- COVID-19 exposed weaknesses in manufacturing, supply chain spaces; 3D printing offers ideal solution
- 3D-metal-printing presents its own mechanical hurdles, including quality issues undetected until postproduction
- SGLB’s patented PrintRite3D(R) software provides solution to costly quality-control challenges that impede manufacture of precision 3D-metal parts
Among the many changes wrought by COVID-19, those within the manufacturing and supply chain sectors will likely be far reaching and long lasting. The epidemic has exposed fundamental weaknesses in the system, some of which may be solved through advanced software and technologies, including 3D metal printing. Sigma Labs Inc. (NASDAQ: SGLB), a leading developer of quality-assurance software in the commercial 3D-metal-printing space, may benefit from the trend.
“3D printing has come a long way in recent years, with manufacturing times improving,” a recent Forbes article reads (http://nnw.fm/8hkU1). “The time it takes to print items depends on both the quality of the printer as well as the complexity of the item being printed. As we enter a new era with COVID-19 continuing to disrupt supply chains and causing shortages of essential medical equipment, the 3D printing community is stepping in to help.”
Another article, published by MarketWatch, makes a similar observation. “Out of necessity, manufacturers in the new normal will build factories much closer to where critical parts are needed, reduce the human workforce, and rely more on software and efficiency technologies like 3D printing,” the article reads (http://nnw.fm/lI0ly). “At the epicenter of this sea of change is Sigma Labs, with its revolutionary patented technology that detects and identifies defects and anomalies in real time during the 3D printing process of metal, paving the way for scalability and economic efficiency.”
Both articles point out that additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, speeds production, allows flexibility, and brings new ideas to market quicker at lower cost. However, the new technology is not perfect. “Commercial 3D metal printing is gaining vital importance in the entire global manufacturing sector – yet the efficiency it yields is not without challenges,” the MarketWatch article notes. “A myriad of variables from machines to materials create production hurdles in metal additive manufacturing.”
Among those problems is the fact that the newly printed parts don’t always meet precise specifications. Previously, 3D-metal-printing manufacturers have had to rely on post-production inspection techniques to detect these imperfections, which are both costly and wasteful, since the problem isn’t discovered until the printing is complete, rendering the part unusable.
“With its patented PrintRite3D(R) software, Sigma Labs presents a solution to the costly quality-control challenges that impede the volume manufacture of precision 3D metal parts,” the article continues. “In doing so, Sigma’s software could easily become indispensable in the global efforts to meet the manufacturing challenges of post COVID. The company’s breakthrough software has the potential to bolster and broaden commercial metal-additive manufacturing by enabling for the first time cost-effective, nondestructive quality assurance during the production process. PrintRite3D(R) is the leading technology in identifying and classifying defects and anomalies in-process and allows for errors to be corrected in real time — even remotely.”
Sigma Labs Inc. is a leading provider of quality-assurance software to the commercial 3D-metal-printing industry under the PrintRite3D brand. Sigma specializes in the development and commercialization of real-time monitoring solutions known as PrintRite3D for 3D-metal, advanced-manufacturing technologies. PrintRite3D detects and classifies defects and anomalies real time during the manufacturing process and informs the production manager of quality issues. Sigma Labs’ software product is a major catalyst for the acceleration and adoption of 3D metal printing.
For more information about Sigma Labs, please visit www.SigmaLabsInc.com
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to SGLB are available in the company’s newsroom at http://nnw.fm/SGLB
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