Aibuild Launches Ultra-Fast Thermomechanical Simulation Tool for Additive Manufacturing

Updated on May 25, 2026 • 4 min read

Aibuild has launched Aibuild FETS, a finite element thermomechanical simulation tool designed to help engineers predict additive manufacturing build behavior before production begins.

The company says the GPU-powered software can run up to 10,000 times faster than comparable simulation tools, allowing engineering teams to identify thermal risks, distortion, residual stresses and bonding problems in seconds rather than hours or days.

Covering metal and thermoplastic AM processes

Aibuild FETS supports a wide range of additive manufacturing processes, including:

• Directed Energy Deposition
• Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing
• Friction Stir Additive Manufacturing
• Fused Granulate Fabrication
• Fused Filament Fabrication

This means the platform can support both metal AM and thermoplastic AM, making it relevant for aerospace, automotive, tooling, energy and large-format manufacturing applications.

Six major simulation outputs

The tool provides simulation across six key build-process outputs:

• thermal distribution
• thermomechanical behavior
• distortion prediction
• residual stress analysis
• interlayer bonding and poor adhesion risk
• sagging, slumping and crack prediction

For manufacturers, these outputs are critical because many AM failures are caused by thermal mismanagement, poor layer bonding or stress buildup during deposition.

Why speed matters

Traditional finite element simulation can be accurate but slow. Engineers often wait hours or days for results, which limits how many design and toolpath iterations they can test.

Aibuild FETS is designed to make simulation part of the live engineering workflow, helping teams evaluate:

• toolpath strategy
• thermal behavior
• process parameters
• build risk
• distortion tendency

before material, machine time and energy are committed.

Validated for aerospace relevance

The software has been validated by the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR), giving it additional credibility for aerospace manufacturing environments where simulation accuracy and process control are essential.

NIAR highlighted thermal control as one of the key barriers to wider industrial adoption of large-format metal additive manufacturing.

Designed for practical adoption

Aibuild FETS is:

• GPU powered
• CAM agnostic
• compatible with existing workflows
• usable without specialist hardware
• designed for easy calibration

This practical integration is important because manufacturing teams often resist simulation tools that require complex onboarding or separate specialist workflows.

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This article is developed based on real engineering experience, machine testing data, and practical production knowledge from Jota Machinery’s work in advanced composite manufacturing.

All technical explanations—including material structure, processing methods, and performance characteristics—are reviewed and verified by our engineering team to ensure accuracy and real-world relevance.

To improve clarity and structure, AI-assisted tools may have been used during content organization and language refinement. However:

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Editorial Perspective

Aibuild FETS matters because additive manufacturing is moving from experimentation into production.

At that stage, speed alone is not enough. Manufacturers need predictable builds, fewer failures and stronger process control.

Fast thermomechanical simulation could become a major enabler for large-format AM, especially in aerospace and advanced composites, where one failed build can waste thousands of dollars in material, machine time and labor.

The larger shift is clear: future AM workflows will not rely only on printing hardware. They will depend on intelligent software that can predict, correct and optimize the build before the first layer is deposited.