3DPOD: Insight from 3D Printing Pros

Hunma Khan founded Astro Mechanical Testing Lab to create a testing and qualification lab specific to Additive Manufacturing. Her customers are most of the notable firms in New Space, defense and government that work in 3D printing. That kind of success did not come overnight though. Humna spent years at SpaceX, NASA JPL and at the US Air Force. In this episode of the 3DPOD, Humna tells us of her journey in 3D printing and space technology. It´s a fascinating tale and we hope you enjoy it as well.

Ian Yang is the founder of Gantri, a startup which uses desktop 3D printers to make lamps. We love Gantri because it deploys 3D printing for consumer products and is one of very few firms to do so. Gantri is pushing our technology into your living room and bedroom. So, how does the company manage to do that? We follow the company’s path, software, and design sensibility. We look at how they use 3D printers that you may have at home and tried to make their own. Ian tells us why they manufacture in California, even though it’s expensive, and what they do to make their lights look so good. This episode details the future of a much expanded technology. This is a must listen!

Frank Herzog, alongside his wife, commercialized Concept Laser. The firm was later sold to GE to become the core of GE Additive, and Frank stuck around to build out GE’s operations in Lichtenfels. Later, Frank and Co. started an R&D center, a seed capital fund and a Venture Capital firm all united under the HZG Group. Frank tells us his extraordinary tale of family and entrepreneurship. We learn of his principles and what he thinks make companies successful. We could have easily spoken with Frank for a few hours more and really enjoyed this show.

Meld is one of the most exciting metal 3D printing startups out there. Its additive friction stir deposition is a solid-state process that can print very large metal parts that no other technology can without the use of a chamber. On this episode of the 3DPOD, we have a veteran guest returning. Tim Bell, Chief Operating Officer at MELD Manufacturing Corporation, returns to us to explain the technology and the company. We talk about the possibilities and the applications, including making gradient parts and new alloys. We also discuss huge tank hulls and Navy parts in this episode about a very different kind of metal 3D printing.

Ben Schrauwen was a Professor of Machine Learning who also had a few startups under his belt when joined Autodesk and worked on the CAD giant’s 3D printing software. He then started Oqton, a software firm later sold to 3D Systems. In this episode of the 3DPOD, Ben goes into depth with us to explain machine learning, AI and the opportunities there. I really enjoyed his explanations of machine learning and what it is and isn’t. He then goes on to talk about Oqton and the future of 3D printing.

Scott Volk has deep experience in additive and, over the decades, he’s stood at the forefront of polymer and metal implementations, working for such firms as Incodema3D and GPI Prototype. Upon leaving Keselowski Advanced Manufacturing, where he served as Vice President of Business Development & Strategy, in 2022, Scott’s a free agent via his own firm, Advanced Additive Innovations Inc. Now, he can speak freely and he does so extensively in this episode of the 3DPOD. We get a well-informed, no-holds-barred look at 3D printing through his eyes and experience.

Martin Eichenhofer took his research from ETH Zurich and turned it into an exciting startup, 9T Labs, which hopes to make its two step carbon fiber 3D printing technique suitable for large-scale volume production of programmable carbon fiber components. Carbon fiber and other CFRP parts could replace metal, make elements lighter, and represent a new method for altering the form factor of many objects today. Bikes, drones, and consumer electronics could be just some of the areas impacted. In this episode of the 3DPOD, Martin takes us through the founding of his startup and how the company is developing, including how it is working on more sustainable composites.

Matt Smith started his firm TCPoly while he was a researcher at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He parlayed this small business into manufacturing filament that is thermally, but not electrically conductive conductive. With a thermal conductivity of 6 W/m-K, TCPoly filament can be used to create structures with properties that other parts simply cannot have. TCPoly has expanded to manufacturer panels that could help keep large buildings cool. Matt’s story is one that really illustrates how tough it is to get something really innovative going in the world of technology. It also demonstrates how, while 3D printing filament might be a good thing in itself, much better heat management for buildings could be even better.

As Head of Business Development, Marketing and Sales, Ole von Seelen has been helping trinckle 3D grow in the 3D printing space for years now. Starting out as a package for managing online services, the firm expanded to become a productivity software until pivoting again to become a customization software vendor. Now armed with investment from the HZG Group, it wants to accelerate its growth into making mass customization and personalization easy for anyone to do. On this episode of the 3DPOD, we get a great look inside the goals and strategy of trinckle 3D.

Samantha Snabes, co-founder of re:3D, is extremely humble, but as we dive into her story in this episode of the 3DPOD, we learn just how exciting, fascinating and fun her life has truly been. It is a story of high-speed entrepreneurship for good. Max and I are swept away by her story and that of re:3D, which has brought a family of large- and medium-format 3D printers to life. re:3D’s Gigabot systems have good intentions but are also being used in serious applications at NASA, Lockheed Martin and the Air Force. And that’s not all. Beyond re:3D, Samantha is an IEEE Member and currently volunteers as the Global Chair of the IEEE Entrepreneurship Steering Committee.

David Moodie is a New Zealand-based product designer who took a tumble down the 3D printing rabbit hole. After meeting the world’s nicest venture capital fund, a fanciful client project morphed into a startup, dubbed Foundry Lab. The firm’s metal casting technology is a potentially very exciting one. Speeding up the die casting process is something of which others have steered clear. By creating a unique technology meant to accelerate die casting, the company does not have to grab a lot of market share in casting in order to be a giant in additive manufacturing. This is a great entrepreneurship story that we hope that you’ll love.

Slant 3D CEO Gabe Bentz only wanted to design and market 3D printed parts, but found existing service bureaus too expensive. So, he made a pivot and Slant 3D deployed the world’s largest 3D printer farm. The company now uses desktop 3D printers to make products at scale. This is a potentially very disruptive strategy for the additive manufacturing industry. In this episode of the 3DPOD, Gabe talks us through what Slant does and how it aims to grow.

In this episode of the 3DPOD, we speak to Dr. Steven Kurtz, director of the Implant Research Center at Drexel University’s School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems and also acts as an implant consultant. We have a great conversation about the PAEK family of high-performance polymers, including PEKK and PEEK, for use in the body. Dr. Kurtz also discusses the opportunities for Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) which is still a nascent material for additive manufacturing. We take a journey through the successes and advantages of polymer implants for cranio maxillofacial, spinal and other areas of the body. All in all, Steve’s expert opinion is engaging and a real delight.

Coming from the world of gaming, Lars Brubaker started MatterHackers to take part in the 3D printing revolution. Due to his background, he has good war stories: trying to find filament when no one was selling it, except a single individual in New Zealand, or seeking out customer service on some of the first consumer 3D printers. Lars also tells us about building companies: what kind of values, metrics, and strategies  you have to do in order to be successful. By being close to your customers and understanding them, Lars thinks that you can see which way the wind is blowing. MatterHackers´ journey is remarkable from a distributor in the RepRap days to a seller of much more expensive machines and, now, a supplier to the U.S. government.

Fergal Coulter, a postdoctoral research fellow at ETH Zurich, is one of the most interesting scientists working in 3D printing today. His work spans from 3D printing on balloon shapes to heart valves, electro active actuators, prosthesis, 3D printing bacteria and much more. You can check out his research on his website and his YouTube channel. Now, Fergal is working on an eight-axis 3D printer which he is to release open source to the world. This is an astounding project and could help the world print organs, electronics, and bionic components and we love it. In this episode of the 3DPOD, we have a fun conversation with Fergal about his work and the future of 3D printing.

Bob Markley, Executive Vice President at additive manufacturing provider ADDMAN Group, has had an eventful journey in 3D printing. In this episode of the 3DPOD, he discusses the route to starting a 3D printing service with one machine and trying to grow it. Now, he’s a part of the fast-expanding ADDMAN empire. What does it take to run a service today? Where are the opportunities and what should a 3D printing service do? What will happen with consolidation in 3D printing? Bob tells us very candidly what is important, what must be done, and how to grow. 3DPrint.com and SmarTech Analysis are hosting Additive Manufacturing Strategies in New York City on February 7-9, 2023. Register for the event here to learn from and network with the most exciting companies and individuals in AM.

Maxi Strixner has worked in engineering positions and leading firms such as EOS, AMCM, AP Works and now The Exploration Company. We talk to him about designing for additive, engineering for additive and what it takes to be an engineer in additive manufacturing. We also discuss new space, aviation, racing cars, automotive, generative design, optimization and much much more. Really exciting look at what it takes to engineer for success in Additive.

In this week’s episode of the 3DPOD, we have Paul Gradl, a principal engineer in the Combustion Devices Design and Development Branch at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. This is an episode that we’ve been looking forward to for months. We wanted to have Paul on because he wrote and cowrote a couple of papers which we love, including “Metal additive manufacturing in aerospace: A review.” It’s simply fantastic, providing a great overview of what is going on in metal 3D printing in the aerospace sector. Another favorite is “Robust Metal Additive Manufacturing Process Selection and Development for Aerospace Components.” Both are available to view for free. Do yourself a favor and read the papers! Recently, Paul also cowrote the book Additive Manufacturing for Propulsion Applications, which I’m very much looking forward to reading. This was an amazing podcast with a great deal of discussion about 3D printing in space, process selection, materials like GRCop-42, and more. You’re going to love this.  

Prior to establishing precision metal 3D printing firm Holo, Inc., Arian Aghababaie founded a firm dedicated to building a digital light processing (DLP) 3D printer. That startup was quickly acquired by Autodesk, leading to the CAD software giant’s Spark/Ember 3D printer, a DLP machine that was widely used. Later on, he spun out the printer technology to form Holo, which uses what I refer to as “slurry stereolithography” to produce finely detailed metal parts as a service. Holo is trying to industrialize its technology for manufacturing. In this episode of the 3DPOD, we learn from Arian how the company aims to do this and how he got where he is today. 3DPrint.com and SmarTech Analysis are hosting Additive Manufacturing Strategies in New York City on February 7-9, 2023. Register for the event here to learn from and network with the most exciting companies and individuals in AM.

Andrew Cunningham is an additive manufacturing (AM) process engineer at General Motors (GM). He candidly tells us about how GM is using 3D printing across the organization. We get some tidbits on everything from prototyping to tooling to racing. He also talks about the company’s new $300,000 CELESTIQ vehicle, which will feature a variety of AM technologies by the firm to make over 100 3D printed metal and polymer parts.

Tim Bell started off as a machinist, working a lot of jobs in engineering, program management, and more before going to Siemens Digital Industries, where he is now Additive Manufacturing Business Manager. On the 3DPOD, he speaks to us about digital twins, digital thread, and contextualizes these broader manufacturing trends. Tim also discusses the opportunities in additive and manufacturing going forward. How does Siemens work with companies to help them adopt 3D printing? What are some of the pitfalls and things holding back the industry?

On this episode of the 3DPOD, Tim Berry, Head of Manufacturing at Launcher, takes us through what you need to be an engineer working in new space today. He discusses how Launcher uses 3D printing to make components for propulsion and other spacecraft systems. You’ll be blown away just how extensive the startup’s 3D printing activity is. You’ll also be quite surprised by what copper they use. This is a must-listen if you’re interested in the new space race.

Before serving in his current role as Technology Director of America Makes, Brandon Ribic worked at Los Alamos and Rolls Royce. In this episode of the 3DPOD, Brandon takes us through what America Makes is up to, how to spread additive around the U.S., and what is holding back the 3D printing industry. From training to capacity building, we’re told what could and does help. Great conversation that has a lot to offer, particularly for listeners who want to move additive from the sketch pad to production.

Sascha Wenzler, Vice President of Formnext, is with us on the 3DPOD again. He’s now in a much more relaxed frame of mind, now that we have a complete trade show taking place with significant visitors and exhibitors and free from pandemic fears. We talk to Sascha about the trends at Formnext 2022, what kind of stands we will be seeing, what companies are doing to promote themselves, and what kinds of activities will be taking place. Sascha also discusses the types of lectures, courses, and presentations we can expect. All in all, it was a lovely conversation that really has us looking forward to Formnext!

CEO of Evolve Additive Joe Allison got started with 3D printing in 1987. After working for 3D Systems, he started Solid Concepts, which would grow to become one of the world’s largest additive manufacturing service bureaus before its ultimate purchase by Stratasys. In turn, Joe served as the CEO of Stratasys Direct Manufacturing. What’s more, it would pioneer parts on commercial aircraft, drones, and in all sorts of applications. Joe tells us of his pioneering role in the industry and what he is doing now at Evolve Additive, where he was appointed CEO this past summer. Really exciting episode that covers a lot of things that you may not know.

Neal Orringer worked in a number of roles in the U.S. government and with 3D Systems before leading ASTRO America as its president. There, he’s trying to wrangle large companies like Boeing and Honeywell into spreading 3D printing across their industrial base. Orringer also trying to lead the charge in hypersonics and make 3D printing useful for land vehicles. We hope you find our conversation with Orringer as entertaining as we did. If you want to hear more from Neal, please register for our (Free!) AM Investment Strategies online leadership roundtable, November 10, 2022.

Stephen Holmes is the Editor in Chief of DEVELOP3D, a publication with its own voice dedicated to product development, design, and CAD. The outlet also offers stories related to 3D printing, as well as product reviews on peripherals and computers. Additionally, the team behind DEVELOP3D hosts its own live event, DEVELOP3D Live, on November 1. We really enjoyed Stephen´s opinionated clear take on 3D printing and the promise of our industry.

After working in aerospace, engineer Dale Swarts went into the orthopedics industry, where he worked at Zimmer for many years, rising to the status of director. Later, he became the Applied Research Director at Pipeline Orthopedics. When that firm was taken over by Mako, he took the position of director before becoming the Chief Engineer at Stryker when it acquired Mako. Dale knows an awful lot about 3D printing orthopedics. Now semi-retired, but advising such firms as Oxford Performance Materials and VulcanForms, he’s able to clearly explain the intersection of additive and orthopedics.

AM Ventures portfolio company Incus is developing a method to use lithography metal manufacturing to make small accurate metal parts. What kind of applications work for its technology? How is the company going to grow its business? How do they stack up against binder jet, bound metal, and powder bed fusion? We have an open conversation with Dr. Gerald Mitteramskogler, Incus CEO and founder, about all of this. We also discuss his journey in 3D printing and the future of his firm.

Quantica Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer Ben Hartkopp invented a method of inkjetting extremely viscous, high-performance materials. Moreover, the startup’s print heads and materials can provide voxel-level control over a printed part’s properties, potentially revolutionizing the dental, medical, printed electronics, bioprinting markets and more. Quantica is producing its own inkjetting technology itself, which is a huge challenge. Not only will the company have to commercialize a novel piezoelectric process, but it has to do so with an overwhelming world of possibility. The opportunities for Quantica are enormous and we discuss with Ben which ones the firm is tackling first and how.

Kris Binon is at the helm of Flam3D, an organization that began by connecting the Belgian region of Flanders via 3D printing. Later, Flam3D grew to represent research institutes and companies throughout Belgium and, now, the Netherlands. In this episode of the 3DPOD, we talk about how to educate people about 3D printing, as well as how to work with governments and other stakeholders to spread 3D printing around the world.

Charles Bibas worked in the barcode industry for many years, until he discovered a method that could revolutionize 3D printing. With a small team, he created a better optics package for 3D printing. Rather than going for a salvo, Charles’s company Tecnica uses a Lens Free Optical Scanner (LFOS or Ogon) to obtain better results for selective laser sintering (SLS). A labor of love for Charles, Tecnica still had a go-to-market strategy. We talk to him about his plans to take this product to market.

When Daghan Cam founded AI Build, the firm’s technology was a made up of a single 3D printer attached to a robotic arm for large scale polymer parts. The team did an about face and now focuses on developing the software that controls robotic arm 3D printers, including polymer, composites, concrete and metal. Makers of wire arc additive manufacturing, extrusion, and construction systems are all talking to AI Build now to create their software. With a recent injection of $3.2 million in funding, AI Build is a very exciting company and Daghan tells us its story so far.

Duann Scott is an industrial-designer-turned-business-development specialist who has worked for such illustrious firms as Shapeways, Autodesk, and nTopology. In our interview with him, he talks fluidly about his vision for the 3D printing software market and what is impeding additive manufacturing (AM) from moving forward. Duann is a firm believer in design for additive, working as an educator of these skills and assisting startups through his Bits to Atoms consultancy. Come hear what he has to say about software for a 3D printed world.

Raymond Weitekamp’s research at the California Institute of Technology was the basis for a new way to 3D print resin. Now, Weitekamp’s trying to commercialize the technology via a startup called polySpectra. Using existing vat polymerization machines, the company can release unique 3D printing materials with functional properties that can withstand real-world conditions. Rather than sell a machine and resin together, or partner with a single vendor, polySpectra is trying to sell its materials to the emerging “open materials” space, in which customers can use machines with the materials of their choice. Raymond’s path is one that will help others in producing more end-use parts with vat polymerization. Will this startup enable the creation of new disruptive parts that will shape the future of 3D printing?

Melissa Snover got started 3D printing candy, but she saw a more meaningful opportunity in 3D printing customized vitamins. Now, you can go to the Nourish3D website, take a quiz, and get your customized vitamin gummies. The idea is that everyone, at every moment, could require a different set of nutrients. Nourish3D has developed its printers in-house to be able to make custom vitamin concoctions to order. I love this idea, the opportunity and Melissa’s entrepreneurial zeal and I really hope that you’ll enjoy this episode!  

Manufacturing consultant Ivan Madera went to California knowing no one there and little about additive manufacturing. Now, his company, Morf3D, 3D prints aerospace and defense parts to the highest tolerances. Picking up investments from EOS, Boeing, and Nikon, the company makes parts that power rockets and satellites. Ivan’s ambitions stretch further still. He wants his company to partner with others to make production cells that can lead to a more industrialized form of manufacturing with 3D printing. We talk about what got Ivan to where he is now and where he wants to be in the future. We hope that you really enjoy this episode!

MakerVerse is a Europe-based 3D printing service platform with global ambitions. The company aims to be the place where your orders for all 3D printing technologies come together and get fulfilled by vetted partners. Focused more on manufacturers than individuals, MakerVerse aims to be different than existing 3D printing services. The company is also different because it was founded by Siemens Energy, Zeiss, and other investors. In this episode, we hear from Marcus about the company’s vision, goals, and ambitions. There is currently consolidation in 3D printing services, with American startups, SPACs, and traditional players fighting for relevance, as well as scale. What will be the role of MakerVerse’s in this? We’ve yet to see, but, in this podcast, Markus makes a compelling case for his firm.

John Wilczynski is the Executive Director of America Makes. Established a decade ago, America Makes performs research coordination, workforce training and education, standards development, and more for the additive manufacturing industry. John tells us about the progress that the organization has made and the projects that they are involved in. We get a look at some of the technological challenges that America Makes is trying to solve and others that don’t fit into its purview. We also get to see just how you can bring an industry together. You can learn more about America Makes initiatives and many of its member companies’ initiatives too, at the MMX Conference in Youngstown, OH (Aug. 16-18, 2022).

In our latest episode, Ajay Panwar, Sr. Engineering Manager, Design Assurance at Medtronic, discusses the intersection of quality and 3D printing for the medical field. To be clear, Ajay does not speak for or represent Medtronic on the show. He is merely sharing his ideas, knowledge, and best practices. The conversation may have been highly technical, but it does get you thinking about what goes into making a medical device with 3D printing, including the problems, issues, and opportunities.

Enrico Gallino is a materials scientist with Ricoh. The Japanese firm has developed its own powder bed fusion (PBF) technology, rolled out a 3D printing service, has developed an anatomical model 3D printing workflow, and is establishing a binder jetting process. In a candid interview, Enrico discusses Ricoh´s role in 3D printing and what the company is doing. In particular, he details some materials he is excited about, including a thermoset PBF powder that was completely new to Max and I. Really enjoyable interview for us to do and hopefully also for you to listen to.

Israeli firm CASTOR analyses parts. It can then tell you if the part is printable, how much it would cost in different 3D printing technologies, on which part you can save money through mass reduction and much more. CASTOR´s software is a gateway to 3D Printing. Companies can use it to jumpstart their 3D Printing projects or do an analysis of the potential for 3D Printing in their organization. We talk to CEO and founder Omer Blaier about the startup, its abilities and goals.

Sintavia‘s Brian Neff has built a company that uses a fleet of large metal powder bed fusion systems to 3D print some of the most demanding and technically challenging parts that can be made. In the U.S. aerospace and defense markets, Sintavia is already well-known. Outside of that arena, not so much. We talk with Brian about Sintavia’s journey and what the company produces. We talk about the potential of 3D printing for heat exchangers and heat sinks as well as for space. Really interesting episode and we really hope that you enjoy it as well!

Lauralyn McDaniel, of ASME´s Metrix Connect, is incredibly experienced in medical device manufacturing, standards, and additive manufacturing. From the podcast episode, you can hear her brilliant mind operate as she parlays complex concepts into easily digestible material. She’s a real wealth of information and we really feel like we can do another four podcasts with her about standards development, aerospace, implementing standards in your organization and more.

Tali Rosman was responsible for a diverse amount of roles worldwide, including at Stratasys and the Israeli Air Force, before landing a job at Xerox. Her task, to lead Xerox’s Elem Additive unit. The first job she has is to commercialise ElemX Xerox’s drop-by-drop metal 3D printing technology. She tells us how she’s going to do that, for what markets it is suited, and what applications she is targeting. No, this is no broad spectrum push or something targeting the usual suspects of aviation or orthopaedics; Tali is taking a tight zoom on the technology’s strengths and focusing on aluminum and MRO. It’s a fascinating look at an outlier go-to-market that could be a portend of more Xerox technologies to come.

Joseph Crabtree’s Additive Manufacturing Technologies is spreading around the world. The company has offices in four countries and its PostPro3D vapor fusion technology is growing. But, Joseph wants more. He wants to move into more post-processing technologies and make a far more integrated solution. Joseph tells us about his plans, his Brexit mitigation strategy, and how he sees the market evolving. Enjoy this episode!

Francesco De Stefano was a consultant before he came to Caracol. You’ll notice that when he answers questions about the market and the future of his firm. He had to learn a lot of other things during his time helming the large format AM startup, however. Francesco talks to us about the challenges of printing large parts, the applications, the journey his company has taken and the possibilities.

Ankush Venkatesh passionately tells us about Glidewell Dental‘s holistic and very vertically integrated adoption of 3D printing. The firm has had to make its own software, deploys over 400 3D printers. and is looking to make its own post-processing solutions, as well. As a large dental lab, the company also uses machine learning to automatically propose 3D printing design files in its operations. What follows is a great look into how a firm can gain a true advantage through creating and deploying technology wisely.

Mathematician Elissa Ross is a member of MESH Consultants, which commercializes mathematical solutions for practical industry problems. METAFOLD is a MESH spinout that aims to rid us of our meshes and STLs by allowing users to create intricate and lightweight lattices and other complex structures. We loved talking to Elissa and finding out how researchers can come out of left field to solve some fundamental issues that our industry has. METAFOLD is also interesting because it has a go to market challenge: How do you commercialize a way to describe and arrange complex 3D printed shapes, lattices, TPMS structures, and more?

CEO of Electroninks Brett Walker shares a roller coaster of an entrepreneur story on the 3DPOD. His company made it big early on. However, disappointment set in early. Yet, the company managed to build itself a new foundation. We talk to Brett about 3D printed inks, conductive ink, and the elusive 3D printing of circuits. We also discuss Electoninks´ Kickstarter and their development as a firm. Great episode especially if you´d like to delve into 3D printed electronics and circuits.