3D Software

人工智能构建提出了1美元加速大规模3 d printing in aerospace and automotive

London-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotic 3D printing developerAi Buildhas raised $1 million to accelerate the commercialization of its AiSync software platform.

The funding round was led by venture capital firmSuperSeedand saw participation from entrepreneur William Tunstall-Pedoe, one of the inventors behindAmazon’sAlexa voice Assistant.

With the funding, Ai Build is looking to bring its automated AI-based technology to more global tier one manufacturers in the aerospace and automotive sectors in order to accelerate large-scale 3D printing within these sectors.

“Even though 3D printing has come a long way, it is still extremely difficult to produce large, complex parts with the consistency required by the manufacturing industry,” said Ai Build C-founder and CEO, Daghan Cam. “At present, parts that only take a few hours of printing time, take manufacturers weeks or months to prepare. Lack of automation is the barrier.

“To solve this problem, we use smart algorithms and data for maximum efficiency, reliability and scalability. We are very excited and humbled to be backed by investors who share our vision to create the factories of the future.”

Ai Build's platform including its AiSync software, AiMaker robotic extruder, and AiCell heated chamber enclosure.
Ai Build has raised $1 million to accelerate the commercialization of its AI-powered platform for large-scale 3D printing. Photo via Ai Build.

Ai Build’s manufacturing mission

In 2017, Ai Buildintegrated AI into its robotic systemsto enable large-scale 3D printing, and soon afterlaunched its Ai Build Bundlefor autonomous additive manufacturing, made up of its cloud-based software AiSync, its AiMaker robotic extruder, and AiCell – an enclosure for AiMaker.

AiMaker is a ‘smart’ extruder that can be attached to a robotic arm, AiCell is a heated chamber which keeps the temperature of the build area consistent, and Ai Sync is for managing the extruder and collecting data points for feedback. A fleet of AiMakers on the factory floor can be controlled and monitored using AiSync from anywhere in the world.

In 2018, Ai Build was nominated by our readers for a 3D Printing Industry Award in the‘3D printing startup of the year’category. Soon after, the firm announced a partnership with Dubai-based 3D printing service bureau3DVinci Creationsto distribute itsFactory-as-a-Service subscription bundlewithin the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Ai Build also continues to work with Kuka Robotics, a specialist in human-robot collaboration, whose robotic arms have been deployed inStratasys’ Robotic Compositesmart factory concept andConcept Laser’s ‘AM Factory of Tomorrow’.

Since then, Ai Build has made improvements to its platform, such as integrating computer vision and AI to provide areal-time quality inspection toolto improve the accuracy of large-scale 3D printing, as well as increasing the AiMaker’s build size andenhancing its 3D vision capabilities. At the end of 2019, the companyentered into a partnershipwith German industrial equipment supplierHans Weber Maschinenfabrikwhich saw its software used for the operation of Hans Weber’s new large-scale extrusion systems.

Daghan Cam, Co-founder and CEO of Ai Build.
Daghan Cam, Co-founder and CEO of Ai Build. Photo via Ai Build.

Accelerating large-scale 3D printing

Since its software platform launch, Ai Build’s technology has been adopted by multiple manufacturers within the automotive, aerospace, and defense sectors, with initial customers including Formula One teams and several automotive brands. The company has also been selected to participate in theATI Boeing Accelerator, and has already started working withGKN AerospaceandRolls-RoycealongsideBoeing.

So far, Ai Build claims its AI-powered platform has enabled its early customers to achieve a 90 percent reduction in labor costs, and has also decreased failed print attempts by 70 percent. The company hopes the latest funding will enable it to further commercialize its technology and reach more tier one manufacturers within the aerospace and automotive spheres.

“Daghan and his team at AI Build are already doing business with some of the world’s leading automotive and industrial companies, but this is just the first step of what they can do,” said Mads Jensen, Managing Partner at SuperSeed. “Additive manufacturing has the potential to change how things are made, and as the technology matures, there is an ever-growing demand for automating and optimizing the process. Ai Build is well-positioned to capitalize on this opportunity based on the more than five years of R&D that has gone into the platform.

“At SuperSeed we back smart, technical founders who are looking to transform how business is done using technology, and that description fits the Ai Build team perfectly.”

Ai Maker inside an AiCell at the Future Lab. Image via Ai Build.
Ai Maker inside an AiCell at the Future Lab. Image via Ai Build.

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Featured image showsAi Build has raised $1 million to accelerate the commercialization of its AI-powered platform for large-scale 3D printing. Image via Ai Build.