We are trying something new on the podcast! Whenever one of us on Additive Manufacturing Media pays a visit to a manufacturer for the first time, we want to talk about the trip as soon as we return. Why keep this recap to ourselves? In this episode of AM Radio, here is Stephanie Hendrixson getting the full download just after I paid a visit to Innovative 3D Manufacturing in Franklin, Indiana. Innovative does contract production using 12 laser powder bed fusion machines, all from Renishaw. Just part of what struck me is this company’s connection to foundry work — not just in terms of process, s ..read more

What is qualification, and what does it entail for additive manufacturing applications? In this episode of AM Radio, Dr. Tim Simpson joins Additive Manufacturing Media editors Pete Zelinski and Stephanie Hendrixson to talk about various issues around qualification in AM, including: the difference between qualification and certification; the expense of qualification activities; how standards are developed; and the opportunities additive can realize with qualified procedures.   Find related links and the transcript for this episode on AdditiveManufacturing.Media.   This episode is brou ..read more

In the last episode of AM Radio for 2023, hosts Pete Zelinski, Stephanie Hendrixson and Fiona Lawler look back on Additive Manufacturing Media's top 10 stories by pageviews for the year. The list reveals some interesting trends including the ramp up in additive manufacturing "factories," additive adoption that necessitates more sophisticated downstream processing, and a heavy emphasis on metal 3D printing. In the second half of the show, the hosts share their favorite stories, regardless of ranking, written by someone else.   Find photos, related links and the transcript for this episode ..read more

The world's largest trade show for additive manufacturing technology featured more than 800 exhibitors across the entire AM value chain. Additive Manufacturing editors Peter Zelinski and Stephanie Hendrixson discuss what they learned and discovered at the event in this episode, including the rise of copper, the introduction of new processes for 3D printing in metals, equipment upgrades that don't rely on hardware, reduced barriers to entry for AM and much more.   Find photos, related links and the transcript for this episode on AdditiveManufacturing.Media.   This episode is brought t ..read more

Additive manufacturing "factories" and other facilities that have been built from the ground up to serve this process are becoming increasingly common, but a purpose-built space is not a necessity for successfully applying AM. Stephanie Hendrixson and Fiona Lawler discuss Fiona's recent trip to visit a newly established Protolabs facility dedicated to laser powder bed fusion, and swap stories of other AM spaces--from a 3D printer tucked under the stairs to a rented office space all the way to buildings acquired or built just for production additive manufacturing.   This episode is brought ..read more

Sporting goods, tooling, integration with conventional processes, multi materials — in this episode of AM Radio, Jodee McElfresh and Pete Zelinski discuss the topics that have been popular on the Additive Manufacturing Media website and social media recently. Mentioned in Episode: Snarr3D's 3D printed golf putter shafts article and LinkedIn post ActivArmor's 3D printed casts The Cool Parts Show episode and LinkedIn post Jodee's post with the EOS 3D printed top Pete's post about the America Makes MMX event InssTek's rocket nozzle made through DED Three major phases in the advance of ..read more

Formnext Forum Austin, the first Formnext event to be held in the United States, concluded August 30 after two full days of conference programming dedicated to industrial additive manufacturing. The event is jointly organized by Mesago Messe Frankfurt, AMT—The Association For Manufacturing Technology, and Gardner Business Media, the publisher of Additive Manufacturing Media. Along with sessions on additive end markets, production applications, AM technology and design for additive manufacturing (DFAM), Formnext Forum included a lively expo featuring nearly 80 exhibitors plus The Cool Parts Sho ..read more

Succeeding with additive manufacturing from a technical perspective has to be followed by succeeding with AM from an organizational perspective. Additive is a different production process entailing different enterprise, workflow and costing considerations, not to mention different personnel, communication and cultural considerations as well. Dr. Tim Simpson and Peter Zelinski talk about all of this: how to organize for success when additive manufacturing is the production process. This episode of AM Radio is brought to you by Formnext Forum Austin.  Mentioned in this episode: Additi ..read more

As a “born digital” technology, additive manufacturing intrinsically relies on data, more so than any other manufacturing process. That data reliance potentially exposes AM users to data security and cybersecurity issues; efforts are underway to help these users protect designs, print parameters, machines and even 3D printed parts. But beyond the dark side of data, figuring out secure ways of storing and sharing data also opens the door to more freely distributing manufacturing, sharing material and print profiles, and flexible, secure supply chains. Stephanie Hendrixson and Dr. Tim Simpson di ..read more

Additive manufacturing is a dynamic space for various reasons: The technology is advancing and application possibilities are still being developed, and as a direct consequence, the landscape of AM companies is subject to change due to investor moves; mergers and acquisitions; and startups emerging from “stealth mode.” On this podcast, and in related reporting for Additive Manufacturing Media, we serve manufacturers by covering AM technology and applications — the corporate and financial moves are not the focus. And yet, one realm affects the other. The company moves shape what we cover and aff ..read more