# Why Your Toughest Parts Still Use 50-Year-Old Materials w/ Fazal Mahmood

- Show: [The Manufacturing Executive](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive)
- Published: 2026-09-08
- Length: 39m
- Episode: 326
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-09-08-why-your-toughest-parts-still-use-50-year-old-materials-w-fazal-mahmood
- Listen: https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-manufacturing-executive#episode-01a04d8e-245d-73c4-b909-70bfb29d71d5

## Summary

Fazal Mahmood, co-founder and CEO of Phase Shift Technologies, explains how AI is accelerating the discovery of new metal alloys to replace 50-year-old materials in industries like oil and gas, aerospace, and defense. He details the critical gap between designing a material and qualifying it for regulated markets, noting that legacy producers often lack the incentive to innovate outside their core franchises. Mahmood highlights three key drivers for this shift: the maturation of additive manufacturing, the performance limits of existing materials in technologies like nuclear fusion, and supply chain disruptions in critical raw materials like tungsten. He illustrates these points with a specific example of a new printable tungsten carbide alloy designed for laser powder bed fusion to solve wear resistance issues in complex flow components.

## Chapters

- [0:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-09-08-why-your-toughest-parts-still-use-50-year-old-materials-w-fazal-mahmood#t=38) Introduction: Fazal Mahmood and Phase Shift Technologies
- [5:46](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-09-08-why-your-toughest-parts-still-use-50-year-old-materials-w-fazal-mahmood#t=346) The Gap Between Material Discovery and Qualification
- [16:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-09-08-why-your-toughest-parts-still-use-50-year-old-materials-w-fazal-mahmood#t=1008) Additive Manufacturing and the Need for New Materials
- [23:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-09-08-why-your-toughest-parts-still-use-50-year-old-materials-w-fazal-mahmood#t=1439) Forces Driving Demand: Fusion, Engines, and Supply Shocks
- [29:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-09-08-why-your-toughest-parts-still-use-50-year-old-materials-w-fazal-mahmood#t=1776) Case Study: Printable Tungsten Carbide for Oil and Gas
- [34:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2026-09-08-why-your-toughest-parts-still-use-50-year-old-materials-w-fazal-mahmood#t=2099) Advice for Small and Mid-Size Manufacturers

## Topics

- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [Sourcing & supply chain](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sourcing-and-supply-chain)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Phase Shift Technologies (company)
- Gorilla 76 (company)
- tungsten (material)
- tungsten carbide (material)
- laser powder bed fusion (tool)
- nuclear fusion (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Additive Manufacturing (AM): New Materials Influence the Future](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2021-08-26-additive-manufacturing-am-new-materials-influence-the-future) (Additive Snack)
- [NASA Update: Master Class, Alloys, AI & the Future Engineering Generations](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2025-08-06-nasa-update-master-class-alloys-ai-the-future-engineering-generations) (Additive Snack)
- [Creating the Future of Energy with Dr. Alaa Elwany](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2024-03-05-creating-the-future-of-energy-with-dr-alaa-elwany) (Additive Snack)
- [How MIT is Pushing the Boundaries of AM Research in Space](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2023-02-28-how-mit-is-pushing-the-boundaries-of-am-research-in-space) (Additive Snack)
- [A Space Roundtable with NASA, Rocket Lab, The European Space Agency, and TRUMPF](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/additive-snack/2024-04-02-a-space-roundtable-with-nasa-rocket-lab-the-european-space-agency-and-trumpf) (Additive Snack)

## Citing this page

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