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In this special episode of AM Insider, hosts Justin Hopkins and Dustin Kloempken take a retrospective look at the transformative year of 2025. Using artificial intelligence to analyze their recordings from throughout the year, the hosts bridge the gap between early-year trends and the industry's current reality.

This episode provides a deep dive into the following key themes:

• The AI Revolution in Additive Manufacturing: Explore how AI is lowering the barrier to entry for CAD and design, making it easier to manifest ideas and shifting the role of the Application Engineer toward higher-value data analysis and responsive workflows.
• Industry Maturity vs. "The Hype": Justin and Dustin tackle the question of whether the industry is "dead" or simply maturing. They discuss the consolidation and bankruptcies of 2025—including names like Desktop Metal and BCM3D—while positioning the industry within the Gartner Hype Curve's trough of disillusionment.
• The Rise of Production and Prosumer Tech: Learn why 2025 became the "year of the Bambu printer" and how AM is proving its worth in high-stakes production environments like the medical and drone markets.
• Building a Resilient Career: Drawing on insights from guests like Amos and Brent Ewald, the hosts discuss non-linear career paths, the importance of soft skills like negotiation, and why a curious, problem-solving mindset is more valuable than any specific degree.

Whether you are an industry veteran or looking to start a career in additive manufacturing, this episode offers essential insights into how innovation is pushing the boundaries of what is possible. Stay curious and join us as we get inside the future of AM.

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This episode of AM Insider features guest Zeke Sudbury, an additive sales specialist at Atlix, who discusses his professional transition from the world of polymers and composites to metal additive manufacturing (AM). Hosted by Justin Hopkins and Dustin Kloempken, the conversation explores the technical and cultural differences between these two realms, noting that polymer expertise focuses on material science and polymer chains, while metal AM is more akin to welding engineering.

The central theme of the episode is the identification of "boring" but highly profitable applications that drive industry growth. Sudbury argues that while industries like aerospace and medical have long qualification cycles that can slow down progress, the firearm suppressor industry has effectively "saved" metal additive by providing a high-demand application with lower barriers to entry.

Key topics covered in the episode include:

• The Suppressor Case Study: A deep dive into why suppressors are ideal for metal AM. Sudbury explains the thermodynamics behind their design, noting that additive allows for complex internal geometries and "baffles" that increase volume and decrease temperature to reduce external pressure. He also highlights how surface roughness, often viewed as a defect, is actually beneficial for suppressors as it adds turbulence and improves performance.
• Industry Trends and Market Shifts: The discussion covers the recent surge in suppressor demand due to changes in government fees in early 2026 and the adoption of these components by the U.S. Army for hearing protection and toxic gas reduction.
• The Role of AI and Software: How AI and cloud-based software (such as OAM for dental) are lowering the barrier to entry for new users by automating complex tasks like part orientation, support generation, and failure prediction.
• Future Frontiers: Looking beyond suppressors, Sudbury identifies dental, semiconductors (pure nickel printing), and heat exchangers as the next major growth areas for the industry.
• Advice for Professionals: Sudbury emphasizes the importance of networking and "being a sponge" when entering the field. He recommends the Solid Freeform Fabrication Symposium in Austin, Texas, as a premier resource for anyone looking to understand the cutting-edge academic research driving the industry forward.

The episode concludes by emphasizing the importance of the feedback loop between academia, engineering, and sales to solve increasingly complex manufacturing problems.

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In this episode of AM Insider, we sit down with Christian Seidel, professor of additive manufacturing and consultant at Wohlers Associates (powered by ASTM International), to explore where the additive manufacturing industry is headed in 2026 and beyond.

Christian shares insider insights on AM market growth trends, why the industry continues to grow at ~10% annually, and how AI is transforming metal 3D printing, process optimization, beam shaping, and quality assurance. We also discuss the critical role of standards in scaling additive manufacturing, including why ISO and ASTM standards matter for production, defense, aerospace, and regulated industries.

Key topics include:

• The real state of the additive manufacturing market in 2026
• Why Powder Bed Fusion still dominates metal AM—and where DED is gaining ground
• How AI is being applied inside AM processes, not just data analysis
• Defense vs. non‑defense AM growth and market hype
• What skills the next generation of AM professionals must develop
• Why process chains, production readiness, and standards will define the next phase of AM adoption