Thanks to the new partnership between Weirather and CoreTechnologie, an open system for SLS 3D printing is now available. With the new application, the user works in the 4D_Additive software seamlessly from the CAD model until the dispatch to the Weirather printer.
Full Control and Flexibility
In the Build Manager of the new software version, all settings of the slicer as well as the laser parameters can be freely adjusted beyond the predefined parameter sets. The user thus has the full control and flexibility of an open system. The software has a modern, fast and easy-to-use graphic interface and innovative features such as automatic 3D nesting with optimal heat distribution.
The open 4D_Additive SLS and SLM Build Manager provides access to all slicing parameters. Laser speeds, hatching strategies and path distances for contour, hatching, upskin and downskin as well as laser and Z-compensation can be adjusted by the user beyond the standard settings and optimised for other materials.
The individual layers of the print job, so-called slices, are simply stored on the Weirather machine via the network in a standard svg format. This ensures optimal traceability and transparency of the workflow. After saving the packed slices in wls format, the jobs are visible in the printer’s job list and can be started immediately. Moreover, the integration does not require an internet connection of the printer or a print server and is thus completely self-sufficient.
Seamless Process
With the 4D_Additive software, for the first time it is possible to accurately check, repair and prepare print jobs according to CAD engineering standards based on the original CAD geometry. The software reads all common native and standard formats and processes CAD data as well as STL models with the hybrid core. The new tool covers the entire process from CAD model to the 3D-Printer. The software’s native interfaces avoid additional generation of STL data in the CAD system. The exact, lightweight 3D data are also used for nesting and allow a very compact description of the print job.
Extensive Application Possibilities
The open and independent technology enables quick adaptations, for example for new materials. A current example is Weirather’s optimisation of the printing of polypropylene materials especially for the medical sector and the food industry, which was realised in just a few days.
More information on the software is available at www.coretechnologie.com/products/4d-additive .
Background information CoreTechnologie
The software manufacturer CoreTechnologie (CT) was founded in 1998 and has its headquarters in Moembris near Frankfurt am Main. The company is the leading provider of 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) translation software known as 3D-Evolution™ (conversion, repair, simplification, analysis), 4D Additive (additive manufacturing software for 3D printing), 3D_Analyzer (CAD viewer with analysis tools) and 3D_Kernel_IO (CAD interoperability software development kit). The company’s mission is to optimise MCAD interoperability in the design value chain and to develop customised solutions for PLM integration and process automation. CoreTechnologie’s customer portfolio includes more than 600 companies in the automotive, aerospace, mechanical engineering and consumer goods industries, many of them quality leaders in their respective segments.
