Materialise, a global leader in 3D printing software and service solutions, introduces new features to Magics, its leading data and build preparation software. From product design to part and build preparation to printing, the digital thread connects the entire manufacturing process. To facilitate this, connectivity and traceability are crucial; that’s why the most recent update of Magics prioritizes connections with other software solutions. Magics’ integration with CO-AM adds traceability to the 3D printing process with a revision tree that logs every action applied to a part or build, including which user performed it. This connection between data and build preparation software and manufacturing execution systems is critical to track part status from end to end, but is often missing due to silos between software.

This update also introduces integration between Magics and Materialise Machine Manager, which connects users to their Build Processors to send project information and parameters necessary to make successful builds. Another spotlight feature from the Magics update is Workflow Automation’s first off-the-shelf script. Workflow Automation is a Magics tool that offers ready-to-use and custom scripts—developed by Materialise or the user—to automate repetitive workflows during data and build preparation. The first off-the-shelf script—smart labeling—was created for use by Protolabs and automatically labels parts in minutes. “Labeling twenty parts takes just one person,” pointed out Christoph Erhardt, Manager, Customer Projects & Additive Design, Protolabs. “Maybe five minutes with our new automated workflow. Before, it was an hour and a half, two hours for two people. It wasn't fun work. And now the team experiences less stress and uses their time for more challenging, interesting work that truly motivates them.”

Additional Workflow Automation scripts will be made available later this year. Materialise recently showcased its CO-AM and Magics technologies at the RAPID+TCT Conference at McCormick Place in Chicago.

Stressing that traceability is critical for any 3D printing production, Egwin Bovyn, Product Line Manager, Materialise, said, “It’s not only a requirement for highly regulated industries like aerospace but also plays an important role in quality improvement. Tracking the parameters of past builds gives users insights into what goes right and what goes wrong. It gives them a detailed log to refer to while improving their processes.”

In light of this, Brecht Pellens, Product Manager at Materialise, explained, “By connecting Magics to our Machine Manager, we’re offering a new cloud-based solution to manage your AM machine park and connected Build Processors. Cloud-based working is inherently more collaboration friendly—users no longer need to rely on one workstation for all their build preparation work—so sharing files and processing parameters with colleagues is also easier than ever. Plus, all processing parameters and build files are now stored in the cloud, continuing the traceability factor in this stage of your workflow.”

For more information: www.materialise.com