Policy, Innovation & Defense Additive Manufacturing: A Deep Dive with America Makes - Part 1

Additive Snack · 16 Dec 2025 · 54m · Episode 24

What this episode covers

Kimberly Gibson, Director of Industrial Base Integration at America Makes, discusses the organization's role in de-risking additive manufacturing and fostering industrial resilience. She highlights the transition from defense-focused demand to a diversified commercial strategy, emphasizing the importance of the 'could versus should' tool for business cases. Gibson details recent legislative wins, including Senate Bill 2214 and provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act, which aim to certify and qualify one million additively made parts for Department of Defense platforms. The conversation covers the strategic overlap between defense, energy, and unmanned sectors, urging companies to diversify beyond defense contracts to ensure stability.

Mentioned

Companies
America Makes, EWI, Air Force Research Lab, NASA, SpaceX, EPRI, Icon 3D, Siemens Energy, Exxon, Defense Logistics Agency
Also
Kimberly Gibson, Senate Bill 2214, National Defense Authorization Act, Columbus, Ohio, Cincinnati

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • OnTrack · 49m

    PCBs, Global Innovation Policy & the CHIPS Act

    Stephen Ezell, VP of Global Innovation Policy at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), discusses the CHIPS and Science Act, explaining how US policy aims to counter China's industrial strategy and restore semiconductor manufacturing. He details the act's funding structure, the gap between authorization and appropriation, and the necessity of incentives to compete with foreign subsidies. Ezell also advocates for a similar 'PCBs Act' to address the decline of US printed circuit board production and suggests nearshoring to Latin America as a viable alternative to offshore dependence.

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 28m

    The Arrival of High-Volume Metal Additive Manufacturing w/ James DeMuth

    James DeMuth, Co-Founder & CEO of Seurat Technologies, explains how his company’s 'area printing' technology disrupts metal additive manufacturing by increasing throughput to compete with conventional methods like casting and machining. He details the technical limitations of legacy laser powder bed fusion, such as speed and variability, and describes Seurat’s parallel laser approach that reduces production time from years to days. DeMuth discusses the economic implications for US manufacturing, arguing that high-volume additive can reshape supply chains by enabling local production and reducing inventory, while calling for public-private partnerships to counter Chinese subsidies.

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 39m

    The Future of Hardware, Manufacturing Startups, and Industrial Policy with Nick Pinkston (Part 2 of 3)

    Nick Pinkston, CEO and founder of Volition, discusses the challenges of hardware startups, noting that consumer hardware is easily knocked off by Chinese manufacturers while hard tech suffers from long payback periods and impatient VC funding. He argues that additive manufacturing will not replace traditional processes but rather be enhanced by computing and AI, citing Path Robotics' use of computer vision for welding edge cases. Pinkston highlights the importance of industrial policy, suggesting the US needs to reinvest in foundational manufacturing R&D and vocational training to compete globally, while also emphasizing the need for better community building between startups and large corporations.

  • Manufacturing Happy Hour · 44m

    How Robotics Empowers Individuals and Enhances National Security with Jay Douglass, COO of the Arm Institute

    Jay Douglass, COO of the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute, explains how this Department of Defense-funded consortium accelerates robotics adoption for U.S. manufacturers. He details the Institute's mission to de-risk technology for small businesses, address the critical manufacturing workforce skill gap via RoboticsCareer.org, and strengthen national security by rebuilding domestic industrial capacity. Douglass also discusses the historical context of U.S. manufacturing and the ARM Institute's role in Pittsburgh's robotics ecosystem.

  • 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.

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.