Win or lose

I haven’t always been a fan of hard conversations. They make you feel uncomfortable, sweaty, and sometimes anxious. But in recent years, personal experiences have taught me that facing reality—with all its complexities and unfiltered truths—is the soil in which personal growth and understanding are rooted. This shift in perspective has shaped not only how I approach life but also how I lead the content activities of 3D ADEPT Mag—and how I view the AM market on a daily basis.

Let’s get real: in today’s AM landscape, the role of AI—and the extent to which it can truly drive efficiency and competitive advantage—is still up for debate. The AM sector often prides itself on complexity. The more intricate the lattice, the more organic the form, the more radical the part appears, the more it is celebrated. But complexity is not a proxy for capability. What if complexity doesn’t serve the purpose?

Looking across vertical industries, aerospace and defense is arguably the sector advancing AM the most this year. Yet the economic and strategic implications of this progress are often swept under the rug—for obvious reasons.

In this issue of 3D ADEPT Mag, we decided to face these hard conversations head-on. Because, as American country singer, actor, and businessman Jimmy Dean once said: “[We] can’t change the direction of the wind, but [we]  can adjust [our] sails to always reach [our] destination.”

Exclusive features

Business | The resilience of service platforms in an increasingly consolidated AM ecosystem.

During a recent networking event, a group of investors argued that, outside the AM sector, OEMs that sell equipment and offer on-demand or contract manufacturing services tend to be more profitable — or at least more resilient — with margins up to four times higher than equipment sales alone. Their implication? That AM OEMs are now adopting the same dual approach, a move some see as a natural evolution. But as I listened, one question lingered: Could this shift threaten the very existence of AM service providers? With no service providers at the table to weigh in, we decided to explore the issue in this edition of 3D ADEPT Mag.

FOCUS | Post-processing | Designing for depowdering: Optimizing 3D printed parts from the start

We’ve often preached the benefits of DfAM (Design for Additive Manufacturing) in terms of lightweighting, topology optimization, and part consolidation —but one critical aspect tends to be overlooked: designing for depowdering. And that oversight can cause your build to fail. Why is it overlooked, and most importantly, how can one design for depowdering? Our conversation with Solukon and the Exploration Company sheds light on the full view of this step and how, with the right approach, one can optimize 3D printed parts from the start.

FOCUS | Evaluating production throughput and workflow integration with Thermwood’s LFAM

Two critical factors drive efficiency in manufacturing: production throughput and workflow integration. Yet, these elements are often evaluated in isolation. While that approach may seem practical, it overlooks the interconnected nature of additive manufacturing (AM). AM is inherently holistic—what matters to one user or application might not apply to another. A careful evaluation of Thermwood’s LSAM system reveals it delivers on both fronts. The article below explores how and why.

FOCUS | How can a 0.01% design improvement in 3D printed parts help save up to $240K/day in the semiconductor field? Lithoz discusses.

 “ALD rings are not necessarily the leading application of Additive Manufacturing (AM) in the semiconductor industry, but they are the most innovative,” Johannes Homa, CEO and founder of Lithoz, told 3D ADEPT Media. “Their significance lies in how well they demonstrate AM’s value in addressing key challenges of semiconductor fabrication.”

That bold statement immediately raised a dozen “why” questions in my mind. Fortunately, Homa took 50 minutes out of his Wednesday shift to clarify these gray areas.

AM Shapers | Sponsored by Formnext

Boom on how to de-risk AM and the technology’s opportunity in supersonic flight’s extreme conditions

When Boom Supersonic announced in 2019 that it would 3D print hundreds of parts for its supersonic demonstrator aircraft, it was clear that additive manufacturing (AM) would be a cornerstone of next-generation supersonic flight. The only question was: to what extent? From technology integration to material qualification under extreme conditions and key applications, Ruslan Pshichenko, Manufacturing & Additive Engineer and leader of AM efforts at Boom, shares key milestones and lessons from the company’s AM journey.

Guest Column | Mission critical: The economic and strategic stakes of AM in defense

3D printing is critical for the Department of Defense (DoD); its role in advancing strategic priorities, addressing operational challenges, enhancing readiness, and fostering collaboration across the Joint Force, industry, and international partners cannot be understated. The article below sheds light on the current areas where it aligns with DoD priorities, the latest applications achieved with AM in the field, and where the collaboration between DoD, industry, and academia is headed.

FOCUS | 3DCeram Sinto on why specific technical ceramics are best suited for large, 3D printed space parts

— And how CERIA helps achieve the minimum number of iterations during manufacturing.

Five years ago, as part of a closed Technology Development Element (TDE) activity conducted between the European Space Agency and space company Anywaves, the latter was tasked with producing four antennas to test and qualify 3D ceramic technology structures. Anywaves delivered two elliptical antennas with a filled lattice structure and two truncated patch antennas with an empty lattice structure.