Case Study: Industrial Technology Research Institute achieves faster, lower-cost additive manufacturing with Comsol simulation apps

ITRI cuts additive manufacturing testing time by 75% with Comsol

Comsol's customer, the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), faced significant challenges in manufacturing a 3D printed rocket engine injector via laser powder bed fusion. The process was plagued by trial-and-error, leading to repeated recoater jams and part deformations that wasted substantial time and material costs. ITRI needed a reliable way to predict and prevent these manufacturing failures during the additive manufacturing process.

To solve this, Comsol provided its COMSOL Multiphysics software, which ITRI used to build a predictive simulation app called the ITRI AMSim App. This application, compiled with COMSOL Compiler™, allowed process engineers to simulate builds and identify high-risk deformation areas. By using the app, Comsol helped ITRI slash process testing time by 75% and reduce associated costs by 83.3%, while also cutting the time to obtain a manufacturing outcome by 99% compared to physical builds.

Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI)