Additive Manufacturing (AM): Injecting Agility and Innovation into Product Development
Rich Stump, co-founder and CCO of Fathom, discusses the evolution of additive manufacturing (AM) from prototyping to a critical component of agile supply chains. He explains how Fathom uses an outcome-focused, technology-neutral approach to help customers navigate production challenges, citing a case where 12 different manufacturing processes were used to deliver 20,000 parts in 30 days. Stump emphasizes that adoption barriers are often cultural and educational, advising companies to start with 'gateway applications' like jigs, fixtures, or bridge-to-production parts to build confidence before tackling complex end-use components.