# Additive Manufacturing, Then & Now: A Conversation with Alex Oster, Autodesk

- Show: [Additive Snack](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack)
- Published: 2025-06-17
- Length: 1h 28m
- Episode: 14
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2025-06-17-additive-manufacturing-then-now-a-conversation-with-alex-oster-autodesk
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/dfe97395

## Summary

Alex Oster, Director of Additive Manufacturing at Autodesk, traces the industry's evolution from his early days at the German service bureau FIT and the founding of Netfabb to Autodesk's acquisition of the company. He details the strategic consolidation of specialized CAD, CAM, and simulation tools into the unified Fusion 360 platform, emphasizing its role in lowering barriers to entry for metal additive manufacturing. Oster discusses the market split between high-end custom machines and affordable low-cost systems, and explains how AI-driven surrogate modeling and process monitoring are transforming simulation workflows.

## Chapters

- [0:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2025-06-17-additive-manufacturing-then-now-a-conversation-with-alex-oster-autodesk#t=7) Introduction: Alex Oster and Autodesk
- [1:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2025-06-17-additive-manufacturing-then-now-a-conversation-with-alex-oster-autodesk#t=68) Early Career at FIT and the Birth of Netfabb
- [12:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2025-06-17-additive-manufacturing-then-now-a-conversation-with-alex-oster-autodesk#t=730) The FDM Revolution and Microsoft's Impact
- [21:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2025-06-17-additive-manufacturing-then-now-a-conversation-with-alex-oster-autodesk#t=1292) Autodesk Acquisition and Fusion 360 Strategy
- [37:29](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2025-06-17-additive-manufacturing-then-now-a-conversation-with-alex-oster-autodesk#t=2249) Workforce Development and Education
- [46:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2025-06-17-additive-manufacturing-then-now-a-conversation-with-alex-oster-autodesk#t=2809) Market Dynamics: High-End vs. Low-Cost Machines
- [53:25](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2025-06-17-additive-manufacturing-then-now-a-conversation-with-alex-oster-autodesk#t=3205) AI, Surrogate Modeling, and Simulation
- [1:14:28](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2025-06-17-additive-manufacturing-then-now-a-conversation-with-alex-oster-autodesk#t=4468) The Future of Manufacturing Integration

## Topics

- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Autodesk (company)
- Fusion 360 (product)
- Netfabb (product)
- EOS (company)
- SLM Solutions (company)
- Formlabs (company)
- Microsoft (company)
- SolidWorks (product)
- Moldflow (product)
- Ansys (company)
- Euler (company)
- Navasto (company)
- 1000Kev (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [An Interview with Matt Berggren](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2019-12-16-an-interview-with-matt-berggren) (The Amp Hour)
- [S6E46 Rick James | ANSYS & Engineering Simulation](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-11-14-s6e46-rick-james-ansys-engineering-simulation) (Being an Engineer)
- [S6E36 Tessa Axsom | Casting, Metallurgy, & Finishing with Fictiv](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2025-09-05-s6e36-tessa-axsom-casting-metallurgy-finishing-with-fictiv) (Being an Engineer)
- [Hybrid Manufacturing: Why Additive vs. Subtractive Is the Wrong Debate, Ep #34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/lights-out/2026-02-13-hybrid-manufacturing-why-additive-vs-subtractive-is-the-wrong-debate-ep-34) (Lights Out)
- [S1E25 SolidWorks, AI, & Cloud-Based Product Development | Mark Rushton](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2020-07-28-s1e25-solidworks-ai-cloud-based-product-development-mark-rushton) (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/2025-06-17-additive-manufacturing-then-now-a-conversation-with-alex-oster-autodesk. 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.