Rowan University Teams With Phase3D to Keep a Risky Metal Build Alive

Rowan's First Metal Print Started Going Wrong

Rowan University's Digital Engineering Hub installed a new DMG MORI LASERTEC 30 SLM US metal printer earlier this year. The first build looked fine at first. Then the team realized the machine had spent the first 60 layers printing only part contours. No infill. No supports. Just outlines.

That kind of error can destroy a printer. When a solid part transitions from thin contours to full infill without the intended geometry underneath, the recoater can catch on protruding material. Peeling, deformation, even a crashed build are all real risks. Most operators would have hit cancel immediately and accepted the lost print.

Fringe Inspection Changed the Decision

Rowan paired the LASERTEC with Phase3D's Fringe Inspection system from day one. Fringe captures calibrated heightmaps of every layer as it prints. The DEHub team and Phase3D support staff watched the transition closely. If the heightmaps showed swelling, part protrusion, or powder coating problems, they would stop the build.

The data told a different story. The heightmaps showed the parts were forming correctly. No abnormal swelling. No protrusions. The powder bed stayed healthy. The recoater was not disrupting anything. With that evidence, the team let the build run to completion.

"Day one is when inspection must prove its value," said Niall O'Dowd, founder and CEO of Phase3D. "This build did not follow the plan, but DEHub did not have to choose between cancelling reflexively and hoping for the best."

Why University Partnerships Matter for AM

Phase3D is no stranger to defense funding. The company regularly receives SBIR contracts. DEHub itself started with DARPA backing. The important difference is where the research happens. A university lab produces students who will staff the broader AM industry, not just classified programs.

If a student learns metal AM on a system paired with Fringe Inspection, that student will likely demand similar tools wherever they work next. That creates a pipeline of customers who already understand the value of in-situ quality assurance.

The partnership also gives Phase3D real-world validation. Watching Fringe catch a contours-only error on the very first independent build at a new customer site is exactly the kind of proof point that turns a demo into a reference.

The Bottom Line

Rowan University got a working part and a valuable lesson in metal AM process control. Phase3D got a live case study it can point to for years. The broader industry gets another data point showing that real-time monitoring is not a luxury. It is a safeguard for builds that would otherwise come down to guesswork.