Sigma Additive Solutions Profile
Sigma Additive Solutions, Inc. (Sigma) operates as a software company.
The solution that Sigma develops is In-Process-Quality-Assurance (IPQA) software known as PrintRite3D. In 2018, the Sigma team enhanced and added user features to its PrintRite3D technology. In 2019, the company began to productize and test PrintRite3D on various 3D metal printers at customers’ sites through the company’s Rapid Test and Evaluation (‘RTE’) program. Upon receiving favorable responses from the various RTEs, in 2020 the company began to market PrintRite3D. Although the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected capital spending within the company’s targeted industries, the company moved forward with its plan to market PrintRite3D to the following industry segments: global manufacturing companies with Additive Manufacturing (‘AM’) initiatives; 3D printer Original Equipment Manufacturers (‘OEMs’) for purchases of licenses and generating fees and royalties thereafter; additive manufacturing software venders for alliances and licenses for co-sales; and research foundations, standards organizations and universities, all in service of Sigma’s potential for setting the industry standard of measurement by providing data and analytics as a metrics-based quality standard of metal quality for all 3D laser powder bed manufactured parts, notwithstanding the design, metal, or brand of equipment upon which parts are manufactured.
In 2022, the company shifted its business model from selling perpetual licenses of the company’s combined hardware and software solution to subscription-based licenses and began the development of a suite of software-only product offerings, which will transform the company’s business by providing a solution to the company’s customers that can be more broadly connected to OEM’s, hardware, and software partners.
On March 20, 2023, the company announced the expansion of the company’s collaboration with Materialise, a global leader in 3D printing software and service solutions, to provide additive manufacturing (AM) users automated quality control by integrating the PrintRite3D quality assurance solution into the new software solution Materialise Process Control.
On March 6, 2023, the company announced that the company will partner with DyeMansion, the global leader in connected and integrated post-processing solutions for industrial polymer 3D-printing, to add an integrated hardware/software solution option that offers extra quality assurance for DyeMansion’s post-processing solutions: DM60, Powershot Performance and Powerfuse S. DyeMansion’s comprehensive solution, the Print-to-Product workflow and all components are applicable for Industry 4.0 and can be integrated seamlessly into various production processes.
Additive Metal Manufacturing and the role and need for Sigma’s technology:
PrintRite3D has the potential to contribute to widespread industrialization of 3D metal and polymer printing. Additionally, the disruption in complex and rigid supply chains caused by COVID-19 exposed the country’s vulnerability to shortages in times of crisis. In response, manufacturers are devising strategies to be able to be more agile, increase their ability to manufacture mission critical parts on demand, with more customization, and closer to where the end part will be needed, and quality systems to ensure consistency will play a critical role. Additionally, in-process data will play an important role in connecting the full digital quality landscape from raw materials to final part.
PrintRite3D Technology and Product Family
The version of PrintRite3D is an integrated hardware and software edge computing platform, or in-process quality assurance system, that combines inspection, feedback, data collection and critical analysis. It is a 3D printer platform-independent solution that can be installed as a retrofit to an existing 3D printer or requested as a factory option from select 3D printer OEMs. PrintRite3D provides a high-fidelity, accurate system that can confidently scale to multi-laser 3D metal and polymer printers. The PrintRite3D system detects potential anomalies in real-time and incorporates machine learning in conjunction with developed metrics to map those metrics to live post-process data. This provides the ability to reduce manufacturing costs by identifying problems before post-production testing, while creating a certification framework that serves the needs of end-users, printer manufacturers, and standards organizations.
PrintRite3D was initially developed to work with industrial 3D metal printers using the Powder Bed Fusion (‘PBF’) process, which is the most widely used process for industrial metal applications. In 2020, the company announced PrintRite3D for Direct Energy Deposition, or DED, for metal parts. PrintRite3D DED opened another segment of the industrial metal market for Sigma to sell and distribute the company’s technology. In 2021, the company introduced PrintRite3D Selective Laser Sintering, or SLS, for polymer materials. The polymer market is larger and more advanced than the metal market. There is an increasing need for quality and standards within the polymer market to support mission critical parts such as those being used in aerospace, space exploration, and defense. The company’s entry into this market was customer driven by a supplier of critical equipment to the space exploration market. PrintRite3D’s ability to work across a different 3D printers, processes and materials gives it a competitive advantage and will help accelerate the adoption of 3D printing for industrial applications.
In 2022, the company began the development of a new suite of software-only products, which will allow the company to scale into production across enterprises with large installations of production printers. These machine-health, process health, and part-health modules will be built into the PrintRite3D suite. These products will combine streaming health data from major OEM’s and off-axis camera data, and thermal on-access melt pool technology to provide a centralized home for in-process quality solutions and reporting that can be connected to the broader digital quality ecosystem. The connected and open data the company is creating will allow users to simplify their quality operations, identify gross defects, utilize machine-learning and artificial intelligence platforms, and significantly improve production quality while lowering the cost of development.
Distribution Methods
Sigma employs a multi-channel distribution model for its IPQA products, including a direct sales force, value added resellers (‘VARs’) software and hardware partners, and 3D printer OEMs. In 2022, the majority of the company’s revenue was generated by direct sales in North America and Europe and through OEM relationships. VARs are used in Japan and India. The company plans to extend its VAR channel outside of North America and Europe. Since 2020, the company has moved to establish and extend relationships with 3D printer OEMs, software partners, and integrated hardware partners to expand the company’s footprint and ability to scale the company’s business.
The company markets its products through webinars, email and social media campaigns, and participation, both in person and virtually, in industry events and tradeshows. In addition, the company collaborates with international standards organizations in the establishment of standards for AM.
Dependence on a Few Major Customers and Partners
The company has established agreements with several international 3D printer OEMs, software, and integrated hardware companies. The company supports the OEM, software, and hardware relationships with joint marketing programs, field sales and technical support personnel to assist in the sale of its technology. It is the company’s intent and focus to expand its OEM and software channels through distribution relationships with existing and additional 3D printer OEMs, hardware, and software relationships in the future.
Intellectual Property
The company is prosecuting foreign and the U.S. patent applications related to the company’s IPQA technology and rapid qualification of additive manufacturing for metal parts.
Research and Development
For the year ended December 31, 2022, the company incurred operations and research and development expenditures of $653,194.
History
The company was incorporated in 1985. The company was formerly known as Sigma Labs, Inc. and changed its name to Sigma Additive Solutions, Inc. in August 2022.
