b'Traceability is an important part of production for additive manufacturing.By Alan Richter you put serial numbers or bar codes onto those parts? How do you tell W hen additive manufacturingthe difference between a part that was used almost exclusivelycame from two different machines for prototyping and other non-se- in two different locations?rial-production applications, partTo overcome those challenges, traceability and material authentica- SmartParts reports that it devel-tion were not relevant. That situationoped an integrated solution that changed about five years ago whencombines advanced material tag-additive manufacturing technologygants, hardware and software to started being used much more forconnect manufacturing data to ad-production applications, said Codyditive materials and parts.Burke,co-founderandCOOofBurke said at the core of the solu- Part Surface @ 100 nmSmartParts in New York City. Printtion is SmartParts Intelligent Ma- UNIQUE SIGNATUREParts Inc., an additive manufactur- terials, which are particle taggants ing service bureau that his businessthat are added into base materials partner Robert Haleluk founded inat low concentrations of parts per 2017, launched SmartParts in 2020. million or even parts per billion. The We were keen on figuring outparticles are encoded with a unique how the additive industry can reallyidentifier to create an authentica-take off for production and what thetion system for various materials largest barriers will be, Burke said.from polymers to metals.We identified traceability as a keyWe are material agnostic, he aspect to getting the technologysaid.into real production applications. Burke said the company can con-Although a variety of part trace- trol particle size and shape to a high ability solutions are available for tra- level of fidelity and obtain the op-ditional manufacturing processes,timal response for a specific addi-including bar coding, laser etch- tive material. For instance, particlesthe base material. In those cases, ing and adding serial numbers andadded to a metal powder mightthe company can apply its technol-radio frequency identification, hebe spherical and 20 m (0.0008")ogy as a coating, dye or paint to said those technologies are notin diameter so they mix evenly withthe part exterior to accomplish the particularly efficient or effectivethe powder, which would be sig- same result.for additively manufactured parts,nificantly different from particlesIts not as elegant because its which tend to have complex geom- added to a resin. not embedded in the material from etries and can be microscale. He said some applications, suchthe beginning, Burke said, but it For example, Burke said, thereas ones for the aerospace indus- still adds a level of traceability that are patient-specific 3D-printed partstry, might stipulate that an addi- additive manufacturing has not ex-that go into human bodies. How dotional element cannot be added toperienced before.about the authorctemag.comFor more information about SmartParts, view a Alan Richter is edi- video presentation at www.ctemag.com by scan-tor-at-large of CTE.ning the QR code with your smartphone or entering Contact him at alanr@ this URL on your web browser: https://qr.ctemag.ctemedia.com. com/1dhdg22DECEMBER 2022 Additive.indd 22 11/15/22 12:20 PM'