Future-Focused
In terms of next steps for his research, Benzing said he would like to analyze the files of real 3D printed parts, such as a hip implant used in an actual patient, from companies that would be willing to share that information with NIST. This would allow him to test it in a real condition, which the industry already does on its own, validate what manufacturers are doing, and help improve their understanding of the reliability of, say, that hip implant.
Benzing and his team are currently presenting their results at conferences and have been generating interest. At the moment, a lot of companies don’t really look at these maps, or aren’t aware of the value that the maps could provide in relation to reliability, he said.
“But through our research, we’re saying, ‘Hey, you should pay attention to some of the finer details,’” Benzing said. “And here’s how you can manipulate your machine.”
