Sintavia and Siemens drive AM automation with end-to-end software

Sintavia, a metal AM provider specializing in aerospace and defense applications, is partnering with Siemens Digital Industries Software to develop an end-to-end additive manufacturing software solution. The software program, which will be informed by Sintavia’s testing and technical feedback, will be included in Siemens’ Xcelerator portfolio. As part of the collaboration, Sintavia will also become one of Siemens’ preferred AM partners and gain access to the software before its market release.

“We’re excited to be collaborating with Siemens to help make industrialized additive manufacturing a reality,” stated Brian Neff, Sintavia CEO. “The end-to-end solution that Siemens has been developing is absolutely essential to making additive a viable manufacturing process.”

Siemens’ end-to-end AM software solution will not only bridge every step in the additive process chain but will elevate the workflow’s automation to drive industrialization. Neff added: “We’ve developed a lot of tribal knowledge on how to deliver quality 3D printed metal parts. But we recognize that we can’t just rely on individual expertise to meet the accelerating demand in aerospace for additive manufacturing. We need software to codify the processes we undertake, and not just connect them in a digital thread, but automate them, take our know-how and have it drive activities in the background, so we can achieve optimal efficiency.”

Sintavia will work closely with Siemens, providing the technical feedback required to integrate AM knowledge into the digital twin software. The company’s expert input will be critical to making the software highly automated, or, as Aaron Frankel, Vice President of the AM Program for Siemens Digital Industries Software, said: to “make the system the expert as opposed to the user.”

“The collaboration with Sintavia is vital to our efforts to develop an automated end-to-end solution that spans the entire AM lifecycle—from designing an optimized part, preparing it 3D printing and simulating its build, to planning serial production, executing on the shop floor, and delivering a qualified part,” Frankel explained. “This is a critical step to making additive more widely embraced for volume production. Unlike traditional manufacturing, additive is a process where we don’t have decades of established knowledge that is readily communicated, whether in software or through technical education. Companies can’t afford to make everyone in the AM process an expert; they need the software to automate some tasks, work in the background and make additive more of a push-button process.”

The agreement signed by the two companies entails a three-year partnership through which they will also collaborate on joint sales and marketing activities. Sintavia, for instance, will host events at its facility that showcase Siemens’ additive software solution at work within its industrialized production environment. The partners are also highlighting sustainability in their work, leveraging Sintavia’s Additive Manufacturer Green Trade Association (AMGTA) and Siemens’ own sustainable commitments.

“Siemens has a strong commitment to sustainability – it is a key part of the Siemens 2020+ vision,” said Frankel. “Siemens’ additive manufacturing software contributes to greener additive manufacturing production not just by streamlining designs and reducing material usage, but also by leveraging simulation to help enable first-time-right 3D printing and optimize AM factory efficiency to eliminate waste. We’re excited to join the AMGTA and work closely with Sintavia to help promote the green benefits of additive manufacturing.”