Phase3D selected by NASA’s MSFC
To develop and integrate in-situ monitoring technology for AM into on-site production powder bed fusion 3D printers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center
Phase3D, previously known as Additive Monitoring Systems, a University of California spinout and embedded in Argonne National laboratory, has been selected by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in a Collaborative Agreement Note to develop and integrate in-situ monitoring technology for additive manufacturing into on-site production powder bed fusion 3D printers.
The collaboration will focus on in-situ monitoring to support flight-ready production of high-performance copper components for NASA’s Liquid Propulsion Technology platforms. Phase3D will deploy their patent-pending, process monitoring technology system, Project Fringe, on-site at MSFC.
“We have developed a rapid, objective, in-situ health monitoring system that is based on measurement science with quantified uncertainty. This technology allows expedited project timelines, immediate diagnosis of AM anomalies, and higher confidence in final part quality,” said Dr. Niall O’Dowd, Founder, and CEO of Phase3D.
This one-year collaboration between NASA and Phase3D follows a 2-year contract for full-scale AM production monitoring with the US Air Force, a 2-year contract to de-risk monitoring vision technology in AM from the Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office, several awards from the National Science Foundation, and integration into a key 3D printer original equipment manufacturer.
In May, this year, Phase3D was selected by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) to develop and integrate machine vision technology for additive manufacturing at Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex for defense and commercial applications.
Phase3D’s real-time in-process monitoring system can retrofit any industrial 3D printer to provide actionable part quality data. Designed to provide value to builders through dimensional measurements of several in-situ part features, the system reduces lost schedule time and wasted energy by allowing for earlier part scrap.
“We are very appreciative of the growing interest in our products from our sponsors and the rapid prototyping community and are looking forward to this collaboration and accelerating AM to fully flight qualified-production of complex space flight components,” said Dr. O’Dowd.
