The Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI, President Kim Young-sam) has succeeded in improving output and quality by preventing the concentration of heat energy in 3D printing results through software (SW) and enabling efficient energy discharge of support structures, which is expected to enhance the competitiveness of the domestic manufacturing industry.

KETI announced on the 20th that it has developed support generation software (SW) based on metal 3D printing layer analysis.

The SW developed by KETI this time can perform the function of creating a support structure to prevent the concentration of heat energy during the metal 3D model stacking process and to efficiently discharge energy.

Metal 3D printing involves laying out metal powder flat and selectively shooting a high-temperature laser to melt or solidify it to create the desired product. The technology to smoothly dissipate the heat generated during this process determines the quality of the product.

According to Shin Hwa-seon, a senior researcher at KETI's Intelligent Convergence SW Research Center who led the development, the SW engine is expected to improve metal 3D printing design technology and manufacturing quality, and reduce dependence on foreign countries for related technologies.

Meanwhile, metal 3D printing technology has become increasingly important across the manufacturing industry because it reduces the manufacturing cost and time of metal parts, but it cannot apply existing process know-how and requires skilled professionals. It had the disadvantage of being rare.

Furthermore, domestic companies have been highly dependent on software from advanced countries overseas to address the issue of heat dissipation that occurs during the 3D printing process, so this technology development is expected to have an import substitution effect for software led by the US and Europe.

KETI President Kim Young-sam said, “The support generation engine technology developed by KETI is expected to be utilized in various metal 3D printing manufacturing fields such as automobiles, shipbuilding, and space launch vehicles in the future.” He added, “We will do our best to ensure that small and medium-sized companies in the domestic manufacturing industry can continue to secure product design and manufacturing competitiveness based on metal 3D printing technology.”