# Star Trek Replicators? How Additive Manufacturing is Changing the Industry

- Show: [Over the Air](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air)
- Published: 2021-09-14
- Length: 31m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-09-14-star-trek-replicators-how-additive-manufacturing-is-changing-the-industry
- Listen: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/over-the-air/episodes/Star-Trek-Replicators--How-Additive-Manufacturing-is-Changing-the-Industry-e2l43qt

## Summary

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.

## Chapters

- [0:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-09-14-star-trek-replicators-how-additive-manufacturing-is-changing-the-industry#t=59) Introduction and the Definition of Additive Manufacturing
- [4:19](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-09-14-star-trek-replicators-how-additive-manufacturing-is-changing-the-industry#t=259) Essentium's Market Position and Aerospace Focus
- [8:10](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-09-14-star-trek-replicators-how-additive-manufacturing-is-changing-the-industry#t=490) Pivot to Government and Aviation Sustainment
- [17:13](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-09-14-star-trek-replicators-how-additive-manufacturing-is-changing-the-industry#t=1033) Team Composition and Knowledge Retention Challenges
- [19:57](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-09-14-star-trek-replicators-how-additive-manufacturing-is-changing-the-industry#t=1197) Solving Isotropic Strength with Flash Fuse Technology
- [24:39](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/over-the-air/2021-09-14-star-trek-replicators-how-additive-manufacturing-is-changing-the-industry#t=1479) Future Roadmap: Materials, Robotics, and Software

## Topics

- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Hiring & workforce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/hiring-and-workforce)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Essentium (company)
- Flash Fuse (product)
- Materialize (company)
- Dendrite (company)
- HP (company)
- Air Force Research Labs (company)
- Rapid Sustainment Office (company)
- AfWorks (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Are You Too Late to Adopt Additive Manufacturing?](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2022-01-11-are-you-too-late-to-adopt-additive-manufacturing) (Additive Snack)
- [How AM is Supporting the Grid](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2026-01-22-how-am-is-supporting-the-grid) (Additive Snack)
- [How Additive Manufacturing (AM) is Enabling the Next Leap in Aerospace Innovation](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2022-02-23-how-additive-manufacturing-am-is-enabling-the-next-leap-in-aerospace-innovation) (Additive Snack)
- [The Manufacturing Comeback: Dean Bartles on Defense, AI, and the Next Industrial Revolution](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2026-06-02-the-manufacturing-comeback-dean-bartles-on-defense-ai-and-the-next-industrial-re) (Additive Snack)
- [AM at a Crossroads: Incodema3D Proves What's Possible at Scale](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2026-07-07-am-at-a-crossroads-incodema3d-proves-whats-possible-at-scale) (Additive Snack)

## Citing this page

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