Technology and processes
technology comparisons, materials, certification
AI in 3D printing, where it really helps and where it does not
Artificial intelligence in additive manufacturing really works in two places today, closed loop process control and para…
9 min readPlastic 3D Printing in the Defense Industry, Six Technologies You Should Know
This is the second text in the series on additive manufacturing in the defense industry. The first text covered metal 3D…
22 min readMetal 3D Printing in the Defense Industry, Six Technologies You Should Know
I have been following this industry for ten years. This is the first in a series of three texts on additive manufacturin…
14 min readHigh-Volume Production of 3D Printed Parts That Ship in the Final Product. Who's Already Doing It, at What Scale, and Who Didn't Want to Admit It Until Recently?
In at least ten industries, 3D printed parts go into end products in series from thousands to millions of units a year.…
15 min readBiocompatible materials and real applications in surgery
Biocompatibility is not a property of a material, but an evaluation of a finished medical device for a specific contact…
25 min readFood-Contact Certification for 3D Printed Parts: What It Actually Means, and What Just Looks Like It Does
Food-contact status is not a property of a material, it's a property of a finished part made through a proven, documente…
16 min readComparing alloys in metal additive manufacturing: 316L, 17-4PH, Ti-6Al-4V and 18Ni300
The four alloys that appear most often in the portfolios of metal AM system manufacturers. Data from more than fifteen m…
21 min readHow a single part gets qualified for production
A qualified process does not mean every part is good. How the scope of verification follows the part's criticality, the…
9 min readMetal Additive Manufacturing, Powder Bed Fusion vs Binder Jetting
PBF melts metal powder with a laser, while Binder Jetting glues it and then sinters it in a furnace. Where each technolo…
11 min readWhat process qualification looks like in practice
Process qualification is proof that the same machine, with the same material and the same parameters, always produces th…
9 min readTrends in Metal 3D Printing
Metal 3D printing is growing, but slower and more selectively than predicted. What independent reports show for 2025 and…
6 min read