Optimising Files and Setting Standards in Additive Manufacturing – Interview with Avante Technology Founder Bob Zollo

Avante Technology, founded in 2014 as a spin-off from Software Architects Inc., specialises in the development, licensing, and support of standards-based software for additive manufacturing. With roots in file systems and formats, the company brings decades of expertise in optimising digital file structures to the rapidly growing 3D printing industry. In an interview with 3Druck.com, President and founder Bob Zollo shares his insights into additive manufacturing software and global standards development.

A key focus of Avante Technology is improving the quality of 3D printed parts by optimising file formats. Their flagship software, ShapeFish™, converts traditional STL files to the ISO/ASTM 52915 AMF format, enabling more accurate, precise, and efficient printing. ShapeFish allows users to analyse, repair, and fine-tune files by isolating individual components, addressing common issues such as overlapping geometries. This functionality enhances the overall integrity of complex designs, ensuring better final outputs.

Beyond conversion and repair, ShapeFish includes a robust meta-data editor, crucial for digital quality management systems. Users can add essential details like product name, version number, materials, colours, and tolerances at multiple levels within the file. This standardised approach helps ensure consistency and reliability in production workflows.

Avante Technology also plays a significant role in international standardisation efforts, actively participating in organisations like ISO, ASTM, and DICOM. Their contributions aim to improve the interoperability of AM processes, with a particular emphasis on medical applications.

Interview with Bob Zollo

In an interview with 3Druck.com, Bob Zollo, President of Avante Technology and Secretary for the ISO TC261 Committee, which oversees the publication and development of the AMF format standard, discusses the essential features of file optimisation software for additive manufacturing. He emphasises the importance of integrating the software into existing workflows, ensuring platform compatibility, and managing complex designs. Zollo also highlights key technological advancements and international standards that are shaping the future of additive manufacturing, particularly in areas such as precision, efficiency, and quality control.

What are the key features to look for in file optimisation software for additive manufacturing?

The most advanced capabilities are worthless unless the application integrates well with the organisation’s “design-to-print-to-QC” work flow. Does the application run on the needed platforms? How does this fit with your organisation’s security policy? Does it require investing in new computing hardware? What level of interoperability does the application provide? Does it output to formats you require? Does it require any major revisions to the design process or workflow?

Here are features I consider important: a user interface appropriate to the skill level and work style of your technical staff. The app should support designs containing multiple objects and/or components, multiple materials, composite materials, and multiple part assemblies. The design file must output to all needed file formats, and at the desired level of accuracy. Design settings, such as version number, unit-of-measure, precision and orientation should be recordable and available to be output to the next application in the work flow.

If using iterative designs, what criteria can be used to compare and rank design iterations? How do these criteria match with the design goals for the project? Specific features should be considered on a target application basis. What type of parts, assemblies, printing technologies are being manufactured? What type of designers will be using the software? What criteria is the priority;. i.e. accuracy, speed, design method, other? Just as there are several types of printing system technologies, each appropriate for a range of applications, software needs to be selected for specific applications and work flows; not because of clever new features.

The more control that the user can provide to the optimisation process the better. Can all relevant design information be linked to the specific version of the file for programmatic use through the work flow? AI may also be useful, but only if a knowledge human provides all the appropriate input and information.

Additive manufacturing has continued to evolve over the past few years. What innovations or technological breakthroughs in software do you consider to be particularly important?

Here are four innovations that I believe will have significant impact on the growth of AM over the next few years. The first two innovations expand design capabilities; the third innovation greatly expands the capability of AM manufacturing process; and the fourth innovation enables integration of the digital work flow to improve accuracy, precision, quality and security:

1. Iterative design generation

Combined with simulation and AI customised for AM printing criteria, this technology has the potential to greatly expand the number of cost saving applications.

2. High precision, custom lattice designs for micro printing parts and bio-printing

The ability to customise these microscopic designs enables a broad range of applications in the medical, chemical, energy and transportation industries. High value examples include bio-printing living cell tissues, high efficiency chemical processes(including pharmaceuticals, hydrogen fuel cells, lithium and sodium car batteries, etc.), improved filtration of liquids and gases, high precision part surfaces that provide customised physical attributes(friction/lubricity, adherence to specific coatings/ materials, breathability, water repellence, etc.).

3. 4+ axis printing control

The software and firmware providing the ability to precisely control printing in more than the traditional 3 axis process enables far more precise surfaces, as well as more complex part and assembly printing. Eliminating “stair step“ surface characteristics significantly reduces post processing and improves surface precision and aesthetics. A much wider range of parts and assemblies can be printed that could not previously be done using AM technology.

4. Inclusion of standardised and custom meta data within the ISO/ASTM standard AMF file format

This industry first standard provides interoperability of key data through the digital work flow. It enables manufacturers to programmatically apply and enforce all design and process information through the design-to-print- to QC work for quality management and more efficient productivity. It enables a standardised method for controlling AM production, resulting in higher quality, improved efficiency, more secure data flow, and an automated method of preserving important project information within the design file for improved quality management.

What do you think are the most important international standards for additive manufacturing companies to comply with?

There are over 40 published ISO standards for AM and an additional two dozen in the development stage or published by ASTM. While there are many valuable standards, I believe the design standards are the most important. Design for AM begins the creation process and sets the stage for everything that can happen in the work flow through finished part or assembly. Here are the most important:

1. The first design standard to consider is ISO/ASTM 52910-18: “Additive manufacturing — Design — Requirements, guidelines and recommendations“ 

This document provides the basic information needed to asses adoption of AM. It gives requirements, guidelines and recommendations for using additive manufacturing (AM) in product design. This document helps determine which design considerations can be utilised in a design project to take advantage of the capabilities of an AM process.

2. The key foundation Standard for Additive manufacturing is: “ISO/ASTM 52915:20: Specification for additive manufacturing file format (AMF) version 1.2“ 

This standard is foundational for AM, as it specifies the advanced, extensible 3D file format designed specifically for industrial additive manufacturing. This document specifies the requirements for the preparation, display and transmission for the AMF in extensible markup language (XML v1.0). This schema supports standards-compliant interoperability. This advanced format specification includes support for higher accuracy than the commonly used STL format. It supports the many requirements not supported by STL and other traditional 3D formats. Examples are: support for multiple materials, colours, composites, and assemblies. It provides standardised metadata fields for design, IP, security and project information, as well as customisable metadata fields for custom use. This AM standard is referred to in dozens of other ISO and ASTM standards and guidance documents. AMF is the only international standard file format for AM. The specification is extensible to allow for improvements to address future industry needs. For example, a project to expand and update the meta data specification is expected to begin later this year in ISO TC261.

3. A practical standards document is: “ISO/ASTM CD TR52918: Additive Manufacturing-Data Formats-File Format Support, Ecosystem and Evolutions“

This ISO draft document is currently pending balloting at ISO and ASTM. It describes the adoption and support of various file formats in AM by each class of software used in the “design to print” work flow. It includes support by product and company. These three standards documents provide the information critical to assess appropriate use of AM. They also provide the specification for the advanced AMF file format that enables interoperability throughout the AM workflow for accuracy, precision, efficiency as a key component to a digital quality management system. Quality management systems(QMS) are now required by government agencies in the US and EU for a growing number of medical, aerospace and defence applications. For example: the US Department of Defense has defined the AMF file format as the required format for AM wherever the required software tools support it. The EMA and FDA both require verifiable QMS implementations for medical devices created using AM. The FAA and EASA also have regulatory requirement for quality management systems to be used. This trend will likely continue in other industries. The aforementioned standards aid manufacturers in developing robust and verifiable QMS for their AM processes.

What impact do you think additive manufacturing will have on different industries and possibly society as a whole in the coming years?

AM is already having a significant impact on the medical, defence and aerospace industries. The efficiencies derived from the use of AM for custom and low volume, high value parts and assemblies, along with shorter delivery time provide strong economic incentives to expand the use of AM in these types of applications. So far, adoption in these industries has been limited to a small fraction of the potential applications. I expect this to continue to expand more rapidly as the technology provides higher accuracy and precision, and government agencies in the US, Japan and EU publish necessary regulations and guidelines covering the use of AM to enable broader use.

An example is bio-printing of medical implants using live cells and collagen lattices. Current EU and FDA regulations lack specific guidance on the safe and legal use of the growing range of applications for such breakthrough use of AM. As the regulators catch up, this category of AM has the potential to grow exponentially.

Over the next decade, bio-printing has the potential to revolutionise the medical industry, not only in better prosthetics and burn treatment, but in more sophisticated printed pharmaceuticals, and eventually replacement organs for the critically ill. Another potentially significant societal impact resulting from advanced AM is the light- weighting of automotive and aviation parts, assemblies, fuel cells and batteries. Replacing metal assemblies with lighter weight AM printed high performance and reinforced plastics improves the mileage of all types of motor vehicles. AM technology is now being used to create new higher efficiency designs of car batteries and hydrogen fuel cells that cannot be produced using conventional manufacturing methods. The ability to rapidly product spare parts on ships and in remote locations has the potential to save time in repairs and save enormous amounts of money for the maritime industry as well as military field organisations.

AM has been employed to save money for both military and commercial aviation, but the number of parts approved for AM is tiny compared to the potential. Public information concerning AM in commercial aircraft indicates use of hundreds to a few thousand printed parts authorised for specific aircraft. A typical modern commercial aircraft has several hundred thousand parts.

The use of AM lightweight parts and assemblies has the potential to revolutionise both private and commercial aviation. The resulting weight loss and higher fuel/battery efficiencies have the potential to make smaller commercial jets economically viable. This could open up thousands of new commercial aviation routes to make air transportation available to a much broader percentage of society. In summary, AM has the potential for robust growth in a range of industries and application, with significant societal benefits to health, transportation and ecology.The 40+ ISO and ASTM published standards for AM provide an excellent foundation and guideline for adopting the use of AM by a broad range of industries and an ever expanding number of applications.

Broad adoption will only happen if and when decision makers are willing to invest in it. Much remains to be done in educating corporate and government leaders as to the great potential AM offers both economically and for benefits to society.

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