Ulendo supports Dyndrite to Enhance the Performance of Metal 3D Printers with Laser Path Optimization that Reduces Heat-Induced Deformation and Stress

By
Brenda Jones
November 15, 2024

Ulendo Technologies, Inc. is the first company to offer laser path optimization software to Dyndrite’s LPBF Pro metal 3D printing software platform. When added as an option to the Dyndrite LPBF Pro platform, Ulendo HC (heat compensation) significantly reduces residual stress and deformation in metal 3D printing, thereby saving time/costs and improving quality.

ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES, November 15, 2024 – This month at the Formnext Expo and Convention in Frankfurt, Germany, Ulendo will be officially launching add-in laser path optimization software to Dyndrite’s LPBF Pro. Dyndrite LPBF Pro is an application built to empower users of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) printers with previously unattainable part printing capabilities, accelerated build rates and cost savings. Using Dyndrite LPBF Pro’s extensive list of APIs, Ulendo Technologies, Inc. has developed Ulendo HC (heat compensation), the first software add-in being offered as a “plug and play” add-in to the Dyndrite LPBF Pro platform.

Building on research conducted at the University of Michigan by Ulendo Founder Chinedum 'Chi' Okwudire, the Ulendo HC algorithm analyzes and optimizes the laser path in LPBF printers, reducing mean deformation by 50% and residual stress by 88%. By eliminating the costly and wasteful “trial and error” approach to part build planning, Ulendo HC minimizes failed parts, enhances part quality and production reliability, and reduces the need for certain post-processing steps to address stress and deformation.

 “When working with high- cost materials or large, complex builds, even one failed build can significantly impact the bottom line,” says Ulendo CEO Brenda Jones.  “Ulendo HC aims to eliminate these issues, improving the profitability and reliability of LPBF as a production tool.”

“Our goal is to enable customers to print new materials, print faster, print features like thin walls, print without supports and improve surface finish. Our tools can be combined with tools like Ulendo HC to accelerate this goal,” says Dyndrite CEO Harshil Goel. “We welcome Ulendo as the first company to provide add-in software to the Dyndrite LPBF Pro platform. With the addition of Ulendo HC to the platform, we are working toward our collaborative vision of LPBF Pro as a powerful metal 3D printing engine into which innovative companies like Ulendo can integrate their software add-ins and features.”

With Ulendo’s laser path optimization, an LPBF printer user can eliminate the process of “trial and error” to select a scan strategy. Instead, the printer user just activates the Ulendo HC algorithm within the Dyndrite LPBF Pro platform, thereby optimizing the laser path to significantly reduce thermal-induced distortions and part stress.  Eliminating the “trial and error” method of selecting a scan strategy also saves materials costs. Moreover, the improved quality of the printed part reduces post-process time and costs.

The impact of Ulendo HC is most significant for manufacturers using LPBF printers in production of metal parts that are made of expensive metals and/or require significant post-processing to deal with heat-induced stress and deformation.  Current users of Dyndrite LPBF Pro are encouraged to join Ulendo’s Early Adopter Program to see the power of this thermal optimization technology firsthand.

Curious about how this technology can improve the performance of LPBF printers? Stop by the Dyndrite booth at Formnext in Frankfurt, Germany November 19 to 22, 2024 in hall 12.0, E119.    

 ABOUT ULENDO TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Ulendo Technologies is a software company focused on solving the challenges facing adoption and scale of advanced manufacturing (AM) processes, making AM machines faster, higher quality, and more repeatable. Founded in 2018 by Chinedum ‘Chi’ Okwudire, Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan, the company is composed of engineering, software development, and advanced manufacturing experts dedicated to making cutting-edge solutions practical for our clients.

The company’s first products improved the speed and quality of extrusion-based 3D printers: Ulendo VC (Vibration Compensation), an advanced set of algorithms that doubles printing speed without degrading the quality and Ulendo Calibration-as-a-ServiceTM, a cloud-based auto calibration tool.

With the introduction of Ulendo HC (heat compensation), the company has expanded into the growing metal 3D printing market. The company’s overall goal is to deliver a collection of revolutionary software products to the advanced manufacturing industry (i.e., 3D printers, industrial robots). For more information, visit www.ulendo.io.

ABOUT DYNDRITE

Dyndrite’s mission is to fundamentally change how geometry is created, transformed and transmitted on a computer. Our Accelerated Computation Engine (ACE) is the world’s first (geometry agnostic), multi-threaded, GPU-accelerated Geometry Engine. We create and license tools that give companies the power, freedom and control necessary to deliver on the potential of digital manufacturing.

Dyndrite democratizes access to a hyper-scalable, geometry-agnostic set of digital manufacturing software tools that deliver eyebrow-raising performance. The company’s team of mathematicians, computer scientists, and engineers exists to help our partners and customers solve the toughest geometry, compute and automation problems so they can deliver AM production at scale. We aim to ignite their purpose. 

Investors include Gradient Ventures, Google’s AI-focused Investment Fund and former Autodesk CEO Carl Bass. The company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in Seattle, WA. Dyndrite was named a World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer for 2021. For more information visit: www.dyndrite.com.