Hardware Podcasts

A Space Roundtable with NASA, Rocket Lab, The European Space Agency, and TRUMPF

Additive Snack · 2 Apr 2024 · 1h 03m · Episode 10

What this episode covers

Host Fabian Alefeld moderates a roundtable with Paul Gradl (NASA), Myles Keefer (Rocket Lab), Eliana Fu (TRUMPF), and Advenit Makaya (ESA) on the role of additive manufacturing in space. The panel discusses how technologies like laser powder bed fusion and DED enable rapid iteration and part consolidation for companies like SpaceX and Rocket Lab, while highlighting critical challenges in material development, such as GR Cop-Alloy and GRC 810. They address the need for standardized qualification processes, the bottleneck of post-processing, and the importance of fostering a collaborative community to inspire the next generation of engineers.

Most relevant to

large enterprises

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
NASA, Rocket Lab, TRUMPF, European Space Agency, SpaceX, EOS, Deep Mind, Vada Space, Adidas, Relativity Space
Products
Starship, Rutherford engine, Archimedes engine
Also
GR Cop-Alloy, GRC 810, C103, 6061 RAM 2, NASA 6030, NASA 6033, ICME

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 20m

    The Digital Warehouse: A Look Inside Additive Manufacturing w/ Melanie Lang

    Melanie Lang, Co-Founder and CEO of FormAlloy, discusses the evolution of additive manufacturing from prototyping to production, focusing on Directed Energy Deposition (DED) technology. She explains how DED uses laser energy and metal powder to build or repair parts layer-by-layer, enabling multimaterial solutions and large-scale builds without support structures. Lang highlights aerospace applications like rocket nozzles and heat exchangers, where DED combines copper alloys for thermal properties with nickel superalloys for strength. She also addresses the industry's shift toward viewing manufacturing as a 'digital warehouse,' where digital files replace physical inventory, though she notes that trust and certification standards are still evolving.

    Materials & manufacturing processesScaling production
    8 chapters

  • Being an Engineer · 44m

    Ryan Kircher | Metal Additive Manufacturing

    Ryan Kircher, a metallurgical engineer and founder of Kircher Consulting, discusses the state of metal additive manufacturing, contrasting powder bed fusion with directed energy deposition and highlighting applications in medical devices and aerospace. He details the technical challenges of metal 3D printing, including high costs, long build times, support structure removal, and the necessity of post-processing like CNC machining. Kircher also reflects on his career path, explaining why he chose to remain an individual contributor rather than move into management, and shares insights on running a consulting business alongside full-time employment at RMS Company.

    Materials & manufacturing processesDesign for manufacturing & NPI
    9 chapters

  • Over the Air · 31m

    Star Trek Replicators? How Additive Manufacturing is Changing the Industry

    Blake Teipel, Cofounder and CEO of Essentium, explains how additive manufacturing has matured from hobbyist 3D printing to an industrial solution for agile, mid-range production, particularly in aerospace sustainment. He details Essentium's 'Flash Fuse' technology, which uses electromagnetic energy to create isotropic, strong parts from conductive plastics, solving a decades-old strength issue. Teipel discusses the company's pivot to government and aviation clients during the pandemic, the challenges of team composition and knowledge retention, and the critical need for better software tools to enable next-generation design.

    Materials & manufacturing processesScaling production
    6 chapters

  • Lights Out · 52m

    Additive Manufacturing on the Shop Floor: Hype, Reality, and Where It Actually Works, Ep #37

    Mark Barfoot, VP of Global Sales at Exact Metal, discusses the practical application of metal additive manufacturing in machine shops, moving beyond hype to real-world use cases like jigs, fixtures, and end-use parts. He explains that while the technology is maturing, success requires designing for additive (DfAM) rather than simply replacing CNC machining, and highlights the importance of facility safety, powder handling, and building internal expertise. Barfoot notes that laser powder bed fusion is becoming more accessible for job shops, with lower-cost machines enabling production runs of thousands of small parts, provided the geometry justifies the cost.

    Materials & manufacturing processesDesign for manufacturing & NPI
    9 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 39m

    Why Your Toughest Parts Still Use 50-Year-Old Materials w/ Fazal Mahmood

    Fazal Mahmood, co-founder and CEO of Phase Shift Technologies, explains how AI is accelerating the discovery of new metal alloys to replace 50-year-old materials in industries like oil and gas, aerospace, and defense. He details the critical gap between designing a material and qualifying it for regulated markets, noting that legacy producers often lack the incentive to innovate outside their core franchises. Mahmood highlights three key drivers for this shift: the maturation of additive manufacturing, the performance limits of existing materials in technologies like nuclear fusion, and supply chain disruptions in critical raw materials like tungsten. He illustrates these points with a specific example of a new printable tungsten carbide alloy designed for laser powder bed fusion to solve wear resistance issues in complex flow components.

    Materials & manufacturing processesAI & machine learning
    6 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by Additive Snack. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.