Researchers have developed an AI-driven system which can pinpoint “the specific machine” following an inspection of the 3D printed parts it has produced. A Grainger College of Engineering team from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign say that the system could be used for managing supply chains, “detecting early problems and verifying that suppliers are following agreed upon processes.”
However, talk of the “hidden fingerprints” of 3D printers have got this Sherlock, Columbo, Monk, and Fargo fan more interested in the criminal investigatory implications of the new AI.
Implications for manufacturing, quality, and trust
Only a photograph of a part printed by a certain 3D printer is needed to verify its “unique signature… or fingerprint” says the Grainger blog. “We are still amazed that this works: we can print the same part design on two identical machines – same model, same process settings, same material – and each machine leaves a unique fingerprint that the AI model can trace back to the machine,” said Bill King, a professor of mechanical science and engineering, and the research project leader. “It’s possible to determine exactly where and how something was made. You don’t have to take your supplier’s word on anything.”
You may like
- Nvidia GPU tracking tech proposed by US lawmakers in smuggling crackdown
- LegoGPT creates Lego designs using AI and text inputs — tool now available for free to the public
- YouTubers Give New Meaning to ‘Air Printing’
The researchers looked most closely at the (major) implications for supplier management and quality control. They described how this was important to 3D printer vendors to ensure users “adhere to a specific set of machines, processes, and factory procedures” to deliver the expected quality levels throughout the printing / production process.