Additive Snack

Hosted by EOS

Technology ScienceInterviews guests

Website RSS feed

Episodes

105

Latest episode

Sep 2026

Language

About the show

Join host Fabian Alefeld and a range of guests as they discuss all things additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing news, with interviews and real-world stories to educate and entertain. Each episode, Fabian talks to AM experts, professionals in specialist fields, and 3D printing users from all walks of life to deliver a well-rounded view on the state of AM. Cut through the confusion surrounding polymer and metal additive manufacturing solutions with our digestible, down-to-earth discussions that deliver insights into common mistakes and best practice tips so you can get a clear understanding of AM — layer for layer. Whether you’re curious about 3D printing technology for the aerospace industry, a deep dive into post processing, or applications of injection molding — we leave no spare parts behind. We want to provide you with the additive insight needed to stay laser focused and leverage every opportunity 3D printing materials have to offer. Join us for an Additive Snack and we’ll help you and your business achieve growth and success through the latest developments in AM. No marketing B.S. and no product pitches. Just the education, inspiration and information you and your organization need to drive business growth, brought to you by global AM leader EOS. Get ready to feed your AM knowledge and find your path to success!

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 29, 2026Episode 4244 min

Building Drones at Scale: SLS Production from Low-Volume to High-Rate Manufacturing

In this episode, host Fabian Alefeld sits down with Nick Classen, General Manager of Northwest Rapid Manufacturing, to explore how the company has grown from supporting early UAV production at Northwest UAV into a leading provider of polymer additive manufacturing (AM) services. Classen shares how Northwest Rapid began using EOS selective laser sintering (SLS) technology in 2008 and continues to operate its original system today. The conversation examines why AM has become a strategic technology for UAV and aerospace applications, enabling lighter-weight components, reduced part counts, complex geometries, and a seamless path from functional prototyping to production. Classen emphasizes the importance of engaging AM experts early in the design process to ensure parts are optimized for manufacturability before release. The episode also explores production scaling, with discussions around typical UAV production volumes, market growth driven by defense spending and industry consolidation, and applications ranging from structural brackets and housings to conformal fuel tanks. Classen highlights the role of advanced materials, including Nylon 12, glass-filled polymers, alumide, and flame-retardant materials, as well as the extensive post-processing, coating, testing, and EMI shielding capabilities required to deliver finished production parts. He concludes with insights into Northwest Rapid’s plans to expand into metal AM. 02:05 The Origins of Northwest Rapid Manufacturing 03:59 Why AM Makes Sense for UAVs 06:40 Designing for Additive from the Start 10:52 Low-Rate vs. High-Rate Production 12:29 Scaling for Future Market Growth 14:52 UAV Applications Moving into Production 16:41 Conformal Fuel Tanks and Structural Components 20:05 Materials Driving SLS Adoption 22:27 The Value of Post-Processing 23:00 Finishing and Certifying Fuel Tanks 24:16 Understanding EMI Shielding 24:57 Why More UAV Housings Are Being Printed 26:07 Growth Trends in the UAV Industry 28:39 Expanding into Metal AM 30:09 Opportunities Beyond UAVs 31:31 Educating the Next Generation of Drone Engineers 36:09 Scaling Operations to Meet Demand 37:27 Hiring, Workforce Development & Post-Processing

September 1, 2026Episode 4155 min

The AM Sasquatch: Challenging AM Qualification with Math, Physics, & AI

Fabian Alefeld welcomes back Harshil Goel, founder and CEO of Dyndrite, to discuss how current additive manufacturing (AM) qualification practices limit advanced laser powder bed fusion toolpaths by locking variables such as software, machine, strategy, layer height, and material. Harshil reviews MQ, IQ, OQ, and PQ, noting cost and rigidity increase toward part qualification. They discuss Dyndrite’s roles in multiple America Makes efforts: AI4AM to reduce the specimen counts needed for material allowables (starting with 17-4PH) using improved statistical methods; DeltaQual 2.0 to enable “bracketed qualification” so parameter changes within a defined process window don’t retrigger requalification (including varying layer heights within a part); and Gotham to transfer scalable, qualified parameter approaches across different machines and sizes using materials like Scalmalloy. Harshil describes “Sasquatch,” a physics-based KPV framework using ratios (e.g., energy density, enthalpy, melt pool dimensions) to bound process windows and increase confidence without relying solely on sensors or simulation, and highlights software and AI accelerating DOE and parameter iteration with a target program timeline of about two years. 01:34 What Dyndrite Builds 02:11 Why Qualification Blocks Innovation 03:58 IQ OQ PQ MQ Explained 08:22 PQ Locks Everything Down 09:00 America Makes Program Overview 09:57 AI4AM Materials Allowables 12:39 Process Windows Not Fixed Params 14:57 Delta Qual 2 Bracketed Qual 17:38 Partners Sensors And Confidence 19:25 Sasquatch New KPVs 25:33 Gotham Scaling Across Machines 27:07 Future Less PQ More Reuse 28:39 Industry Impact Of Faster Qual 29:52 Customer Owned Parameters 30:54 Additive As Moat 32:13 Microstructure Driven IP 33:12 Selling Machine Control 34:31 Breaking Vendor Silos 35:36 Two Year Timeline 37:57 Risks And Adoption 41:23 Software As Glue 42:11 AI Accelerated DOE 45:34 Math Meets Empiricism 49:48 Future Outlook Wrap

August 25, 2026Episode 401 hr 8 min

AM as a Moat: How Annihilator Created a Competitive Advantage in Broadhead Manufacturing

Fabian Alefeld interviews Brandon Brodie, co-founder and CEO of Annihilator Broadheads, about how an Idaho elk hunt and a lost bull sparked a new broadhead concept sketched by Brandon’s future partner Micah. They describe turning the 2D sketch into plastic CAD prototypes via Boise State, a makeshift “wind tunnel” test using Instant Pot steam, and early performance goals of flight, penetration, durability, and lethality. Field and improvised tests (steel drum, long-range accuracy, animal kills) plus third-party fluid dynamics modeling suggested Annihilator’s design created unusually large high-pressure and low-tension effects. After major supply failures with investment casting and metal injection molding - causing shortages, high scrap rates, and lost dealers - Brodie brought manufacturing in-house, adopting metal laser powder bed fusion, improving repeatability and enabling new geometries like the Katana. He outlines ongoing innovation, potential adjacent products, and plans to leverage Annihilator’s additive capabilities for partnerships and contract manufacturing. 02:26 Elk Camp Origin 06:43 Sketch to Prototype 11:36 Instant Pot Wind Test 14:44 Performance Pillars 18:41 Steel Drum Proof 22:45 Real Hunt Validation 26:45 Fluid Dynamics Breakthrough 30:41 Engineering Led Marketing 33:32 Manufacturing Growing Pains 34:27 Industry Award Surprise 35:53 COVID Demand Crunch 36:54 Casting Supplier Failures 39:40 MIM Tooling Disaster 42:30 Additive Breakthrough 46:35 Learning Metal Printing 49:55 Repeatability and Materials 52:56 Katana Broadhead Innovation 57:49 Scaling R&D Team

August 18, 2026Episode 3949 min

AI Is Getting Hot: Can Additive Manufacturing Help Cool It Down?

Host Fabian Alefeld interviews Professor PS Lee, Head of National University of Singapore Mechanical Engineering & Program Director of STDCT, and founder of CoolestDC, about heat as a key constraint in AI infrastructure as data centers shift from CPU-heavy to GPU-dense systems with higher power density, hotspots, and bursty workloads. Lee explains why cooling must be treated as an integrated “chip to grid” system spanning cold plates, racks, CDUs, piping, controls, and operations, and discusses single-phase versus two-phase direct-to-chip liquid cooling and the added need for condensation in closed loops. Professor Lee describes how additive manufacturing (AM) enables complex fin structures and unibody cold plates that reduce leakage risk, lower junction temperatures (~10°C), cut pumping power (60–70%+), and reduce material use, while requiring TCO evaluation. At NUS’s live testbed (22 liquid-cooled racks, ~500 kW), AM cold plates are being deployed and show promising thermal, power, and compute-performance improvements; future work includes two-phase cooling and broader system-level heat rejection, warm-water operation, and waste-heat reuse, plus a discussion of challenges and potential AM roles in space-based data centers. 02:13 Meet Professor Lee 05:26 Chip To Grid Cooling 10:22 Liquid Cooling Maturity 14:15 Two Phase Explained 18:12 Cold Plate Tradeoffs 20:40 AM Unibody Cold Plates 24:41 Benchmarking AM Gains 30:18 AM For CDUs 34:13 Inside STDC Testbed 38:09 Reliability And Leakage 39:00 Next Phase Roadmap 42:31 Orbital Data Centers

July 21, 2026Episode 381 hr 0 min

Inside GM's Additive Industrialization Center with Ante Lausic

In this episode, Fabian Alefeld sits down with Ante Lausic, Lead Process Engineer at General Motors' Additive Industrialization Center (AIC), to explore what it takes to successfully scale additive manufacturing (AM) in the automotive industry. Ante explains why automotive manufacturing demands more than innovative technology - it requires AM-native designs, cost-effective production, automotive-qualified materials, and repeatable processes capable of supporting high-volume manufacturing. He also shares how GM has evolved from using AM primarily for rapid prototyping to establishing the Additive Industrialization Center in 2020 to evaluate new technologies, validate production readiness, and strengthen collaboration across the supply chain. The conversation highlights real-world production applications, including the Cadillac Celestiq, which incorporates more than 130 AM components, such as a safety-critical binder-jetted stainless steel seatbelt guide and aluminum steering wheel trim. Ante also discusses the rapid growth of additive manufacturing for tooling, including die-casting inserts, plant fixtures, and end-of-arm tooling, and offers his perspective on where the technology is delivering the greatest value for automotive manufacturers today. 01:56 Scaling AM in Automotive 05:10 Value and Cost Reality 07:27 GM Additive Center Origins 11:02 Educating Engineers and Suppliers 14:34 Celestiq AM Success Stories 19:44 Supplier Freedom and Standards 23:00 Tooling Inserts Big Wins 27:50 End of Arm Tooling Growth 29:36 Motorsports and F1 Links 32:10 Aftermarket Digital Warehousing 33:39 Materials and PPAP Hurdles 36:14 PPAP Explained Simply 38:43 Rethinking Qualification Costs 41:07 Scaling to Corvette Volumes

July 14, 2026Episode 361 hr 14 min

Why AM and Orthotics & Prosthetics are the Perfect Fit

Fabian Alefeld interviews certified prosthetist/orthotist and EastPoint Prosthetics VP Brent Wright about his career path into O&P, his shift from being anti-digital to adopting scanning and additive manufacturing, and the impact on patient care and global access. Wright describes traditional fabrication workflows (casting, plaster positives, vacuum forming thermoplastics for orthoses, and carbon fiber/resin layups for prostheses) as artistic but time-consuming, hazardous, and lacking records. His digital journey accelerated after a Guatemala trip with Life Enabled highlighted the need to scale care; he focused on scanning, digital modification, and later powder-bed fusion, moving toward SLS with materials like PK5000 and TPU. He emphasizes pressure casting for prosthetic sockets, the value of digital records for insurance, and how AM can change socket “dynamics” to improve comfort and heal wounds. The discussion also covers RADii’s data-driven fitting approach, Life Enabled’s mix of traditional and 3D-printed solutions (including pediatric feet), modular “kit” concepts for developing regions, and barriers to sensors/actuators in the US due to reimbursement. 02:33 Brent Origin Story 09:30 Why Go Digital 11:17 Scaling Global Access 17:32 Traditional O&P Workflow 20:02 Casting And Fabrication Steps 24:07 Digital Workflow And Scanning 33:22 Benefits Of Digital Records 36:36 Flexible Liner Heals Wound 40:47 RADii Data Meets Craft 46:06 Life Enabled Model 01:01:50 Democratizing via Manufacturing 01:08:01 Sensors vs Simplicity

July 7, 2026Episode 3741 min

AM at a Crossroads: Incodema3D Proves What's Possible at Scale

Fabian Alefeld sits down with Sean Whittaker, founder, president, and CEO of Incodema3D, to discuss the company's journey from a sheet metal prototyping business to one of North America's largest metal additive manufacturing operations. Sean shares why he invested in metal AM early, how Incodema3D built a production-first business model, and what it takes to scale additive manufacturing beyond prototypes. The conversation explores the evolution of Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) technology, the importance of vertically integrated manufacturing, and how improvements in machines, materials, software, and Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) are making production at scale a reality. Sean also discusses growing demand driven by reshoring, defense, aerospace, and energy applications, Incodema3D's specialization in aluminum thermal management components and high-volume Inconel production, and how AFM Capital's investment is accelerating expansion through new equipment, automation, and future U.S. manufacturing sites. Episode Chapters 01:41 Sean's Origin Story 05:13 Taking the Leap into Metal Additive Manufacturing 07:05 From Prototypes to Production 08:07 The Advantage of Vertical Integration 10:54 The Maturity of Additive Manufacturing and DfAM 15:46 Thermal Management, Inconel, and Consumer Applications 19:21 Defense, Energy, and Replacing Cast Components 21:28 Accelerating Growth with AFM Capital 25:49 Cycle Times, ROI, and Production Flexibility 30:07 Automation and Building the AM Workforce 34:50 Reshoring, Expansion, and the Future of Production 39:50 Wrap-Up

June 23, 2026Episode 351 hr 58 min

AM Rocket Engines and Space Nuclear Power with Omar Mireles

Fabian Alefeld interviews Omar Mireles, Director of Manufacture and Materials at Space Nuclear Power Corporation (Space Nukes), about his career spanning NASA, Oak Ridge, and Los Alamos and how additive manufacturing (AM) reshaped space hardware development. Omar describes early exposure to SLS prototyping, graduate work in nuclear materials and propulsion, building nuclear materials labs at NASA Marshall, and later leading AM efforts for liquid rocket engines and refractory metals. He explains how AM accelerates iteration, enables complex geometries, part consolidation, and weight reduction, and where traditional methods still dominate depending on production rate. The conversation covers refractory metal challenges (supply chain, oxygen sensitivity, post-processing, inspection) and nuclear reactor basics, generations, and regulatory barriers to AM adoption. Omar outlines Space Nukes’ goal of delivering safe, affordable, reliable power anywhere in the solar system, noting heat rejection as a key space constraint, Krusty’s 2018 test heritage, potential AM roles in heat exchangers, and an aggressive ~2-year flight timeline depending on regulation and mission. 02:26 Omar Early Motivation 03:08 NASA Co-ops and First AM 07:59 Stirling Radiation Research 20:07 Refractory Metals AM Lab 21:31 Los Alamos to Space Nukes 25:14 Did AM Change Space Race 31:46 Where AM Flies Today 37:41 Rocket Engines Print vs Traditional 41:15 Refractory Alloys Challenges 46:39 Where Refractories Make Sense 47:05 Will Refractory AM Grow 49:39 NASA Metal AM Handbook Origins 56:37 How Nuclear Reactors Work 01:13:02 Additive Manufacturing in Nuclear 01:18:31 What Space Nukes Builds 01:19:36 Why Space Nuclear Power Matters 01:25:20 Why Space Needs Nukes 01:37:47 Krusty Test Proof 01:41:18 Heat Rejection Challenge 01:49:25 Timeline and First Missions

June 2, 2026Episode 3457 min

The Manufacturing Comeback: Dean Bartles on Defense, AI, and the Next Industrial Revolution

Host Fabian Alefeld interviews Dean Bartles, President and CEO of the Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group (behind NCDMM, Advanced Manufacturing International, and America Makes), about manufacturing’s evolution, defense industrial base challenges, and additive manufacturing. Bartles recounts his career from shop-floor machining and industrial engineering to international defense manufacturing programs and 31 years through successive owners culminating in General Dynamics, then leading NCDMM and forming a parent organization to expand technology deployment. They discuss consolidation and contracting barriers that pushed small/medium firms out of defense, productivity gains from automation, reshoring momentum driven by tariffs and new investment, and workforce shortages and training pathways via trades, community colleges, and SME/Tooling U. Bartles highlights AI for process monitoring and adaptive control in laser powder bed fusion, the promise of low-cost desktop FFF for drones, the need for shared data and improved repeatability, and sustainability efforts including the Additive Manufacturing Green Trade Association. 00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro 02:54 Dean Manufacturing Origins 04:18 Global Defense Career Path 06:05 Leading NCDMM and America Makes 10:44 Defense Base Decline and Industry 4.0 18:14 Reshoring and Global Models 22:17 AI Capital and Process Control 35:25 Open Data and Repeatability Challenge 38:24 Defense Adoption and Drone Boom 44:08 Workforce Pathways and Community Colleges 50:04 Sustainability and Greener AM 54:27 Closing ABL Always Be Learning

May 26, 2026Episode 331 hr 11 min

From Hypersonics to AI Workflows: How Ursa Major Is Scaling Rocket Production

Fabian Alefeld welcomes back Thomas Pomorski of Ursa Major to discuss developments over the past year across three focus areas: hypersonics, solid rocket motors, and in-space propulsion. Pomorski reports more than nine hypersonic missions flown with the reusable, ~80% 3D-printed Hadley engine and two successful test flights of the storable Draper engine with AFRL, plus progress on Ursa’s LINX solid rocket motor manufacturing approach using additive for tooling and cases to enable flexible “unit cell” scaling. They cover key hypersonics challenges around affordability and manufacturability and why a storable liquid rocket approach can reduce testing complexity. Much of the conversation focuses on AI’s current value in development: rapidly prototyping slicer features and scan strategies, building data-fusion and monitoring tools via EOS APIs, and enabling small teams to operate with much higher productivity, while noting production validation remains challenging. 00:00 Welcome Back Thomas 01:48 Ursa Major Year Update 02:37 Hypersonic Flight Milestones 04:05 Solid Motors and LINX 05:21 Additive Scale Up Tools 06:39 Hypersonic Cost Challenge 11:58 Solid Motor Unit Cells 15:37 Additive Geometry vs Supply 18:01 AI in Additive Workflows 24:33 AI Productivity Multiplier 29:33 Live Claude Slicer Demo 35:13 Prompting Claude Code 36:35 Sharing Team Workflows 38:40 Production AI Readiness 42:20 Slicer Feature Results 44:49 Closed Loop Optimization 46:46 AI Built Web Monitor 52:59 Automation Roadmap 01:00:12 Verifying Hatch Strategy 01:03:07 Advice For Students 01:08:29 Wrap Up And Thanks