Additive Snack

EOS
  • 5.0 (13)
  • Technology
  • Updated Biweekly

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!

  1. Oct 13

    When Production Overtakes Prototyping: Materialise’s Next Phase of AM

    In this episode of Additive Snack, Fabian Alefeld sits down with Bart Van Der Schueren, CTO of Materialise, to discuss additive manufacturing's (AM) evolution from a prototyping tool to a true production technology. Bart shares his journey into AM through early stereolithography research at KU Leuven and reflects on Materialise's origins as a small service bureau that quickly realized it needed its own software to automate data preparation and workflows. Those early efforts eventually grew into the three pillars that define Materialise today: manufacturing, software and medical applications. The conversation explores a major milestone for Materialise, as serial manufacturing volumes in its manufacturing business have now surpassed prototyping. Bart explains what's driving that shift, where AM is gaining traction fastest, and why industries such as hearing aids, dental, drones and aerospace are moving at different speeds. The discussion also examines the growing role of artificial intelligence in manufacturing, from design optimization and simulation to in-situ quality control, automated workflows and reducing the cost of new product introduction. Bart shares how Materialise is positioning itself for the next stage of AM growth while helping customers scale production in highly regulated industries. 01:59 Bart Origins in AM 04:49 Materialise Early Model 07:28 Three Pillars Emerge 09:59 From Prototypes to Parts 15:07 Serial Production Milestone 20:22 Industries Driving Adoption 23:13 Aerospace Slow Burn 27:24 Disruptors Drones and Agile 31:02 Iterative Printing Workflow 32:19 AI Driven Rapid Iteration 34:11 Mass Customization With AI 38:47 Design AI Beyond Hype 42:06 AI For In Situ Quality 45:28 NPI Costs And Scaling 48:16 Materialise Strategy Ahead 55:00 Industry Outlook No Return

    When Production Overtakes Prototyping: Materialise’s Next Phase of AM

  2. Oct 6

    U.S. Navy's Captain Deichler on AM in the Submarine Industrial Base

    Fabian Alefeld speaks with Captain Jason Deichler, Chief of Staff, Director, Submarine Programs, about the U.S. Navy’s effort to increase submarine production and sustainment capacity while rebuilding a strained industrial base. Deichler explains the challenges created by decades of manufacturing consolidation, workforce shortages, supplier attrition, and lost casting and forging capabilities, all while pursuing the Navy’s ambitious "one plus two" goal: delivering one Columbia-class and two Virginia-class submarines annually.  The conversation explores the Navy’s strategy for strengthening submarine production, guided by Admiral Gaucher’s four pillars: stabilizing submarine designs, allowing prime shipyards to focus on integration, expanding the industrial base, and designing future platforms with advanced manufacturing in mind. Deichler discusses how additive manufacturing (AM) helps address obsolescence, reduce lead times, expand supplier capacity, and improve supply chain resilience.  They also examine the growing adoption of both polymer and metal AM, including the qualification of new materials and processes, lessons learned from deploying AM components, and the industry's progress toward certifying increasingly critical applications. The episode concludes with insights into supplier engagement, workforce development, and how companies can support the future of submarine production through the Submarine Industrial Base initiative.   02:21 The State of the Submarine Industrial Base 05:07 The Navy's "One Plus Two" Production Goal 06:54 The Four Pillars Strategy 10:54 Workforce, Suppliers & Obsolescence Challenges 13:12 Rebuilding Capacity with Advanced Manufacturing 18:45 Safety, Data & Certification Requirements 21:22 AI, Cobots & Productivity Improvements 25:34 When Additive Manufacturing Became Mission Critical 29:05 From Skepticism to Adoption 31:51 Scaling from 25 to 75 Qualified Parts 32:54 Lessons from Space Applications 35:16 Qualification and Production Scale-Up 36:22 Selecting the Right Parts for Additive Manufacturing 38:26 New Standards, PPDs & Material Qualification 39:54 Procurement, Ordering & Supply Chain Systems 42:18 Data Rights, Digital Thread & Machine Capacity 43:31 Supplier Demand and Industrial Base Growth 50:28 The Future: Tens of Thousands of Parts 56:00 Neo-Primes, Modularization & New Production Models 57:57 How Suppliers Can Get Involved 59:48 Closing Thoughts

    U.S. Navy's Captain Deichler on AM in the Submarine Industrial Base

  3. Sep 29

    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

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

  4. Sep 1

    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

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

  5. Aug 25

    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

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

  6. Aug 18

    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

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

  7. Jul 21

    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

    Inside GM's Additive Industrialization Center with Ante Lausic

  8. Jul 14

    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

    Why AM and Orthotics & Prosthetics are the Perfect Fit
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5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

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!

Information

  • Creator
    EOS
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    108
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 EOS
  • Show Website
    Additive Snack

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