Replicating a traditional hydraulic manifold with a 3D printed, lightweight and smaller equivalent is often a herculean job for manufacturers. Especially, as the manufacturers need to optimise the fluid flow of the new manifold to function with a level of efficiency akin to its predecessor or even better. One of the bottlenecks to achieving this is the 3D design tools available in the market do not offer any provision for fluid flow optimization. As manufacturers are now looking for a way to overcome this hurdle, Gen3D—an innovative additive manufacturing software developer focused on fluid flow optimisation—comes to their aid. With all the solutions required to solve the said design setbacks under its hood, Gen3D helps in designing improved versions of the hydraulic manifold that is much smaller in terms of both weight and volume.

In a competitive 3D printing industry, Gen3D ups the ante with its proprietary algorithms for fluid flow design that unleash the full benefit of additive manufacturing (AM). “We combine these algorithms with a flexible, intuitive, and user-friendly design environment for a hassle-free AM design tool,” explains Wesley Essink, co-founder and CTO of Gen3D. Once the functional requirements of the 3D printed parts (interfaces, machined surfaces, keep-out zones, and ducts for fluid flow) are specified, the algorithm automatically designs the components and optimises their functions. Additionally, the algorithms help correct the complex component geometries that are likely to cause production issues during the 3D-printing stage. Designers can then define or change the blueprints in real-time using Gen3D’s click-and-drag 3D flow path editing tools. Additionally, Gen3D’s software offers designers instant feedback on their design to help evaluate multiple design parameters and select the most suitable one for their needs. This approach results in a faster production cycle of 3D printed industrial components, which, according to Essink, is a reflection of the underlying ideology of Gen3D: “design faster, fail less.”

Gen3D’s intuitive fluid flow design tools tailored to AM, push designers’ productivity beyond traditional CAD

And, in keeping with the company’s core tenet of user-friendliness, Gen3D offers the functionality of ‘version control.’ This lets users take snapshots at various development stages throughout the design process and then review and edit their preferred configurations. “With intuitive fluid-flow design tools tailored to AM, we push designers’ productivity beyond traditional CAD,” comments Essink. In addition to its 3D design software, Gen3D also leverages its experienced team to offer extensive consulting services in an effort to help clients create innovative 3D designs. Gen3D’s team of qualified professionals provides tailored training courses that cover the full breadth of design techniques for additive manufacturing to help clients retrain and up-skill their workforce.

With such robust capabilities in its arsenal, Gen3D is now all set to take 3D printing beyond the initial threshold. At this juncture, Essink recalls, “While Gen3D started as a University of Bath research project, today, it has established itself as a critical player in the arena of AM with its unique focus on fluid flow optimisation.” Continuing along the same trajectory, Gen3D is now planning to scale its business and cater to more 3D designers and manufacturers. Concurrently, Gen3D is developing new tools and functionality into their software platform, one of these being a new latticing module. “Through intuitive software, tailored consultancy, and up-to-date training services, we aim to establish Gen3D as a go-to company in the global AM space,” concludes Essink.