Renishaw's LIBERTAS Software Cuts Supports and Improves Surface Finish on Metal 3D Prints

The Support Problem in Metal AM

If you have run a metal 3D print, you know what supports cost. They eat material, they add hours to the build, and they leave behind rough surfaces where they attach to the part. Removing them requires machining, wire EDM, or hand finishing, and the surface where they sat never looks as good as the rest of the part. Support management is one of the most persistent headaches in laser powder bed fusion, and Renishaw just released a software answer.

What LIBERTAS Does

LIBERTAS is a software technology for Renishaw's RenAM 500 series metal AM systems. Instead of using a single set of scan parameters across the entire part, LIBERTAS divides the geometry into zones and applies different parameters to each zone. Downskin surfaces, the horizontal faces that face downward during the build, get a dedicated parameter set designed for smoother melting. Overhangs and channels that would normally require supports are handled with different scan strategies that manage heat and distortion without the need for structural supports.

The practical result is fewer supports, less material waste, and better surface finish on downward-facing features. Renishaw says the software can greatly reduce or in some cases eliminate the need for supports entirely, depending on the geometry. That is a meaningful claim in metal AM, where support removal is expensive and risky.

How It Works

The core idea is zoned scanning. Rather than treating every layer identically, LIBERTAS analyses the local geometry and adjusts scan speed, laser power, and hatch spacing accordingly. Areas that need more heat input get it. Areas prone to balling or spatter get less. The software handles this automatically, so the operator does not need to manually slice and parameterise the part beforehand.

Renishaw built this for its RenAM 500Q and RenAM 500 series machines. The software integrates with the existing system control stack, so it does not require new hardware or a major workflow change. Operators enable LIBERTAS through the build preparation interface and let the software handle the parameter assignment.

Why It Matters

Reducing supports matters for two reasons. First, material cost. Metal powders are expensive, and supports are pure waste in most cases. Cutting support volume by even 30 percent on a production build translates directly into lower per-part cost, especially at scale on a multi-laser RenAM 500Q running continuously.

Second, surface finish. Downskin surfaces in LPBF tend to be rougher than upskin surfaces because the laser melts powder against already-solidified material with less thermal conductivity underneath. Better downskin parameters mean those surfaces come off the machine closer to final finish, reducing or removing the need for secondary machining. For production parts with tight tolerances, that is a real productivity gain.

Broader Context

LIBERTAS arrives at a moment when metal AM users are under pressure to prove cost competitiveness against CNC and investment casting. Software improvements that cut support time and improve as-built surface quality move the needle on cost per part without requiring hardware investment. Competitors including Velo3D and Materialise have pursued similar goals with their own software stacks, but Renishaw's close coupling to its own hardware gives it an advantage in fine-tuning parameters for specific alloys and machine configurations.

The webinar scheduled for EMEA markets suggests Renishaw wants early adopters to see the software in action on live builds before committing. If the results hold up on production parts, LIBERTAS could become a standard reason to specify a RenAM 500 over competing systems for complex metal geometries.