Xact Metal Partners with PanOptimization to Incorporate Simulation and Optimization in Additive Manufacturing

Exact Metal announced a partnership with PanOptimization, a software company, to leverage software simulation in the optimization of 3D printing operations.

“At Xact Metal, we’re establishing a new level of price and performance in metal 3D printing by taking the essential specs of metal additive manufacturing and combining them with breakthrough technology,” says Juan Mario Gomez, CEO of Xact Metal. “We are pleased to partner with PanOptimization to bring cutting-edge simulation and optimization into the additive manufacturing industry.”

PanOptimization enables identification of build issues prior to printing. Source: Xact Metal

According to the company, PanOptimization’s PanX software uses a unique multigrid modeling approach for thermomechanical simulation which achieves better accuracy with faster run times than traditional finite element analysis (FEA) models, while only requiring very modest computer hardware. The software identifies and helps to correct most thermal and mechanical build issues (distortion, recoater jams, cracking and more), reducing the need for experimental trial and error.

“In our drive to lower the price of additive manufacturing metal powder bed fusion systems, we have used PanX to help us improve the performance of our systems, understand the behavior of the metals that we work with and optimize the parts that we are printing to achieve the geometric performance that we require,” Gomez says. “We ourselves have seen the value that PanOptimation’s software provides and want to bring this benefit to our manufacturing customers, such as those in the injection molding industry.”

Pan Michaleris, CEO of PanOptimization, says the company is excited to begin its partnership with Xact Metal. “It is a logical next step in our strategy to integrate our PanX software product line with all major machine OEMs, and an opportunity for us to go beyond our aerospace and defense user base, and expand into the broader industry of affordable metal additive manufacturing,” Michaleris says.