Download the 2023 January/February edition of 3D ADEPT Mag

Whether it’s the beginning of the year, the middle of the year, or the end of the year, talking about funding is a timeless topic and in this first issue of 3D ADEPT Mag for 2023, we devote some time to it and offer solutions for two categories of people: those who are in a bootstrapping model and those who are constantly looking for funds.

Moreover, although money can remake the world (of AM) to some extent, it is still considered to be wasted without solid concepts and viable technologies. That’s the reason why, this issue of 3D ADEPT Mag breaks the stereotypes, maps out the current reality, and identifies the areas of improvement for these technologies that are often described as miracle solutions to engineering problems. This issue thus discusses metal (and multi-laser) additive manufacturing, ceramic additive manufacturing, artificial intelligence, infiltration and coating processes, and high-performance materials – all with a focus on the automotive and aerospace industries.

Exclusive features

Dossier

Understanding the complexities and opportunities of Multi-Laser Additive Manufacturing

One thing fans of Star Wars and fans of laser games would likely agree with, is that lasers are super cool. Why? You could ask. Because of speed. More lasers mean more agility and more speed. In the AM industry, the possibility to have more lasers in an industrial 3D printer also seems cool to a bunch of users. But, does it necessarily mean more agility and more speed? With contributions from Additive Industries & Kennametal.

AM Shapers

A look at the strategy that enables General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to reach beyond 75% of 3D printed parts in an aircraft.

With millions of dollars already saved in tooling, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems shares the lessons-learned of their journey with industrial AM. A meaningful example of their story relates to the completion of a lamination mill fixture production achieved in collaboration with Thermwood that led to $50 000 in cost savings.

Software

Is AI the “magic word” designed to make your product design less boring?

There is a tendency for software companies to praise the merits of “miracle software products” with AI as a main selling point. Well, product designers should be cautious. Has AI become a “magic word” designed to make any product look fancy, more powerful, performant or just less “boring”? In this feature, CEOs from nFrontier and 1000 Kelvin GmbH join us to provide a thoughtful understanding of the integration of AI in AM-dedicated software solutions and assess the gap that remains to be filled between theory and practice.

Applications

Can ceramic AM add value to the automotive and aerospace industries? From R&D to commercial applications.

As far as ceramic AM is concerned, one vertical industry where the growth potential is assured is the healthcare industry. This comes as no surprise when we know that this vertical industry is the largest and first one served by AM in general. With Aerospace and Automotive respectively placed on second and third ranks of vertical industries mostly served by AM, it makes sense to discuss the added value of ceramic AM within the wide range of AM processes currently leveraged in these markets. With contributions from Lithoz, Xjet & Novadditive.

Events

Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace, Defence, & Space

Defence iQ’s Additive Manufacturing for Aerospace, Defence, & Space conference is returning for its ninth iteration at the Hilton London Wembley, UK from 22-23 February. The organizer sheds light on what to expect for this 9^th edition.

35 years of AMUG: the how and the why of a volunteering commitment that pushes the AM industry forward

The 2023 edition of AMUG will be held at Hilton Chicago, from March 19 – 23, 2023. President Mark Abshire discusses what makes this organization outstanding.

Business

The investment landscape is changing. What should founders consider to grow their AM business? (Part 1)

So, yes, capital is going to be hard to come by, but what matters here and now, is the founder’s ability to understand this changing investment landscape and how they will adjust to get funded and grow their AM business. – With insights from AM Ventures & Stifel.

Bootstrapping vs Fundraising: How Makelab successfully navigates a labyrinth of uncertainties. (Part 2)

Those who are bootstrapping their company do not have the same luxury as their funded friends. This conversation strikes the balance between the two parties. While it depicts some of the difficult realities of those who are bootstrapping their company, it aims to give these founders a couple of options they should explore in their process of building the road to success. Inspired by Makelab’s experience.

Materials

(Critical) Challenges raised and solved by high-performance polymers for AM – Key examples in the automotive industry.

In an industry where the growth of AM is often highlighted through a strong focus on metals, it should be noted that polymers remain the widely used material group, all applications combined. Industries such as aerospace, automotive, and biomedical are exploring applications of high-temperature polymer parts with AM, but a gap still has to be filled for them to achieve series production. That’s what Evonik & Daimler discuss in this article.

Unbounding 3D printing at scale with new sustainable materials

In an exclusive feature, Evonik sheds light on their journey towards sustainability as it strongly believes that the more transparent the sustainable journey is at the beginning of the additive value chain, the more impact these effects will have in the final application.

Post-processing

Understanding the infiltration and coating processes for Additive Manufactured parts

Whether it is light or cheap, a 3D printed part delivers value when it performs well. The thing is, achieving that performance often begins and ends at the surface. Ensuring the right surface of the 3D printed part often comes down to the right post-processing task. In our efforts to demystify every post-processing task that can be used at the end of the additive production, we focus on infiltration and coating processes in this article.