SmartScan, new software developed at the University of Michigan, might soon make 3D printers better at producing intricate metal and plastic parts. Chinedum Okwudire, U-M mechanical engineering associate professor and corresponding author of the paper in Additive Manufacturing, explains how the software reduces harmful heat buildup in laser powder bed fusion printers. Okwudire notes that this improvement will produce better intricate metal and plastic parts while speeding up the manufacturing process by reducing cooling time and heat-caused defects.
