# The Revolution of Beam Shaping for Additive Manufacturing with Alex Kingsbury of nLIGHT

- Show: [Additive Snack](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack)
- Published: 2024-11-26
- Length: 1h 05m
- Episode: 7
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2024-11-26-the-revolution-of-beam-shaping-for-additive-manufacturing-with-alex-kingsbury-of
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/30ca531b

## Summary

Alex Kingsbury, AM Market Development Manager at nLIGHT, explains how beam shaping technology, specifically the AFX laser, revolutionizes additive manufacturing by manipulating laser profiles from Gaussian to ring shapes. She details how this innovation stabilizes the melt pool, reduces spatter and porosity, and delivers 2x to 8x productivity gains without sacrificing material properties. Kingsbury also discusses nLIGHT's vertical integration, the transition from defense to commercial applications, and the industry's shift toward larger, multi-laser systems enabled by 2kW beam-shaped lasers.

## Chapters

- [0:06](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2024-11-26-the-revolution-of-beam-shaping-for-additive-manufacturing-with-alex-kingsbury-of#t=6) Introduction: Alex Kingsbury and nLIGHT
- [2:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2024-11-26-the-revolution-of-beam-shaping-for-additive-manufacturing-with-alex-kingsbury-of#t=144) Alex Kingsbury's Career Path from CSIRO to nLIGHT
- [6:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2024-11-26-the-revolution-of-beam-shaping-for-additive-manufacturing-with-alex-kingsbury-of#t=394) Australian Additive Manufacturing Ecosystem and Medical Success
- [14:40](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2024-11-26-the-revolution-of-beam-shaping-for-additive-manufacturing-with-alex-kingsbury-of#t=880) nLIGHT's Vertical Integration and Dual-Use Strategy
- [19:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2024-11-26-the-revolution-of-beam-shaping-for-additive-manufacturing-with-alex-kingsbury-of#t=1176) Beam Shaping: Gaussian vs. Ring Profiles and the AFX Laser
- [27:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2024-11-26-the-revolution-of-beam-shaping-for-additive-manufacturing-with-alex-kingsbury-of#t=1638) Material Properties: Reducing Spatter, Porosity, and Improving Fatigue Resistance
- [33:26](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2024-11-26-the-revolution-of-beam-shaping-for-additive-manufacturing-with-alex-kingsbury-of#t=2006) Productivity Gains and Industry Adoption (Aerospace/Defense)
- [40:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2024-11-26-the-revolution-of-beam-shaping-for-additive-manufacturing-with-alex-kingsbury-of#t=2422) Challenges: OEM Integration, Software, and Certification
- [50:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2024-11-26-the-revolution-of-beam-shaping-for-additive-manufacturing-with-alex-kingsbury-of#t=3055) Future Innovations: 2kW AFX Lasers and Intelligent Laser Functionality

## Topics

- [Mechanical engineering](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/mechanical-engineering)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [Certification & compliance](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/certification-and-compliance)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- nLIGHT (company)
- Alex Kingsbury (other)
- CSIRO (company)
- Metal Energy (company)
- Anatomics (company)
- EOS (company)
- RMIT University (company)
- AMCM (company)
- AFX Laser (product)
- Corona Laser (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [The Arrival of High-Volume Metal Additive Manufacturing w/ James DeMuth](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-04-07-the-arrival-of-high-volume-metal-additive-manufacturing-w-james-demuth) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Star Trek Replicators? How Additive Manufacturing is Changing the Industry](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-09-14-star-trek-replicators-how-additive-manufacturing-is-changing-the-industry) (Over the Air)
- [The Digital Warehouse: A Look Inside Additive Manufacturing w/ Melanie Lang](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2022-03-01-the-digital-warehouse-a-look-inside-additive-manufacturing-w-melanie-lang) (The Manufacturing Executive)
- [Additive Manufacturing on the Shop Floor: Hype, Reality, and Where It Actually Works, Ep #37](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2026-03-27-additive-manufacturing-on-the-shop-floor-hype-reality-and-where-it-actually-work) (Lights Out)
- [That SCOOPshow - Season 6, Productronica 2021 - Valentin Storz, Nano Dimension](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2021-11-11-that-scoopshow-season-6-productronica-2021-valentin-storz-nano-dimension) (EMS@C-LEVEL)

## Citing this page

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