Additive Snack

EOS's podcast on additive manufacturing and industrial 3D printing, with interviews and real-world stories from engineers, specialists and users of the technology.

108 episodes · 80 hours · since 2020

Visit Additive Snack

Additive Snack is filed under manufacturing, design and interviews. Its most recent episode published on 13 Oct 2026, so it is still actively publishing. Listeners have left 13 ratings on Apple Podcasts, averaging 5 out of 5.

Start here

Where to begin with Additive Snack: full episodes about building physical products, award winners first.

21 Jul 2026 · 1h 00m
Inside GM's Additive Industrialization Center with Ante Lausic
Ante Lausic, Lead Process Engineer at General Motors' Additive Industrialization Center (AIC), explains that scaling additive manufacturing (AM) in automotive requires AM-native designs, automotive-grade materials, and cost-effective production rather than just faster machines. He details how GM uses the AIC to validate technologies and supports high-value, low-volume applications like the Cadillac Celestiq, which incorporates over 130 AM components including safety-critical parts. Lausic highlights significant growth in tooling and end-of-arm tooling, while noting that scaling to high-volume vehicles like the Corvette remains challenging due to material limitations and qualification hurdles like PPAP.
Scaling production Materials & manufacturing processes
14 chapters
6 Oct 2026 · 1h 02m
U.S. Navy's Captain Deichler on AM in the Submarine Industrial Base
Captain Jason Deichler, Chief of Staff for Submarine Programs at the U.S. Navy, explains the Navy's strategy to achieve a 'one plus two' production goal (one Columbia-class and two Virginia-class submarines annually) by rebuilding a strained industrial base through additive manufacturing (AM). He details how AM addresses workforce shortages, supplier attrition, and lost casting/forging capabilities, moving from qualifying individual parts to establishing qualified material and process standards via Project Peculiar Documents (PPDs). The conversation covers the transition from skepticism to adoption, the scaling of qualified parts from 25 to 75, and the future vision of tens of thousands of additive parts integrated into submarine sustainment and new construction.
Materials & manufacturing processes Manufacturing partners & offshoring
10 chapters
16 Apr 2024 · 30m
Fatigue & Fracture Behavior in AM Materials with Nima Shamsaei of Auburn University
Nima Shamsaei, a professor at Auburn University and Director of the National Center for Additive Manufacturing Excellence (NCAME), discusses the fatigue and fracture behavior of additive manufacturing (AM) materials. He explains that unlike traditional manufacturing, AM failure mechanisms are often anomaly-related, making prediction-based qualification critical for adoption. Shamsaei details a joint project with NASA and the US government, called RAMP, which supports small enterprises in qualifying parts for aerospace use by characterizing over 50 materials. He argues that while AM is expensive, redesigning parts to leverage complex geometries unlocks its full potential, whereas simple supply-chain replacements face higher qualification barriers due to fatigue risks.
Mechanical engineering Certification & compliance
7 chapters

Hear it in a few minutes

Single discussions from recent episodes, playing the show's own audio from where each begins.

The Three Pillars: Manufacturing, Software, and Medical
5 min · Additive Snack
From “When Production Overtakes Prototyping: Materialise’s Next Phase of AM” at 9:20
State of the Submarine Industrial Base and the 'One Plus Two' Goal
4 min · Additive Snack
From “U.S. Navy's Captain Deichler on AM in the Submarine Industrial Base” at 2:30
Key UAV Applications: Fuel Tanks and Structures
5 min · Additive Snack
From “Building Drones at Scale: SLS Production from Low-Volume to High-Rate Manufacturing” at 14:49

Latest episodes

13 Oct 2026 · 1h 02m
When Production Overtakes Prototyping: Materialise’s Next Phase of AM
Bart van der Schuren, CTO of Materialise, explains how the company transitioned from a 1995 service bureau to a production powerhouse, recently surpassing prototyping with serial manufacturing. He details the three pillars of Materialise—manufacturing, software, and medical applications—and highlights rapid adoption in hearing aids, dental, and drones, contrasted with the slow, recertification-heavy aerospace sector. Van der Schuren argues that AI-driven automation and in-situ quality control are critical for reducing New Product Introduction (NPI) costs and scaling production in regulated industries.
Scaling production AI & machine learning
10 chapters
29 Sept 2026 · 44m
Building Drones at Scale: SLS Production from Low-Volume to High-Rate Manufacturing
Nick Classen, General Manager of Northwest Rapid Manufacturing, explains how the company evolved from supporting Northwest UAV into a high-rate production provider for UAVs using EOS SLS technology. He details the shift from prototyping to end-use parts, highlighting specific applications like conformal fuel tanks, EMI-shielded housings, and structural brackets made from Nylon 12, Alumide, and glass-filled polymers. Classen discusses the operational challenges of scaling production, the critical role of post-processing, and the company's strategic expansion into metal AM (DMLS) to meet growing defense and aerospace demand.
Scaling production Materials & manufacturing processes
10 chapters
1 Sept 2026 · 55m
The AM Sasquatch: Challenging AM Qualification with Math, Physics, & AI
Harshil Goel, founder and CEO of Dyndrite, explains how current additive manufacturing qualification practices lock down variables like software, machine, and layer height, stifling innovation. He details Dyndrite’s role in three America Makes programs: AI4AM, which uses statistical methods to reduce specimen counts for material allowables; DeltaQual 2.0, which enables 'bracketed qualification' allowing parameter changes within a defined window without requalification; and Gotham, which transfers qualified parameters across different machines and sizes. Goel introduces 'Sasquatch,' a physics-based framework using non-dimensional ratios (e.g., energy density) to bound process windows, aiming to accelerate industry adoption within a two-year timeline.
Certification & compliance Embedded firmware
7 chapters
25 Aug 2026 · 1h 08m
AM as a Moat: How Annihilator Created a Competitive Advantage in Broadhead Manufacturing
Brandon Brodie, co-founder and CEO of Annihilator Broadheads, explains how a failed elk hunt inspired the creation of a broadhead with a unique 'scoop' design that creates high-pressure and low-tension wound channels. After validating the concept through plastic prototypes and an improvised Instant Pot wind tunnel test, Brodie faced severe supply chain failures with investment casting and metal injection molding suppliers, leading to massive scrap rates and lost dealers. To save the company, he brought metal laser powder bed fusion in-house, learning to operate 5-axis CNC grinding and metal printing to achieve tight tolerances and enable complex geometries like the Katana broadhead. Brodie outlines how this additive manufacturing moat allows for rapid innovation, new product lines, and future contract manufacturing partnerships.
Scaling production Manufacturing partners & offshoring
7 chapters
18 Aug 2026 · 49m
AI Is Getting Hot: Can Additive Manufacturing Help Cool It Down?
Professor PS Lee, founder of CoolestDC and head of Mechanical Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS), explains how additive manufacturing (AM) enables complex unibody cold plates that reduce junction temperatures by ~10°C and pumping power by 60–70% in AI data centers. He details the transition from single-phase to two-phase direct-to-chip liquid cooling and the deployment of AM cold plates at NUS’s Sustainable Tropical Data Center Testbed (STDC), which features 22 liquid-cooled racks and ~500 kW capacity. Lee discusses system-level challenges, including leakage risks, total cost of ownership (TCO) evaluations, and the potential for AM in space-based data centers and waste-heat reuse.
Mechanical engineering Materials & manufacturing processes
10 chapters
14 Jul 2026 · 1h 14m
Why AM and Orthotics & Prosthetics are the Perfect Fit
Brent Wright, VP at EastPoint Prosthetics and co-founder of Life Enabled, explains how additive manufacturing is transforming orthotics and prosthetics (O&P) by replacing hazardous, non-digital traditional workflows with scalable, data-driven digital processes. He details the shift from plaster casting and carbon fiber layups to pressure casting, 3D scanning, and SLS printing with materials like PK5000 to create flexible sockets that heal wounds and improve comfort. Wright discusses the challenges of scaling care in developing regions like Guatemala through local manufacturing and modular kits, while noting that reimbursement barriers in the US limit the adoption of advanced sensors and actuators.
Materials & manufacturing processes Scaling production
10 chapters
7 Jul 2026 · 41m
AM at a Crossroads: Incodema3D Proves What's Possible at Scale
Sean Whittaker, founder and CEO of Incodema3D, explains how the company evolved from a sheet metal prototyping shop into one of North America's largest metal additive manufacturing operations, now scaling to over 50 Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) systems. He details the strategic shift from prototypes to high-volume production, emphasizing vertical integration, the maturity of Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM), and the critical role of AFM Capital's investment in accelerating expansion. Whittaker highlights specific applications in thermal management, defense, and energy, noting how reshoring and automation are driving the industry's transition into a scalable, capital-intensive manufacturing model.
Scaling production Design for manufacturing & NPI
10 chapters
23 Jun 2026 · 1h 58m
AM Rocket Engines and Space Nuclear Power with Omar Mireles
Omar Mireles, Director of Manufacture and Materials at Space Nuclear Power Corporation (Space Nukes), discusses how additive manufacturing (AM) accelerates the development of space nuclear reactors and liquid rocket engines. He details his career at NASA, Oak Ridge, and Los Alamos, focusing on the challenges of printing refractory metals like niobium and tungsten, and explains Space Nukes' goal of delivering safe, affordable power anywhere in the solar system using a Krusty design heritage. Mireles outlines an aggressive ~2-year flight timeline, noting that heat rejection and regulatory barriers are the primary constraints, while AM enables part consolidation and weight reduction in complex geometries.
Mechanical engineering Materials & manufacturing processes
9 chapters
2 Jun 2026 · 57m
The Manufacturing Comeback: Dean Bartles on Defense, AI, and the Next Industrial Revolution
Dean Bartles, President and CEO of the Manufacturing Technology Deployment Group (behind NCDMM and America Makes), discusses the evolution of the US defense industrial base, highlighting consolidation, workforce shortages, and the rise of 'neoprime' companies like Andro and Ursa Major. He explains how AI is transforming additive manufacturing, specifically laser powder bed fusion and low-cost desktop FFF for drones, by enabling adaptive control and process monitoring to solve repeatability issues. Bartles emphasizes the need for open data sharing, improved training via community colleges and Tooling U, and sustainability efforts through the Additive Manufacturing Green Trade Association to make manufacturing more efficient and profitable.
AI & machine learning Manufacturing partners & offshoring
9 chapters

Every episode

108 episodes with a summary and chapters, by year.

202620 episodes

202524 episodes

202422 episodes

202319 episodes

202211 episodes

202110 episodes

20202 episodes

If you like Additive Snack

1 day ago

The Manufacturing Executive

Joe Sullivan talks with the leaders driving midsized manufacturers forward, alongside B2B sales and marketing experts, about growth strategy, industrial marketing, and modernising the shop floor.

manufacturing sales marketing interviews

Visit Website

1 day ago

Manufacturing Happy Hour

Chris Luecke interviews makers, founders, and manufacturing leaders about the trends and technologies reshaping modern manufacturing, going past the buzzwords into real tactics.

manufacturing supply chain interviews

Visit Website

1 day ago

Global Medical Device Podcast

Greenlight Guru's interviews with medical device founders, engineers and regulatory experts on design controls, quality systems and getting a device cleared and to market.

medical devices manufacturing product development interviews

Visit Website

5 days ago

The Robot Report Podcast

The Robot Report's weekly show on the robotics industry, in conversation with roboticists and the companies building robots for warehouses, factories, construction and other physical work.

robotics manufacturing interviews

Visit Website