Leveraging Design, Process, and Physical Data in 

Simula8on-First Workflows

Vadim Shapiro

Intact Solu2ons

NIST Workshop on AM Data Management, June 6-8, 2023
Plug and play simulation examples: 

fully automated, no preprocessing, solver of choice

CT Scan (FGM)

& screws 

NIST Workshop on AM Data Management, June 6-8, 2023

Process 

simulation 

(thermal)

Performance analysis from 

G-code and measure 

material props

... or from slice data and 

measured material zones

Meshfree analysis of 

NASA bracket

FG honecomb

sandwich structure
Comprehensive Solution to Simulation Interoperabilty Problem 

Plug-and-play: any Geometry, any Material, any Solver

Common 

Simulation

Space 

Solution 

projected on 

native 

geometry

Choice of 

Solvers

Integral basis 

(geometry/material 

moments)

Moment 

sensitivities

Common 

Neutral 

Simulation 

Format 

Native 

Geometry

+

Material

Data

Ø Standard semantics based on rigorous principles

Ø Native models and data 

Ø No manual preprocessing, simplification, or meshing 

Ø Full automation

Ø Native design/optimization space 

Ø Huge productivity gains!

NIST Workshop on AM Data Management, June 6-8, 2023
● Component simulation technology (Plug-and-Play)

■ Intact.Simulation

■ Intact.Generative

■ Intact.Additive

● Advanced R&D projects & Partnerships

○ DARPA (TRADES, Plug and Play Simulation)

○ NIST (AM Part Performance Qualification, AM Process Simulation)

○ NASA (thermal control systems, tow-steered composites)

○ Multiple industrial collaboration and partnerships 

● Examples of the products that embed our simulation technology

○ Live Parts and Live Sinter from Desktop Metal

○ Scan and Solve (SnS) For Rhino

○ Intact.Design for simulation of Onshape assemblies 

○ Intact.Simulation with Grasshopper (in Beta)

Intact Solutions

Spinoff from UW-Madison (offices in Madison and Berkeley) 

Live Sinter SnS for Rhino Intact.Generative Intact.Simulation

NIST Workshop on AM Data Management, June 6-8, 2023
Intact.Additive

Intact.Additive

⚫ High complexity ⚫ Heterogeneous data ⚫ Complex workflows

✓ Application- and process-specific 

✓ Combine experiments and simulation

More data = better results

Complement, not replace, 

physical testing 

Qualification 

NIST Workshop on AM Data Management, June 6-8, 2023
Intact.Additive Examples (emerging tech)

Intact.Additive

Process Plan Selection

As-manufactured (CT Scan) Validation

Material Characterization

Process Simulation (thermal)

• High complexity • Heterogeneous data • Complex workflows that are Application Specific

NIST Workshop on AM Data Management, June 6-8, 2023
Pain points (technical) – with emerging solutions!

For OEM and SME 

• Diversity data / models / simulation tools 

• Interoperability

• Trust

• Validation 

• Availability and cost of simulation-based qualification tools • As designed, As planned, As Built

• Material characterization

• Process

• Complexity (application and process dependent)

• Modeling 

• Data (experimental and simulation) 

• Computational 

Ø Separation of concerns (e.g. design vs analysis)

Ø Localization (in space & time)

Ø Multiple scales

NIST Workshop on AM Data Management, June 6-8, 2023
Non-technical challenges ... ... require solving technical challenges 

For OEM and SME 

Ø Standardization is a double-edge sword

○ Focus on semantics, NOT formats 

○ Standardize What, NOT how 

Ø Accessibility to data challenges 

o Competitive advantage 

o IP (what vs how)

o Security 

o Liability 

Ø Hardware/Physical vs Software bias

o Software is still a necessary evil 

“The wonderful thing about 

standards is that there are so 

many of them to choose from.”

― Grace Murray Hopper

NIST Workshop on AM Data Management, June 6-8, 2023
Opportunities – are we asking the right questions? 

For OEM and SME 

Ø Data and model fusion (modality, fidelity, scale)

○ Modeled + measured

○ Simulated + measured 

○ Modeled + simulated + measured 

Ø Heterogeneity as design freedom 

o Mechanical properties 

o Physical properties 

(deformations, stresses)

NIST Workshop on AM Data Management, June 6-8, 2023

Meltpool prediction from

simulated thermal history via ML
Intact.Simulation can 

leverage your data!

Vadim Shapiro

vshapiro@intact-solutions.com

NIST Workshop on AM Data Management, June 6-8, 2023