VAME

FTL works with the Center for eDesign to develop tools for next-generation manufacturing systems. VAME (Volumetric Additive Manufacturing Metadata Engine) is a software tool that brings metallic Additive Manufacturing (AM) capabilities and defect detection into the digital design process. It uses a voxel representation on top of conventional CAD part models to store design and process information that affects the viability of AM parts. VAME provides actionable alerts on AM design issues and pinpoints exact voxels where an issue has arisen, improving dependability and certification of AM parts.

Using VAME, 3D printer data can be recorded during the fabrication of an AM part and stored geometrically by voxel to provide a pedigree that details the fabrication process. The software tool is mature and real-time data collection and voxelization of 3 million data points during an AM test fabrication has been demonstrated, capturing laser power, melt pool diameter, melt pool temperature, surface finish, build head dynamics, and other parameters. Using VAME, a part data package with 1TB of data can be easily browsed, correlated, and evaluated.