Phase3D has developed a next-generation version of Fringe Inspection, its structured-light system for laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). The company describes the product as the result of a multi-year effort to build "purpose-built" hardware for OEM integration and fleet deployment.
The change is in the hardware. Phase3D says it has moved away from an architecture assembled from off-the-shelf components and toward a custom design made for volume production. A projector developed specifically for LPBF inspection sits at the center. An integrated IPC, GPU, memory and internal storage handle processing on the device, and everything fits in one aluminum enclosure with passive cooling.
Connectivity is built around machine integration. M12 connectors carry camera data, power, local and machine networks, and inputs and outputs. Four hardware trigger channels accept 5–24 V signals. Software triggering is available, as is hands-off triggering using distance and light sensors. Phase3D says this range lets OEMs match the sensor to different machine interfaces and inspection workflows.
For automation and process engineers at machine builders, that means the sensor can be specified as an integrated component with its own computing, rather than assembled as a separate system around a machine.
The measurement itself is unchanged in principle. Fringe Inspection uses structured light to scan the build surface during printing and produces quantitative, layer-by-layer height data. Engineers use that data to investigate changes in the powder bed, locate anomalies and quantify how large they are.
"We have built a product specifically for LPBF, with the computing and connectivity to support OEM integration from the outset," said Dr. Niall O'Dowd, Founder and CEO of Phase3D.
