Phase3D

Phase3D is an American additive manufacturing (AM) technology company headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded with the mission of advancing the additive manufacturing industry by providing trusted part quality assurance technologies. The company is best known for Fringe Inspection, a real-time, in-situ inspection system for metal additive manufacturing that grew out of deep research in structured light and digital fringe projection. Phase3D's core proposition is that defective parts in metal AM are typically not identified until significant time and money have already been invested. Fringe Inspection addresses this by identifying defects as they occur, reducing waste from days to hours. The system outputs a proprietary heightmap of the build process, quantifying anomalies for real-time decision making, and is described by the company as the only unit-based real-time inspection product for AM users to know what is happening inside their machine. The product line includes Fringe Inspection Hardware Kits, which are installed outside the build chamber using available ports on the machine and can be mounted onto most powder bed fusion (PBF) systems. The company also offers Fringe Operator and Fringe Qualification software, and sells retrofit kits such as the Fringe Inspection M290 Kit, listed at $3,995.00 USD. Phase3D states that its system can be added to most industrial metal additive manufacturing systems, and that it has measured over 15,000 layers, installed more than 25 systems, and offers 9 retrofits. The team has grown to more than 20 engineers, developers, and support staff serving a growing global customer base. Founder and CEO Niall O'Dowd holds a PhD in Structural Health Monitoring from UC San Diego. Ben Ferrar serves as Chairman of the Board and COO, bringing 17 years of additive manufacturing experience, and Chris Sutcliffe serves as Technical & Commercial Strategy Advisor with over 20 years in the field. Phase3D continues to expand into new markets with an advancing line of products and has announced partnerships, including one with Wietech 3D to expand in-situ inspection for metal additive manufacturing.

Phase3D was founded with a clear mission to advance the additive manufacturing industry by offering trusted part quality assurance technologies. The company was born out of deep research in structured light and digital fringe projection, which led to the creation of a real-time, in-situ inspection system for additive manufacturing now known as Fringe Inspection. The company is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and has grown rapidly to more than 20 engineers, developers, and support staff supporting a growing global customer base. Founder and CEO Niall O'Dowd, who holds a PhD in Structural Health Monitoring from UC San Diego, leads the team pushing the boundaries of AM innovation. Ben Ferrar, Chairman of the Board and COO, brings 17 years of additive manufacturing experience and drives strategic partnerships and operational excellence. Chris Sutcliffe, Technical & Commercial Strategy Advisor, brings over 20 years of experience in additive manufacturing across academia and industry. Phase3D's Fringe Inspection technology addresses a central problem in metal additive manufacturing: defective parts are typically not identified until a significant amount of time and money have been invested into the part. Fringe Inspection identifies defects as they occur, reducing waste from days to hours. The system outputs a proprietary heightmap of the build process, quantifying anomalies for real-time decision making, and is described as the only unit-based real-time inspection product for AM users to know what is happening inside their machine. The product line has expanded to include Fringe Inspection Hardware Kits, which are installed outside the build chamber using available ports on the machine and can be mounted onto most powder bed fusion (PBF) systems, along with Fringe Operator and Fringe Qualification software. The company offers retrofit kits such as the Fringe Inspection M290 Kit, listed at $3,995.00 USD. Phase3D reports that it has measured over 15,000 layers, installed more than 25 systems, and offers 9 retrofits. Phase3D continues to expand into new markets with an ever-advancing line of products. In September 2026, the company announced a partnership with Wietech 3D to expand in-situ inspection for metal additive manufacturing, and was selected to present at the ATI Horizons: Maritime Manufacturing Innovation Challenge. The company also hosts webinars, including "Before the Recoater Hits."

• Phase3D founded with the mission to advance additive manufacturing through part quality assurance technologies, born out of research in structured light and digital fringe projection.

• Fringe Inspection real-time in-situ inspection system created for additive manufacturing.

• Company grows to more than 20 engineers, developers, and support staff in Chicago, Illinois.

• Fringe Inspection M290 Kit offered as a retrofit, listed at $3,995.00 USD.

• September 29, 2026: Phase3D and Wietech 3D announce partnership to expand in-situ inspection for metal additive manufacturing.

• September 23, 2026: Phase3D selected to present at ATI Horizons: Maritime Manufacturing Innovation Challenge.

Provider of unit-based, real-time in-situ inspection and part quality assurance for metal additive manufacturing, positioned as the only unit-based real-time inspection product for AM users.

• Fringe Inspection

  Real-time, in-situ inspection system for additive manufacturing that outputs a proprietary heightmap of the build process, quantifying anomalies for real-time decision making.

• Fringe Inspection Hardware Kits

  Hardware installed outside the build chamber using available ports on the machine; easily mounted onto most PBF systems.

• Fringe Operator

  Software for operating the Fringe Inspection system.

• Fringe Qualification

  Software for qualification of additive manufacturing processes.

• Fringe Inspection M290 Kit

  Retrofit kit for the M290 platform, listed at $3,995.00 USD, in stock and ready to ship.

1. 1Software for Additive Manufacturing – Phase3Dphase-3d.com
2. 2About Us – Phase3Dphase-3d.com
3. 3Fringe Inspection M290 Kit – Phase3Dphase-3d.com
4. 4Collections – Phase3Dphase-3d.com
5. 5Phase 3D (United States) – Wikidatawikidata.org