3D printing for Energy

Energy infrastructure can be remote and subject to considerable wear and tear. We specialise in using fast, flexible and sustainable robotic additive manufacturing to repair parts when and where needed.

Our clients in the mining and oil industries have successfully used Aibuild to produce sandcasting moulds, saving considerable time, resources and money.

3D printing of wind turbine blades has enabled renewable energy clients to optimise strength-to-weight ratio.

Sustainable manufacturing

Lightweight structures with recycled polymers.

Blades

Direct Energy Deposition.

Propellers

Metal thin walled structures.

Built with energy in mind

Our unique Aibuild platform enables our energy clients to fully automate the additive manufacturing process.

Software Platform Partners

In-field repair of parts.

Mesh comparison and volume selection features enable easy toolpath generation for 3D scanned inputs of damaged parts for repair. Minimise operational downtime with in-field additive repair powered by Aibuild.

Wind turbines.

Optimise directional strength with multi-axis printing.

Digital Twin

Optimise part inter-layer strength.

Thermal simulation and optimisation in Aibuild ensures your inter-layer bonding strength is as great as possible, according to the characterised processing properties of your selected material.

Features and Benefits

The world’s most capable additive manufacturing platform. Our technology, testing capabilities and expert team enable industrial 3D printing at scale.

Software Platform Expert Team

Additive Manufacturing Expertise

Smart people, efficient processes, amazing technology. Aibuild is your full-service additive manufacturing technology partner, providing an agile and open approach along with robust testing and personalised support.

Award-winning Software

Our acclaimed AM software platform, Aibuild, is renowned for its cutting-edge tool pathing capabilities and user-friendly, AI powered interface. Aibuild was awarded “best AM software in 2023” by TCT.

Advanced Automation

Aibuild provides fully automated toolpath generation for industrial additive manufacturing. Our platform’s advanced automation and adaptive capabilities enable fast, predictable and repeatable industrial 3D printing at scale.

Simple to Use

Increase your industrial 3D printing capability through one simple-to-use visual user interface. Easily manage even the most advanced toolpaths across all 3D printers in any location.

Fast, Reliable & Scalable

Successful 3D printing adoption as part of a manufacturing process is dependent on consistency, repeatability and predictability of outcome. Aibuild is designed to enable fast, efficient and predictable additive manufacturing.

Efficiency Gains

Eliminate bottlenecks and recurring build errors. Our clients build successful toolpaths 86% quicker, with failed builds decreased by 65%, parts 3x stronger and a 90% efficiency gain in overall build time.

Artificial Intelligence

Our AI-driven AM platform replaces manual coding with visual programming. We achieve repeatable success by ensuring all system components – hardware, software and materials – operate as a unified, integrated, intelligent automated system.

Reusable Workflows

Develop your own IP and reusable workflows within the Aibuild platform. Fully automate the additive manufacturing process from plan to print, radically improving speed, quality, scalability and application range.

FAQs

Why is Aibuild the best AM technology partner for the energy sector?

Aibuild software is the ideal additive manufacturing technology for the energy sector in supporting rapid iteration of critical components Where's the minimum need for post-processing and maximum component strength. Our cloud-based platform supports the easy distribution of toolpath strategies across the enterprise, collapsing the supply chain of business critical parts.

What manufacturing processes are supported in your software?

Bring your hardware, printers and processes under one roof. Our platform supports a variety of AM processes, including but not limited to:
Polymer pellet extrusion (also known as FGF)
Polymer filament extrusion (also known as FFF)
Metal wire extrusion (also known as DED, direct energy deposition)
Metal wire arc (also known as WAAM)
Concrete
Ceramic
Other additive processes
Subtractive processes (e.g. milling for finishing)

Is LFAM ready for production? Is it still in a research-stage?

Yes, the application range that our software platform enables together with high print quality output means that your LFAM Ambitions can be realized fully. We have tier 1 energy clients using our technology to support production on a global basis today.

How do you connect AM hardware, software and materials?

The software platform is a central hub for various AM data inputs, including materials data, hardware configuration, as well as process steps and parameters. Our extensive partner network helps us to maintain an up-to-date library of printers and material data. Our lab’s additional material testing, research studies and testing helps us to tailor recommended settings and our algorithms to ensure you get the best quality without having to go through various trial-and-error iterations to get a good quality print.

How can you ensure zero-changes to my toolpath over the course of a typical product lifecycle?

All workflows from June 2024 onwards are fully backwards compatible. This means your sliced parts & toolpaths aren’t affected by new updates to the platform. You have the choice to upgrade your projects to the latest version, or to continue to use the version that you used to generate your toolpath. You can make edits, add new process steps, re-compute, change input files and more, even though you aren’t using the latest version of the software. A toolpath made in 2024 and be edited and re-computed in 2034. This ensures repeatability and traceability across the full product development cycle. This is the power and flexibility of the cloud.