Hardware Podcasts

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

Lights Out · 27 Mar 2026 · 52m · Episode 37

What this episode covers

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.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Exact Metal, Christie Digital Systems, EWI, Stratasys, HP, EOS, Renaissance
Tools
ProShop ERP
Also
University of Waterloo, AMO, Hire MFG Leaders, NC State, UT Austin, ASAM, RAPID + TCT, Formnext

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