I recently joined ASTM International's F50 committee, the group writing the standards and
methodologies for putting AI to work in manufacturing. I'll be upfront about where I'm
coming from. I didn't arrive at this as an AI researcher. I came to it from the additive side,
where I've spent years watching a technology go from interesting demo to qualified
production part. That climb is the reason I wanted a seat at this table, because I think AI in
manufacturing is about to make the same climb, and for the same reason.

The technology is moving fast. That part isn't in question. The harder problem, and the one
that hasn't really changed, is turning AI from something with potential into something that
actually changes how a shop runs.

The clearest way I've heard that problem framed comes from Dr. Jay Lee of the University
of Maryland, who chairs F50. In a recent paper, he and his colleagues lay out what they
call the ABCDE of engineering AI, the five ingredients every system depends on:

• A Algorithms: the models and methods that power an AI system.

• B Big Data: the information coming off machines, processes, and operations.

• C Computing: the chips and infrastructure to process and scale it.

• D Domain Knowledge: a real understanding of how the process and the parts behave.

• E Ecosystem: the people, partners, integrations, and standards that make it work in practice.

Here's the part that matters. The first three, the algorithms, the data, and the compute, are
increasingly available to everyone. You can rent the compute, download the models, and
collect the data. They are becoming commodities. What you can't download is domain
knowledge and a working ecosystem. Those are the real differentiators, and they happen
to be the two things a manufacturer with real operational experience already has. The
shops that get results from AI are the ones who ground it in how their process actually
works, not the ones chasing the flashiest model.

That is also where standards come in, and it is why I think they matter more than the tools
do. The moment you try to deploy AI on a real line, the same questions surface every time:
whether the system actually works, whether the data feeding it is good enough to trust,
what success looks like and how you measure it, and how any of it connects to the
systems you already run. None of those are questions a single vendor's product can
answer. They are industry questions, and the only way to answer them consistently is with
shared standards. Standards are what reduce the risk, let different systems work together,
and build enough trust in the results that people will actually put them into production.
Without them, every AI project stays a one-off, and one-offs don't scale.

This is familiar ground for me, because it is exactly what happened with additive. The thing
that moved 3D printing off the prototype bench and into real production wasn't a better
printer. It was the standards work that let an aerospace or medical buyer trust a printed
part. ASTM's additive committee, F42, governs how a part is physically made and qualified.
F50 governs the data and AI layer that runs on top of it. Same factory, two floors. If you
already work on the first floor, the second one is the next step up.

So I see this as a natural progression for any manufacturer already investing in digital
processes, additive, 3D scanning, and connected workflows. The value of AI is tied directly
to the quality and availability of your data, and shops that have already gone digital have
that foundation in place. They are often the best positioned to use AI, because the hard
part, getting good data off the floor, is already underway.

AI is going to keep advancing whether any of us are ready or not. But whether a
manufacturer gets real value from it or just ends up with a graveyard of stalled pilots will
come down to more than tools. It will come down to practical frameworks, shared
standards, and a willingness to work across the industry instead of in isolation. That is the
work F50 is doing, and it is why I joined.

At M5D, we are putting real effort into shaping how AI gets applied on the factory floor, and
into helping our customers figure out where it delivers and where it doesn't. If any of this is
on your radar, the F50 committee is open, and it could use more people who know what
the floor actually looks like. Take a look, and consider getting involved.

Learn more and sign up for the ASTM: ASTM International Forms Artificial Intelligence Committee for Manufacturing | ASTM 

 M5D (formerly MasterGraphics) has expanded its position as a leading HP 3D printing partner in the United States through the acquisition of TPM’s HP 3D printing and Advanced Manufacturing Technologies (AMT) business.  

This strategic move brings together complementary teams, customers, and capabilities—further strengthening M5D’s ability to deliver best-in-class support, expertise, and innovation across the HP 3D ecosystem.

As part of the transition, TPM’s HP 3D division and AMT equipment portfolio are now fully integrated into M5D. Customers can expect a seamless experience, with all existing contracts, service agreements, and support continuing without disruption.

The addition of TPM’s customers and team expands M5D’s service infrastructure and deepens its technical bench providing organizations with greater access to specialized expertise, faster support, and a partner fully focused on maximizing the value of HP 3D technologies.

Importantly, familiar relationships remain intact. Key team members have transitioned to M5D, ensuring continuity and preserving the trusted connections customers rely on every day.

“This is an exciting step forward,” said Kevin Carr, M5D CEO. “Our business has been built around HP 3D, and bringing TPM’s customers and team into M5D allows us to deliver an even higher level of service, capability, and long-term value.”

With this expansion, M5D is uniquely positioned to help customers accelerate adoption, optimize workflows, and unlock new opportunities with HP 3D printing technologies - backed by one of the most experienced and specialized teams in the country.

Every operation eventually faces it: a crucial part breaks, and the original manufacturer is long gone. No spares, no drawings, just an impossible problem and mounting downtime. When a gold mining operation in Alaska hit this wall with a corroded pump impeller vital for moving thousands of tons of sediment daily - they were out of options.

This wasn't just a breakdown; it was a crisis threatening to halt their entire production. The impeller was severely damaged, unmanufacturable by traditional means, and without any digital blueprint. Sound familiar?

In our latest case study, "Replacing the Irreplaceable: How M5D and Kaiser Aluminum Imperial Built a Digital Path to On-Demand Manufacturing," we dive deep into how M5D's expertise in 3D scanning, advanced reverse engineering, and digital modeling, combined with Kaiser Aluminum Imperial's cutting-edge metal additive manufacturing, transformed an impossible situation into a repeatable, on-demand solution.

Discover how M5D and Kaiser Aluminum Imperial:

• Took a severely degraded physical part and digitally reconstructed it with engineering precision.
• Leveraged application-specific materials and additive manufacturing to produce a highly durable replacement in just days.
• Provided a long-term strategy for obsolescence, giving the customer a digital asset for future needs.

This project isn't just about replacing a part; it's about changing how industries overcome supply chain challenges and maintain legacy equipment. If you're struggling with obsolete parts, long lead times, or complex component replacement, this case study shows what's possible with the right digital approach.

Ready to see how "irreplaceable" parts become controllable?

Some time has passed, but my first AMUG definitely lived up to the hype.

It was great catching up with familiar faces and meeting new ones, but the real value was the learning. One of my biggest takeaways came from the keynote by Steve Fournier of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. and Scott Sawyer of Divergent Technologies.

Not because of the technology itself - but because of how they approached adoption.

When Additive Becomes a Pitch

• Most additive manufacturing conversations start the same way:
• Features
• Benefits
• Design freedom
• Part consolidation
• Speed

Every company and every machine have something that stands out. Don’t get me wrong, that’s valuable. But these are also the easiest things to talk about. They’re not the conversations that change a business.

A Different Starting Point

What stood out here was simple: They didn’t start there. Instead, they started by challenging the idea itself. Divergent had already proven their additive-driven, software-defined manufacturing model in automotive. Their platform integrates:

• Design software
• Additive production
• Automated assembly

All within a fully digital manufacturing system.

Expanding Into Aerospace - Without Assumptions

The next step was expanding into aerospace and defense through their partnership with GA-ASI, specifically around unmanned aircraft systems.

On paper, it made perfect sense:

• Lightweight structures
• Complex geometries
• Performance-driven design

All strong fits for additive.
But they didn’t assume it would translate.

They Pressure Tested It

Instead of building a case for why additive should work…They focused on where it might break.

They asked:

• What carries over from automotive?
• What doesn’t translate?
• What still needs development?
• Where does the process fall short under new demands?

Because aerospace brings:

• Different requirements
• Different risk tolerance
• Different qualification standards
• Different expectations for performance and reliability

The Mindset Shift

• From selling the technology → to validating the application
• From proving upside → to exposing risk
• From excitement → to discipline

This is where additive stops being interesting…and starts becoming business-critical.

Where Projects Actually Succeed (or Fail)

This approach forces a deeper level of thinking:

• Beyond the machine → into the workflow
• Beyond a single part → into repeatability
• Beyond a pilot → into production

It does three things:

1. Challenges assumptions early
2. Aligns teams faster
3. Prevents investment in solutions that won’t scale

Because this is where most additive initiatives either gain traction or quietly stall out.

The Questions That Actually Matter

It’s easy to find parts that look like a good fit:

• Consolidated designs
• Reduced assembly
• Lightweighting

But that’s just the starting point.
The real questions come after:

• Can the material meet long-term requirements?
• Can the process support production volumes?
• Does post-processing become a bottleneck?
• Will teams actually adopt and design for it properly?
• Can the business support it beyond a pilot phase?

If those answers are unclear…The project is already at risk.

Pressure Testing Isn’t Negative, It’s Necessary

This level of scrutiny isn’t pessimistic. It’s strategic.

• If the idea fails early, you save time, money, and resources
• If it survives, you move forward with something that can scale

How We Approach It at M5D

At M5D, this is how we approach additive:

• ·Not just where it fits
• But where it holds up under real conditions
• Not just what it can do
• But what it can’t

Because the goal isn’t to force additive into the process.

The Real Goal

The goal is to find where it actually works and build from there.

That’s what drives real adoption.
Not hype. Not features.

 But applications that survive the test. 

Evaluate Where Additive Actually Works

If you're exploring additive manufacturing, the biggest risk isn’t choosing the wrong machine—
it’s moving forward without validating the application.

At M5D, we help teams pressure test additive before they invest.
Schedule an Additive Assessment here, Zach Carr

Zach Carr
zcarr@m5d.com
(312) 982.426

 Electric racing is pushing engineering boundaries in ways that traditional motorsports never had to consider. 

Battery performance, thermal management, weight reduction, and rapid iteration all have to come together simultaneously. For many engineering teams, the real challenge isn’t just designing the solution — it’s testing and refining it quickly enough to stay competitive.

That’s exactly the challenge the InMotion student team at Eindhoven University of Technology set out to solve.

Their prototype race car, Revolution, is an LMP3 platform designed to demonstrate a breakthrough concept: charging an electric race car nearly as fast as a gasoline car refuels.

With their latest battery technology, the team can charge the vehicle to approximately 80% in around four minutes, bringing electric endurance racing closer to reality.

But reaching that level of performance requires more than advanced battery chemistry.

It requires engineering speed.

Where Traditional Manufacturing Slows Innovation

When engineers are developing high-performance systems like battery packs, cooling solutions, and electrical connectors, designs rarely work perfectly on the first iteration.

Waiting weeks for outsourced parts can slow development dramatically.

For racing teams, that delay can mean the difference between progress and missed deadlines.

That’s why the InMotion team integrated UltiMaker 3D printing directly into their engineering workflow.

From CAD to Functional Parts in Hours

Instead of waiting for traditional manufacturing processes, engineers can move directly from CAD models to physical components.

This enables the team to test designs immediately and refine them rapidly.

Their workflow typically looks like this:

1. Rapid Prototype Validation
Engineers print early iterations using PLA to quickly validate fit, form, and mechanical function.

2. Material Transition for Performance
Once designs are validated, they move to industrial materials like PET CF, which provide higher heat resistance and structural strength.

3. End-Use Component Production
Certain components can move directly into end-use applications, dramatically reducing both cost and lead time.

Learn How Automotive Engineers Are Using Additive Manufacturing

From race cars to production vehicles, additive manufacturing is helping engineering teams close the cost-performance gap between traditional manufacturing and digital production.

Ultimaker's Guide to Additive Manufacturing in the Automotive Industry

Inside the guide you'll learn:

• Where additive delivers the most value in automotive engineering
• When 3D printing outperforms traditional manufacturing
• Real-world production and prototyping applications
• Material considerations for automotive parts

 

 

 

Download the guide to see how automotive teams are accelerating innovation with additive manufacturing.  

 

HP has just introduced the HP IF 3D 600HT, a high temperature industrial filament printer developed from the proven 3DGence Industry F421 platform—a system Cimquest has supported for years.

Many manufacturers tell us they’re struggling with applications that require more from their materials: greater heat resistance, improved chemical durability, or a lightweight alternative to metal. The 600HT addresses these challenges by enabling printing with ULTEM, PEEK, PAEK, and carbon fiber reinforced polymers—materials that aren’t achievable on powder bed systems like MJF or SLS.

Organizations working in aerospace, energy, medical, rail, and automotive also frequently ask for better consistency when working with high performance polymers. The system’s integrated Materials Management System (MMS) helps resolve these issues by drying, conditioning, and even annealing materials like PEEK to improve strength and ensure repeatable output.

Because this platform is built on an architecture our team already knows well, M5D customers can move into high performance filament printing without the uncertainty that typically comes with adopting a new technology. The 600HT simply extends HP’s ecosystem into applications where customers have been asking for more capability and more material flexibility.

A few questions to consider:

• Are heat, chemicals, or load causing failures with your current printed parts?
• Would access to ULTEM, PEEK, or carbon fiber–reinforced polymers change what you can take on?
• Is variability in filament printing limiting your ability to produce repeatable, production‑grade parts?
• How important is an open, industrial workflow for your next round of applications?

If any of these sound familiar, connect with us and we can compare notes and see whether the 600HT fits your workflow.

Dave Macfie
3D Printer Sales
Direct: 908-655-5484
Email: dmacfie@m5d.com

Ford House, Visitor Center in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan

I recently attended Innovation Unleashed: AI, Additive Manufacturing, and Cybersecurity Shaping Industry 4.0, a Michigan event hosted by Integr8 at the Ford House Visitor Center. I joined local Grosse Point expert, David Tucker, to bike to the venue! The wind was against us the whole way, but the views of beautiful homes along Lake Short Rd made for a great journey.

Biking route from Grosse Point to Ford House, Grosse Pointe Shores

It was great to see the local Detroit manufacturing community come together for real conversations about where things stand today, where progress is stalling, and how real forward movement might happen—by better connecting technology, talent, and execution.  Here are a few key themes that stood out. Sprint Mixer including Panel Experts from the Sponsors above

1.  Workforce: What's Missing?

The panel kicked off with workforce development. Manufacturing companies have open roles—how do we fill them? Is it a pipeline issue, a training gap, or something else entirely? 

From my perspective, a major challenge is the lack of manufacturing career exposure in high school and college—whether that's awareness of available roles, career paths, or advancement opportunities.  Thinking back to my 18-year-old self, I only felt confident pursuing education tracks that have been discussed by parents or family friends.

One suggestion that stood out was "pair programming" for manufacturing—a technique borrowed from software development where two collaborators with different skill levels or specialties work side-by-side.  The approach helps both people improve while also delivering better results.  The result isn't just stacking—it's skill multiplication.  So, how can this model be practically implemented in manufacturing and engineering environments?

2.  AI: Making Use of Internal Data

Most manufacturers have an invaluable resource of data at their fingertips.  The real challenge lies in structuring it, harnessing it, and putting it to work.  A key takeaway from the discussion: operational data might be the most valuable asset a manufacturer owns—but it only delivers value when mined, analyzed, and acted on, securely.

Quick aside: I'm also attending the Automate Show in Detroit this week.  On the first day, I joined a talk with Nvidia and Vention, focused on their latest AI + vision system integrations.  As someone new to concepts like RGB-D vs. lidar and the broader world of vision systems (which even connects to autonomous vehicles), it was a fascinating session.

3.  Additive Manufacturing: Still on the Launchpad

At the last two trade shows, several attendees shared the view that additive manufacturing can't yet support production-scale manufacturing.  While that may be true in some cases, there are still plenty of opportunities worth exploring.  So why does the shift from prototyping to production still feel like a crawl?

Key barriers to adoption include inconsistent print quality across batches, a lack of widely accepted qualification frameworks, and limited scalability in current workflows.

One recurring idea from the panel came from Brenda Jones, CEO of Ulendo: the tradeoff in 3D hardware between going broad versus deep.  Flexible, general-purpose machines offer adaptability—but may sacrifice speed or precision.  In contrast, niche machines are highly optimized for a single job but tend to come with higher costs and less flexibility.

Should hardware manufacturers focus more deeply on specific applications and dial in their processes?  Or is there still a viable place for jack-of-all-trades systems in production environments?

One example is SLA-based systems like Asiga print pods used in dental offices—a great use case of purpose-built technology.  But can this same strategy be applied to other industries?

My instinct says there are only a few applications or industries where the opportunity is big enough to justify deep R&D into a specialized printer.  But here's the counterpoint: is today's general-purpose technology actually falling short for the needs that already exist?  Are key applications being under-served because the tools weren't designed for them?

What's Your Take?

Are similar trends showing up in your experience?

Let's keep the conversation going—reach out at sjetton@m5d.com or connect with me on Linkedin

M5D will be hosting a seminar on Additive Manufacturing during the Annual SPE Thermoforming Conference.  This conference is dedicated to educating attendees on the development and application of thermoformed products, covering both thick and thin gauge materials.

The Additive Manufacturing track will focus on how digital manufacturing technologies are being integrated into the thermoforming industry.  Attendees will learn how these innovations can accelerate time to market, reduce costs, expand manufacturing capabilities, and support creating more cohesive production systems.  

The seminar will feature the following presentations:

1. Large-Format Printing with the Titan Pellet Extruder by 3D Systems
   This session will explore how large-format 3D printing is being used to produce thermoforming molds across various industries.  A featured case study will showcase a motorcycle fairing made from thick-gauge material, with intricate backside details created using 3D Systems' PSLA process.  The components were assembled using adhesive bonding, highlighting benefits such as faster lead times and cost savings.
2. Polypropylene (PP) Printing and Assembly with Forecast 3D
   This presentation will demonstrate how Forecast 3D leverages PP-based additive manufacturing to create detailed components for assemblies.  These parts are designed to integrate with PP-based materials like TPO and enable traditional plastic welding methods.  The process supports efficient digital manufacturing while maintaining compatibility with existing thermoplastic joining techniques.
3. Tooling with Binder Jet Sand Printing by Catalysis 3D
   Catalysis 3D will showcase how binder jetting with sand can produce high-performance thermoforming tools.  This approach results in durable molds with improved thermal characteristics and rapid development timelines, offering a cost-effective alternative to conventional tooling methods.

To conclude the seminar, I will present on Adding Value to Products Through Digital Manufacturing.  My talk will examine how emerging technologies evolve into essential enablers, focusing on the strategic benefits that digital manufacturing can bring to a product portfolio.

Click here to register for the 2025 SPE Thermoforming Conference in Atlanta, Georgia May 19-21, 2025 

Could you elevate your Approach with a Solid Plan from the Experts?

Challenge the status quo by asking yourself: Is your current additive manufacturing plan truly optimized, and how can you elevate it to new heights of success? 

Please prepare for enlightening insights as our experts share their valuable knowledge.

You'll hear from 4 expert panelists:

• Carl Douglass, CEO, DI Labs
• Brian Douglass, COO, DI Labs
• David Rosendahl, President & Co-Founder, MindFire Inc
• Kevin Carr, President, MasterGraphics

In this session, our panelists will analyze and exchange insights on:

1. How embracing Additive Manufacturing can reshape your product development approach, fostering agility and sparking creative ingenuity.
2. Why having a structured process for product development through Additive Manufacturing is not just advantageous, but essential.
3. How aligning your additive manufacturing strategies with your business goals can drive growth, boost efficiency, and amplify your competitive edge.

Whether you're a business owner, product manager, or industry professional, this webinar offers valuable insights and practical strategies for anyone seeking to enhance their additive manufacturing prowess.

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