Send us Fan Mail

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

Send us Fan Mail

Medical 3D printing is one of the most promising—and misunderstood—areas of additive manufacturing.
In this episode of AM Insider, we’re joined by Ben Klein, a biomedical engineer and former leader in medical additive manufacturing, to unpack what’s actually working in healthcare and why adoption takes longer than most expect.

Ben shares firsthand insight from building early medical 3D printing programs, including patient‑specific anatomical models, surgical guides, and tissue‑like training models used by surgeons and device manufacturers. We explore why hype-driven use cases often fail, how real clinical adoption happens, and what it takes for additive manufacturing to become part of the standard of care.

The conversation dives deep into workflow challenges, surgeon adoption, reimbursement realities, and how AI-driven automation could unlock the next phase of scalable medical 3D printing. Ben also offers practical advice for engineers, startups, and hospitals looking to enter the medical space—and what not to do if you want long-term success.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why medical 3D printing adoption moves slower than other industries
• Anatomical models vs. patient‑specific surgical guides
• How surgeons actually decide whether to use 3D printed tools
• Workflow and segmentation as the real bottleneck
• The role of AI in automating medical design workflows
• Reimbursement, regulation, and the path to standard of care
• Where medical additive manufacturing is headed in the next 5–10 years

Whether you’re working in additive manufacturing, medical devices, healthcare innovation, or exploring how 3D printing fits into regulated industries, this episode offers a grounded, experience‑driven look at what it really takes to succeed.

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of the AM Insider podcast, hosts Justin Hopkins and Dustin Kloempken sit down with Stefan Joens, a second-generation business owner of Elnik Systems. The conversation explores the critical but often misunderstood role of thermal processing in metal additive manufacturing, particularly for binder jetting and other sinter-based technologies.

Key Discussion Points

• Redefining Sintering: Stefan argues that sintering should be viewed as an in-process step rather than "post-processing" because a metal part is not truly complete until it has undergone this thermal cycle.
• The Science of the Furnace: The episode explains how furnaces vaporize polymer binders at low temperatures before heating metal particles just below their melting point to fuse them together. This process involves a significant shrinkage of 10% to 20%.
• Batch vs. Continuous Furnaces: For companies deciding on equipment, Stefan notes that batch furnaces offer high flexibility for various alloys and runs under 200,000 parts, while continuous furnaces are the "unbeatable" choice for high-volume, consistent production.
• The "Glass Box" Approach: Stefan shares his mission to turn the "black box" of furnace technology into a "glass box," focusing on educating users so they understand the metallurgy and physics happening inside the chamber.
• Industry Evolution: The group discusses moving past the initial industry "hype" toward a more mature phase focused on alloy development—such as titanium, copper, and Inconel—and actual production-ready parts.

Expert Recommendations

Stefan strongly advises that before making a major capital investment, companies should benchmark their parts. He encourages sending full loads of printed parts to experts, such as his sister company DSH Technologies, to prove the process works before buying a furnace. He also recommends resources like the Metal Injection Molding Association (MIMA) and the Formnext and Rapid + TCT trade shows for continued learning.