM users and severely hinders workflow efficiency.”
Complex models are often used in industries such as aerospace, automotive, and healthcare, says Bovyn. Efficient data handling and quick conversion are crucial for maintaining workflow speed and productivity in these environments as well as others.
Intricate files and larger sizes is one issue. “As the ‘3D printing’ name implies, when the size or accuracy of a print doubles, the volume of data required by that print is cubed—twice the size, roughly speaking, means eight times the amount of data. And 3D printing machines seem to always be growing in size increasing their accuracy. Fortunately, computing power increases while its cost decreases, but everything has a natural limit. Therefore, new approaches and paradigm shifts are needed,” admits Oster.
“With the increasing sophistication of designs and the growing demand for intricate and customized parts, the volume of data involved in 3D printing continues to escalate. Without software to handle this data seamlessly, manufacturers risk encountering bottlenecks that hinder production and compromise quality,” shares Hopwood.
Customers want fast and reliable workflows, and build preparation software should be able to handle large files and data volumes while optimizing for efficiency without bottleneck, adds a representative from Formlabs.
Conversion and transfer is another challenge. “The issue of data conversion is paramount in modern manufacturing. The reliance on outdated and bloated file formats like STLs poses significant challenges. STL files, while widely used, often result in loss of data and fidelity during conversion, leading to inaccuracies in the final product. This underscores the necessity for modern solutions that efficiently handles native CAD files, eliminating data conversion and the sacrificing of quality or precision,” says Hopwood.
Today’s build preparation software solves these issues. Autodesk’s volumetric design capabilities in Fusion are at the forefront of a data representation technique called “implicit modeling,” which enables the direct creation of machine instructions from highly complex shapes without the need for long computation times and boundary representations.
Advanced software platforms, like Dyndrite LPBF Pro, are designed with the scalability and speed required to manage large file sizes and volumes of data effectively. By leveraging technologies such as GPU acceleration and native CAD, Dyndrite empowers users to handle complex designs and massive data sets with ease.
Similarly, Materialise’s Magics is equipped with advanced algorithms and optimized data structures to effectively handle large files. It offers native support for CAD models and beam lattices to reduce the total data size. Magics is connected to 3D printers via dedicated build processors that allow users to speed up the processing of large data sets and improve the overall printing time.
Specific Processes
The ideal build preparation software is one designed for the specific AM process being used, i.e. laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), fused deposition modeling (FDM), or multi jet fusion (MJF).
“Build preparation software is generally optimized for specific processes as each has unique requirements. Some generic build preparation software supports multiple printing processes but requires users to fine tune for optimal results,” explains the representative from Formlabs.
As Hopwood points out, each AM process features distinct characteristics that demand tailored functionalities. Build preparation solutions include slicers, which define parameters like laser power, focus, scan speed, and support structures. General slicers offer basic functionalities, but there is process-specific software, which provides a more successful outcome.
For example, “using a slicer designed for LPBF allows for precise control over laser parameters, minimizes support structure requirements, hatching parameters, and ultimately enhances print quality. Although generic one-size-fits-all slicing software exists, process-specific software is crucial for optimizing 3D printing processes and achieving superior results,” shares Hopwood.
Besides LPBF, stereolithography (SLA), selective laser sintering (SLS), electron beam melting, and binder jetting are popular AM technologies seen in the industrial space. Solutions like Materialise’s Magics are technology-agnostic, designed to address each AM process’ individual requirements.
“It provides tailored build preparation solutions across different technologies, significantly enhancing the feasibility and profitability of each build. Magics accommodates the most pertinent technologies by employing workflows that consider individual prerequisites for build preparation. For instance, SLS allows for the creation of self-supporting structures within a powder bed, whereas LPBF necessitates the addition of supports to the parts for successful printing,” explains Bovyn.
Autodesk Fusion is used as a build preparation software for all mainstream AM processes including FDM, SLA, SLS, MJF, binder jetting, as well as metal PBF and directed energy deposition, according to Oster.
“When offering an additive data preparation solution built on a CAD/CAM/CAE solution, like Fusion, it was important for us to support multiple additive processes so that our users can work seamlessly between their design and 3D printing challenges without having to lose time and data going from design to manufacturing,” shares Oster.
Options to Consider
Build preparation software is available as a standalone solution, or integrated into software that offers other features such as design, inventory, inspection, etc. There are pros and cons to using both options, and ultimately the decision is based on the business in question.
An advantage to standalone, “it offers focused functionality tailored specifically for tasks like build preparation, providing users with specialized tools optimized for their needs. This focus can lead to more robust solutions and flexible usage options,” shares Hopwood.
Integrated software can be a true end-to-end solution, which takes the entire printing process and specific requirements into account. Allowing users to “design, optimize, and place a build to achieve the highest quality and fastest print speeds,” states Bovyn.
“Integrating build preparation software parametrically within CAD and CAM solutions is so empowering to the user that today’s dominant standalone software market will likely contract drastically in the years to come,” admits Oster.
The representative from Formlabs notes that while integrated solutions offer many advantages, there are also disadvantages. “Users don’t need to learn different software and can use a single screen to manage end-to-end workflows. However, these solutions are generally expensive and offer features that many customers don’t require.”
Challenges related to implementing a standalone solution include missing out on the benefits of an integrated solution. “Standalone software may lack seamless integration with other tools, potentially causing workflow inefficiencies and compatibility issues. Additionally, users might miss out on the benefits of a comprehensive software ecosystem, potentially requiring extra effort and increasing support and maintenance costs,” notes Hopwood.
“A standalone solution enables build preparation for one specific technology and for one specific machine. This is very limiting when a company wants to scale its operations. While this software is often created and provided by a machine builder, software development is often not these providers’ core goal, and their solutions often lack advanced performance and algorithms. This can make it difficult to achieve operational excellence with the machines,” shares Bovyn.
Optimal Finish
Build preparation software helps achieve efficiency as well as predictability during a 3D build. The tools in these solutions focus on data and the right combination of features to yield an optimal final part.
Jun2024, Industrial Print Magazine
