Melotte, headquartered in Zonhoven, Belgium, together with Additive Center, based in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, and amsight GmbH, Hamburg, Germany, have announced the successful operational implementation of a comprehensive data capturing system at Melotte’s facility, reportedly marking a significant step in the industrialisation of semiconductor component manufacturing.
Unlike many current industry initiatives that focus solely on capturing data from the Additive Manufacturing process, this implementation integrates Melotte’s entire production chain. The system captures structured data from the moment raw material enters the facility, through the build process, post-processing, and final CT scanning.
For semiconductor suppliers, this represents a shift from reactive, inspection-based quality control to proactive, data-driven quality assurance at the process level.
The semiconductor industry demands unprecedented levels of traceability and process stability, according to the companies. By reducing dependence on 100% end-of-line inspections and building a digital quality backbone instead, Melotte is establishing a scalable blueprint for the semiconductor supplier network and other high-tech value chains in the Netherlands.
- Total traceability: Every variable, from powder chemistry to final internal geometry, is linked in a single digital thread.
- Operational reality: The amsight software suite is fully operational within Melotte’s industrial environment and integrated into day-to-day workflows.
- From inspection to prediction: Structured process data can now be visualised to show process stability and variation, enabling the introduction of Statistical Process Control (SPC) and deeper process understanding.
“The industry often mistakes ‘machine monitoring’ for ‘process control,’” said Harry Kleijnen, Additive Center. “What we have achieved with Melotte and amsight is the integration of the total process. We aren’t just looking at the laser; we are looking at the entire lifecycle of the part. This is the first step towards increasing process understanding and thus reducing the use of CT scanning.”
With the system now operational, the next phase involves analysing historical data to identify Critical-to-Quality (CTQ) parameters. This may enable Melotte to reduce inspection overhead while increasing compliance and predictability in semiconductor supply chains.
Author: Andy Cormack
