3DPOD: Insight from 3D Printing Pros

Ruben Meuth worked at Fraunhofer before helping to start 3D Spark , a German startup that helps companies identify, cost, quote, and screen 3D printed parts. There’s a lot going on in the part screening, digital warehouse space, and we discuss this fast-developing part of the industry with Ruben. Where are the important choke points in additive and how can software help grow our market?

Jay Dinsmore founded the eponymous company Dinsmore years ago. Since then, he’s had many an adventure in hiring people, managing them, training them, keeping them, and getting the best out of them. Meanwhile, he’s wrestled machines across several technologies as well. We also discuss the takeover by ADDMAN of his firm and the path ahead. We really run the gamut here from finance to ope...

Jacob Nuechterlein is back with us. Initially we go into Fortius Metals discussing the special materials that firm has for DED. But, the meat and bones of this episode is metals more generally. What’s is an oxygen dispersion steel, what about a superalloy? And what are refractories? When is something a metal matrix composite? And can we have things that fit into multiple categories? Rather c...

Mark Skylar-Scott is an experienced bioprinting researcher now working at one of the foremost bioprinting labs in the world at Stanford University. We talk about inexpensive desktop bioprinters and their ability to do meaningful work, as well as various bioprinting technologies. We were very happy to get a lot of detail, but also a great overview into this rather murky market. We’re told abo...

Kodiak Brush grew up playing football before working on crash testing. Sometimes someone’s career can seem like it is inexorably building up to one goal. And with Kodiak now making better football helmets through 3D printing, this is one of those cases. LIGHT Helmets is making affordable 3D printed helmets. Using desktop 3D printing and design optimization, special structures have been creat...

Dieter Schwarze is a true 3D printing icon. Here we get the twisting, arduous tale of Dieter’s journey into additive. Starting with inkjet, SLA and lots of other technologies, Dieter´s path was filled with telenovela-like plot twists. The Nikon SLM Solutions story is an important element of his tale, but the entire saga is much more complex. With a lot of candor, he talks about getting start...

Spencer Loveless’ story is a compelling one. It’s a tale of a family business starting from nowhere and becoming successful. Then subsequently, it is a tale of manufacturing in the USA against all odds. This is a very topical story, but it is also a crucial story for 3D printing. His firm Merit3D uses a technology that most have only seen at trade shows, Photocentric. Furthermore, he&#...

I really loved this episode of the 3DPOD with Howie Marotto , Additive Manufacturing Business Director at EWI . A Marine with deep logistics experience gets to tell us how viable 3D printing actually is for the military. If we look at the frontlines, the forward operating base, or large overseas bases—where will we 3D print what? Which technologies and machines will be used, and how will the U.S....

Executive Director for the Center of Advanced Manufacturing and Materials at Harrisburg University , Larry “LJ” Holmes is a pioneer in applying additive manufacturing to defense and other critical sectors. Part inventor, part educator, he is dynamic and a true force for change. LJ is now spearheading the J-DAMMIT military 3D printing event. But he’s also done exciting work in exp...

Andreas Knoechel, Head of Program Management for Additive Manufacturing at Oechsler , is doing some real heavy lifting in production . German plastics manufacturer Oechsler was the pioneer behind 3D-printed shoes at scale . In this episode of the 3DPOD, Andreas speaks of this success as well as some lesser-known achievements of the firm. From the well-known bicycle seats to other newer application...

Metallurgist and materials scientist Jacob Nuechterlein founded Elementum 3D in 2014 based on a proprietary process for making powders that enhances both the powder and the final parts’ properties. Elementum 3D produces tantalum, copper, steel, aluminum , and more. In space , aerospace, defense, and Formula 1, the company enables the production of parts that would otherwise be impossible to...

Chromatic 3D Materials CEO Cora Leibig has extensive experience in the plastics industry. We discuss the volumes of polymers and other materials, as well as what is needed to transform these markets. Cora chose 3D printing because, in this sector, meaningful change —through new materials and manufacturing methods—can be implemented more easily and quickly than in higher-volume markets. In this epi...

Stephan Kuehr began his career at 3YOURMIND before joining the volumetric 3D printing firm Xolo . In this episode of the 3DPOD, we discuss Xolo, its technology, volumetric 3D printing, bioprinting , and the company’s market approach. We also explore its collaborations with academics and the development of applications for its technology. Additionally, Stephan shares insights on the state of...

Andrew Graves began his career as a Design Engineer before joining 3D Systems in 1990. After pioneering stereolithography in the UK for F1 teams and aerospace firms, he helped establish a 3D printing service. In 2012, he joined Stratasys , later working at DSM before returning to Stratasys to oversee the Neo line of 3D printers. With a broad perspective and deep expertise in additive manufacturing...

Ronen Lebi has held extensive roles at Stratasys and served on the boards of numerous 3D printing startups. In this episode of the 3DPOD, Lebi’s history leads us to a discussion about what it’s like to be a startup today and the best practices regarding advice, boards, and growth. We also talk to Ronen about 3D printing applications and their expansion. Additionally, we get a chance to discu...

Mark Barfoot is a 3D printing veteran who began by introducing additive manufacturing to traditional firms before becoming Managing Director of the Multi-Scale Additive Manufacturing Lab at the University of Waterloo. He later worked for Cimetrix and Javelin, two major 3D printing resellers, before spending a stint at EWI. Now, he serves as VP of Engineering at Voxel Innovations , an electrochemic...

Joe Calmese talks to us about the financing of additive manufacturing, machine prices, and utilization. He runs ADDMAN , a large, high-end service bureau that produces many critical components, including defense articles. Naturally, in this episode of the 3DPOD, we discuss defense, as well as niobium and its applications. Joe’s enthusiasm and deep understanding of the subject are infectious, takin...

Adam Travis , Global AM Program Leader at Westinghouse , is lifting the veil of secrecy surrounding 3D printing in the nuclear industry for us in this episode of the 3DPOD. He delves into the qualification process for nuclear power components, examines material selection, and explores designing for longevity spanning decades. We discuss the nuclear sector’s approach to its supply chain and t...

In this episode of the 3DPOD, we take a deep dive into 3D printing for golf. Cobra PUMA Golf has gone further than other firms, employing Multi Jet Fusion , binder jet , and powder bed fusion for production golf clubs. Better putters and metal drivers are now achievable through 3D printing. But how did Ryan Roach, Cobra Golf’s Director of Innovation, and his team make this possible? What challenge...

Nick Sonnentag is a Senior Principal Engineer at Oshkosh, where he contributes to the development of some of the world’s toughest vehicles using additive manufacturing (AM). Drawing on experience from ATI, DuPont, and more, Nick possesses broad and deep expertise in 3D printing. In this episode of the 3DPOD, we discuss alloys, vehicle manufacturing, applications, and the readiness of directe...

Kevin Ayers spent 30 years at the FBI, contributing to groundbreaking engineering initiatives for the Bureau and beyond. On this episode of the 3DPOD, we’re fortunate to have Kevin sharing some of his once-classified insights on our podcast. It’s fascinating to learn how the FBI utilized 3D printing and just how long they’ve been exploring this technology. In addition to his FBI tenure...

Andy Davis is Director of Government Solutions at The Barnes Global Advisors . Previously he was at the DOD and the US Army in various logistics, program management, technology advisory roles. In the podcast we discuss austere 3D printing, 3D Printing at the point of need, drones, the military at large and much more. It’s clear that the Navy and Air Force are investing in AM and we delve int...

Kate Black is the Chief Executive Officer of Atomik AM , where she leads a team dedicated to fostering innovation and developing integrated advanced manufacturing solutions. The company specializes in electronics 3D printing, jetting technologies for novel materials, coatings, and multi-material 3D printing. Additionally, she serves as a Professor of Manufacturing at the University of Liverpool ....

Melissa Orme played a pivotal role as CTO at Morf3D, transforming the company from a standard service bureau into a leader in aerospace 3D printing that went on to be acquired by Nikon. Now at Boeing , as Vice President of Additive Manufacturing (AM), she spearheads the company’s 3D printing initiatives, aiming to integrate AM wherever practical. Boeing, which has a longstanding lead in low-rate 3...

Sascha Schwarz is a researcher dedicated to aiding his university, Technical University of Munich (TUM), to foster innovation as CTO of TUM Venture Labs . In this episode of the 3DPOD, we explore diverse startups, the challenges faced by scientists transitioning into entrepreneurial roles, and the incubation of new ventures. Topics include technology transfers, development, and the essential quali...