Home / Research & Education / AM Research / Phase3D and Rowan University partner on real-time metal AM inspection Acquisitions, Mergers & Partnerships AM Industry AM Research Metal Additive Manufacturing Phase3D and Rowan University partner on real-time metal AM inspection Fringe Inspection gave Rowan engineers layer-by-layer data to continue a build after a preparation error Joseph Caron-Dawe August 6, 2026 1 minute read Stay up to date with everything that is happening in the wonderful world of AM via our LinkedIn community. Phase3D and Rowan University’s Digital Engineering Hub (DEHub) have formed a partnership focused on metal additive manufacturing research, education and process confidence grounded in measurement data. The collaboration proved its value during the first build Rowan’s team ran independently after installing its new metal additive manufacturing system. The build ran on Rowan’s newly installed DMG MORI LASERTEC 30 SLM US system, with Phase3D’s Fringe Inspection measuring the build surface layer by layer. Early in the print, a build-preparation output error caused roughly the first 60 layers to print only the contours of the parts, skipping the intended infill and support structure With the error occurring so early, many operators would cancel the part as a precaution or continue without measurement data. Rowan’s team chose to proceed under a stop condition it developed with Phase3D: if the Fringe Inspection heightmaps showed part protrusions, abnormal swelling, improper powder coverage or signs that the parts were not forming correctly, the team would halt the build immediately. Throughout the transition, the two teams tracked the height of the melted areas after exposure and checked subsequent powder layers for recoater-related issues. Standard machine observation and layer images can show that something looks different, but do not provide quantitative surface-height data; Fringe Inspection supplied calibrated, validated measurements that gave the team a defensible go/no-go basis as the build progressed. The heightmaps captured the transition from contour-only layers to bulk part geometry and showed the parts forming successfully, with no swelling, protrusion or peeling, and no indication that the recoater had been disrupted. The team continued the build to completion. The partnership gives Rowan students and researchers access to calibrated, unit-based heightmaps from the metal additive manufacturing process. The two organizations plan to use the measurements to support process understanding, anomaly detection, qualification research and hands-on education in measurement-based manufacturing. Tags future Joseph Caron-Dawe August 6, 2026 1 minute read