# Unlocking Higher Performance 3D Printing Applications with Brad Rothenberg

- Show: [Additive Snack](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack)
- Published: 2021-01-15
- Length: 35m
- Episode: 2
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2021-01-15-unlocking-higher-performance-3d-printing-applications-with-brad-rothenberg
- Listen: https://www.eos.info/additive-snack

## Summary

Brad Rothenberg, founder and CEO of nTopology, discusses how advanced engineering software unlocks the full potential of additive manufacturing by shifting the engineer's role from manual 'grunt work' to creative problem-solving. He explains that traditional CAD tools are ill-suited for 3D printing's complexity and advocates for 'unlearning' conventional manufacturing constraints to leverage design freedom. Rothenberg highlights a specific Air Force satellite structure made from Inconel that is 50% lighter than its aluminum predecessor, demonstrating the power of topology optimization and thin-wall printing. He concludes by predicting a future where engineers use reusable, remixable workflows to accelerate innovation across industries.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2021-01-15-unlocking-higher-performance-3d-printing-applications-with-brad-rothenberg#t=6) Introduction: Brad Rothenberg and nTopology
- [1:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2021-01-15-unlocking-higher-performance-3d-printing-applications-with-brad-rothenberg#t=71) The Limitations of Legacy CAD for Additive Manufacturing
- [5:12](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2021-01-15-unlocking-higher-performance-3d-printing-applications-with-brad-rothenberg#t=312) The Human Engineer's Role: Creativity vs. Grunt Work
- [11:23](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2021-01-15-unlocking-higher-performance-3d-printing-applications-with-brad-rothenberg#t=683) How to Start with Additive Manufacturing: Unlearning Traditional Rules
- [20:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2021-01-15-unlocking-higher-performance-3d-printing-applications-with-brad-rothenberg#t=1203) Case Study: The Inconel CubeSat Structure
- [24:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2021-01-15-unlocking-higher-performance-3d-printing-applications-with-brad-rothenberg#t=1496) Accelerating Design: Field-Driven Design and Remixable Workflows
- [30:02](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2021-01-15-unlocking-higher-performance-3d-printing-applications-with-brad-rothenberg#t=1802) The Future of Engineering: Reusable Workflows and Collaboration

## Topics

- [Industrial & consumer product design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/industrial-design)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- nTopology (company)
- Dassault Systèmes (company)
- Siemens (company)
- PTC (company)
- Autodesk (company)
- Inconel 718 (material)
- Air Force (company)
- Sierra Turbine (company)
- Azerbug (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Following Your Passion in 3D Printing with Greg Paulsen](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2021-01-26-following-your-passion-in-3d-printing-with-greg-paulsen) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [S5E39 Bradley Rothenberg | nTopology (nTop) & Computational Design](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2024-09-27-s5e39-bradley-rothenberg-ntopology-ntop-computational-design) (Being an Engineer)
- [S1E34 3D Printing: Plastic, Metal, and Composite | Tuan Tranpham](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-09-04-s1e34-3d-printing-plastic-metal-and-composite-tuan-tranpham) (Being an Engineer)
- [174: Agile Product Development & Additive Manufacturing](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-05-04-174-agile-product-development-additive-manufacturing) (Product Startup)
- [Daniel Lazier | How to Make Super Strong Parts Fast & Inexpensively - Markforged](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2022-07-29-daniel-lazier-how-to-make-super-strong-parts-fast-inexpensively-markforged) (Being an Engineer)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2021-01-15-unlocking-higher-performance-3d-printing-applications-with-brad-rothenberg. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Additive Snack.