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Additive Snack — Technology
Additive Snack

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!

Copyright: © 2020 Fabian Alefeld

Latest Episodes:

The AM Sasquatch: Challenging AM Qualification with Math, Physics, & AI Sep 01, 2026

Show notes

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

AM as a Moat: How Annihilator Created a Competitive Advantage in Broadhead Manufacturing Aug 25, 2026

Show notes

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

AI Is Getting Hot: Can Additive Manufacturing Help Cool It Down? Aug 18, 2026

Show notes

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

Inside GM's Additive Industrialization Center with Ante Lausic Jul 21, 2026

Show notes

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

Why AM and Orthotics & Prosthetics are the Perfect Fit Jul 14, 2026

Show notes

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

AM at a Crossroads: Incodema3D Proves What's Possible at Scale Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

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

AM Rocket Engines and Space Nuclear Power with Omar Mireles Jun 23, 2026

Show notes

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

The Manufacturing Comeback: Dean Bartles on Defense, AI, and the Next Industrial Revolution Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

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

From Hypersonics to AI Workflows: How Ursa Major Is Scaling Rocket Production May 26, 2026

Show notes

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

Printing Batteries, how AM is changing Battery Manufacturing and Performance May 15, 2026

Show notes

Fabian Alefeld hosts Karl Littau, CTO of Sakuu, to discuss why rechargeable battery manufacturing has changed little in decades and how Sakuu is rethinking it with additive approaches. Littau explains conventional thick-film slurry coating and stacked anode/cathode layers, noting heavy use of copper and aluminum and high costs driven largely by bill of materials. He outlines battery basics (anode, cathode, electrolyte) and contrasts lithium-ion with solid-state concepts, where solids replace liquid electrolytes but face commercialization challenges. Sakuu’s initial product targets electrode coating by shifting from wet, solvent-based processes to dry powder-bed methods, enabling powder reclaim/reuse, removing toxic solvents, reducing equipment size (e.g., long drying ovens), and potentially increasing throughput. The conversation also covers future possibilities like multi-material patterning, arbitrary shapes, bipolar designs that reduce metal, and broader impacts on EVs, grid storage, and electrification.

00:00 Welcome and Topic

01:32 Why Batteries Need Change

04:13 Cost Drivers Today

07:53 Sakuu Additive Approach

13:09 Battery Basics Explained

18:30 Dry Powder Manufacturing

26:10 Speed and Footprint Gains

28:47 Scaling and Supply Chain

32:27 Future Shapes and Structures

35:42 Solid State Readiness

37:48 Sakuu Origin Story

40:31 Roadmap and Industry Impact

42:34 Electrification Future Vision

49:48 Wrap Up and Thanks

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