Conversations around quality in metal additive manufacturing often focus on the flashy application of high-frequency, in situ, real-time monitoring systems and the neural networks or machine learning required for map-reduction of the mountains of data generated. There is, however, an often-overlooked aspect of consistently making high-quality parts: calibration.
As it pertains to manufacturing, calibration ensures that a parameter being measured correlates to some agreed-upon value that falls within the limits of what would make a good manufacturing process. Calibration is an essential component of qualifying parts and processes for acceptance in almost all critical industries served by metal additive manufacturing (AM, aka 3D printing).