BigRep Launches Additive Manufacturing Partnership with umati

BigRep becomes a member of the standardization association umati (Universal Machine Technology Interface) to define a common machine integration interface specification for AM machines. umati, started in 2017, is an open community of machine-building industries focused on adopting a standardized interface based on OPC Unified Architecture. The future UA4AM (UA Interface for Additive Manufacturing) is designed to facilitate communication between 3D printers and software such as manufacturing execution systems, product lifecycle management and enterprise resource planning. VDMA started the process; now over 200 companies are part of this initiative.

As Dr. Sven Thate, managing director of BigRep, says: “umati perfectly matches BigRep’s mission towards increased productivity and ease of use for our additive manufacturing systems and our users in industrial environments. We are open to third-party materials to enable limitless applications; we are open for maximum connectivity to enable fully digital workflows.”

A Common Framework for Standardization

There is currently no agreed-upon framework for standardization within additive manufacturing. Adopting this standard will enable better interoperability across various digital platforms, better data transmission from one production step to the next, and better quality assurance, according to BigRep and umati.

Adopting this standard can allow users to prototype faster, innovate with new application programming interfaces, and ensure further interoperability across various digital platforms. This enables smoother workflows and improved to-market times.

BigRep is an early adopter of the standard as we believe in the power of data integration to enable mass AM production and reduce complications across the supply chain.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.