Ivan Aksentev, a scientist from Russia's Omsk State Technical University (OmSTU), has developed a universal optoelectronic system that improves the predictability of 3D printing and reduces the time needed to configure equipment for new materials by a factor of three to five, according to the university.

Aksentev's project, "Development of a hardware and software system for calibrating 3D printing systems," recently won a student start-up competition. This innovation may be of interest to both private users and industrial enterprises with additive manufacturing facilities. In this layer-by-layer production process, minimizing defects and downtime directly impacts financial performance, making the system highly valuable.

The main challenge in additive manufacturing is the need for repeated testing to optimize parameters. Aksentev's system solves this problem in a single print cycle. The machine vision-based system analyzes the geometry of the test sample, while a proprietary algorithm automatically generates recommendations for adjusting the process parameters.

The system is compatible with the most widely used technologies for creating three-dimensional objects: laser stereolithography, layer-by-layer filament deposition (plastic filament) and selective laser sintering.

The researcher will receive a grant to continue work on the project's software and organize the mass production of the system. The implementation will help users quickly adapt the equipment to any consumables without compromising product quality.