Postprocessing is a necessary part of the additive manufacturing (AM) workflow in almost every instance, because 3D printing alone rarely yields a finished part ready for use. Depending on the materials and processes they choose, AM adopters have to account for depowdering, curing, heat treat, cleaning, dyeing, tumbling, machining and many other post-print operations. Coupled with the high-mix, low-volume production typical in AM, such steps are difficult to automate or optimize — leading many companies to develop innovative and often secretive internal processes.

In this episode of AM Radio, Stephanie Hendrixson, Peter Zelinski, Jessica Pompili and Jodee McElfresh share examples of how additive manufacturers solve their varied postprocessing challenges and seek to answer some of the questions around these critical steps.

Thanks to listeners who sent questions, left comments or lent their expertise to this episode, including Matt Havekost, Rick Beddoe, Miguel Valenzuela, Konstantin Rybalcenko, Rey Chu, John Whalen and those who responded anonymously.

Find photos, related links and the transcript for this episode on AdditiveManufacturing.Media.

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Mentioned in this episode:

• Our calls for questions — and discussion— around postprocessing on LinkedIn
• Meet Jessica Pompili, Additive Manufacturing Media assistant editor
• A conversation on finishing's role in AM with Products Finishing editor-in-chief Scott Francis
• Our story on ATI's new Florida facility
• Article on Rivelin's robotic machining technology from Derek Korn, editor-in-chief of sister brand Production Machining
• Video on how the Rivelin solution works
• AM-Flow's sorting solution for mixed part batches
• The Cool Parts Show LIVE: Special 5-Year Anniversary Episode with support removal "hatch"
• 3D Printed Metal Component for CNC Machining Center | The Cool Parts Show #47 with sacrificial powder removal feature
• Micro Factory's enclosed mSLA system
• The modular JENI production system from Photocentric
• Solvent recycling technology company CBG Biotech
• How metal injection molding and metal binder jetting coexist at Smith Metal Products
• The metal binder jetting workflow at Freeform Technologies
• An example of a thin-fin cold plate produced by Conflux Technology
• Resolution in vat photopolymerization and smoothing techniques developed at the Technical University of Denmark

A question from an audience member about competing production rates for a forged metal part that might be made through additive manufacturing instead got Pete Zelinski thinking about production rate in general, and what this rate does and does not tell us about productivity overall.

Additive can win a production "race." An example involving a 1,000-piece production run of parts otherwise made through molding was documented by Formlabs (more info below). However, is a head-to-head comparison like this the measure by which additive must succeed? Pete explores this question.

Find photos, related links and the transcript for this episode on AdditiveManufacturing.Media.

Mentioned in this episode:

• From Formlabs, 3D printing vs. injection molding for a 1,000-piece run.
• Our report at Big Metal Additive on directed energy deposition for Navy projectiles.
• Subscribe to The BuildUp, our twice-weekly Additive Manufacturing newsletter.

Formnext 2024 lived up to its reputation as additive manufacturing's largest trade show, attracting more than 34,000 attendees to 54,000 m2 of exhibit space. It was also large in the sense of showcasing just how big 3D printing can go, with plenty of showpieces and demos running to illustrate the current scale of large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM) technology. But beneath the robotic arms and towering prints, there were also plenty of new machine introductions, software advances and application examples.

Over the course of their time at the show, AM Radio cohosts Peter Zelinski and Stephanie Hendrixson noted more semiconductor applications than ever before, an increased use of tungsten, software developments aimed at solving AM's design bottleneck, various approaches to cutting cost per part, and indications that additive manufacturing has crossed various tipping points expanding where the production method makes sense, and is on trajectory to continue that advance. In this episode of the AM Radio podcast, hear observations from the show floor and takeaways for additive manufacturers.

Find photos, related links and the transcript for this episode on AdditiveManufacturing.Media.

This episode is brought to you by Additive Manufacturing Media. Never miss a story.

Stephanie Hendrixson shares observations from her visit to learn more about two different manufacturing institutes under the umbrella of Carnegie Mellon University. First, she visited the lab facilities at Mill 19, a refurbished steel mill site, used by the Manufacturing Futures Institute. The MFI aims to accelerate the digital transformation of manufacturing, through work that includes things like robotics, digital twins and generative design as well as AM. She also learned about the Next Manufacturing Center, CMU's additive-focused research institute seeking to solve increasingly specific 3D printing problems— including how to model and avoid spatter in laser powder bed fusion.

Find photos, related links and the transcript for this episode on AdditiveManufacturing.Media.

This episode is brought to you by Additive Manufacturing Media. Never miss a story.

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Mentioned in this episode:

• Stephanie's article about additive manufacturing and Carnegie Mellon University
• More about the solar array installed at Mill 19
• Article from Solar Power World
• Mill 19
• The Manufacturing Futures Institute and Next Manufacturing Center

In this follow-up to episode #51 of AM Radio, Dr. Tim Simpson joins Stephanie Hendrixson and Pete Zelinski in the studio to talk more about how NASA is implementing and shaping additive manufacturing. As part of an intergovernmental personnel act (IPA) assignment, Dr. Simpson has spent the last two years deployed within NASA helping to advance additive use cases and connect AM users within the organization. In this episode, he shares insights from this work including NASA's collaborative relationship with commercial space; its role in studying AM fundamentals and providing testing resources; missions currently using the technology; and where additive will enable NASA to go next.

Find photos, related links and the transcript for this episode on AdditiveManufacturing.Media.

This episode is brought to you by Additive Manufacturing Media. Never miss a story.

Mentioned in this episode:

Episode #51 (PART 1)

The Cool Parts Show episodes featuring:

• "Evolved" bracket structures for the EXCITE mission, seen at Goddard Space Flight Center
• Lattices for the Mars sample return mission, seen at the Jet Propulsion Lab
• The RAMPT thrust chamber assembly, filmed at Marshall Space Flight Center

Other resources:

• Additive Manufacturing for Rocket Propulsion Applications by Paul Gradl
• NASA 6030 standard
• Work from other folks Tim mentioned:
  • Scott Roberts
  • Michael Schein

Additive Manufacturing Media editors have had the chance to visit three different NASA facilities: the Goddard Space Flight Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Marshall Space Flight Center. Pete Zelinski and Stephanie Hendrixson learned and reported on how 3D printing is being used to fulfill NASA missions through parts like a generatively designed bracket, lightweight titanium lattices and a multimaterial thrust chamber made with two different processes. But where do these parts fit within NASA's broader mission, and what is the role of additive manufacturing at NASA? In this episode, part 1 of a 2-part series, Pete and Stephanie discuss what it's like to visit NASA and the observations they gleaned from being on site. (Make sure to subscribe and join us for Part 2, featuring AM Radio cohost and NASA system design innovator Dr. Tim Simpson.)

Find photos, related links and the transcript for this episode on AdditiveManufacturing.Media.

This episode is brought to you by THE BUILDUP.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Cool Parts Show episodes featuring:

• "Evolved" bracket structures for the EXCITE mission, seen at Goddard Space Flight Center
• Lattices for the Mars sample return mission, seen at the Jet Propulsion Lab
• The RAMPT thrust chamber assembly, filmed at Marshall Space Flight Center

More on these NASA initiatives:

• EXCITE Balloon Mission
• Mars Sample Return
• RAMPT

Our previous episode on qualification and standards in AM, including NASA 6030

3D printed brackets on the Juno spacecraft