Additive Manufacturing Leaders Scale Production with 24/7 Operations

Additive Manufacturing Leaders Scale Production with 24/7 Operations Two AM companies share how HP’s MJF technology enabled rapid scaling for production applications. At a Glance - Addman and Streamline 3D run MJF machines continuously, never shutting down. - Part consolidation drives adoption as companies combine multiple components into one. - Success requires complete operational infrastructure beyond just installing printing machines. The additive manufacturing (AM) industry is experiencing a significant shift from prototyping to production. The leaders of two companies at the forefront of this transformation shared their insights into how HP's Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) technology has enabled them to scale rapidly and serve their customers across multiple industries. At a customer panel presentation at HP’s Vancouver, WA facility, Keith Schneider, general manager of Addman, and Cody Laursen, co-founder and CEO of Streamline 3D, participated in a discussion moderated by Katelyn Lennon, senior campaign manager at HP Additive Manufacturing. Addman has been in additive manufacturing since 1997, making the company an industry pioneer. They focused on 3D printing technologies before discovering MJF's unique advantages for production applications. "We were looking at the technology and got really interested in the production side," said Schneider. "We started running on four machines, and then we added more. We run 24/7. We never shut down." Addman is set to invest in 81 additional HP Jet Fusion 5620 Pro printers, growing its HP Multi Jet Fusion fleet to more than 125 systems. Keith Schneider of Addman, Cody Laursen of Streamline 3D, and Katelyn Lennon of NP Additive Manufacturing. Image courtesy of Design News. The company operates facilities in California and Colorado, serving a diverse customer base that includes aerospace, defense, and technology. "There's a huge push from the Department of Defense, but also from the civilian realm," said Schneider. "We've seen a lot of companies that need parts at the speed of software. They need to change parts in an assembly, and they need part five by Monday morning. We can actually do that." Building business around customer needs Streamline 3D took a different path to MJF adoption. Laursen started in manufacturing while still in college, running a small CNC mill out of his apartment. "I got into 3D printing fairly early," said Laursen. "I thought, 'I love how fast this is.’ That really got me excited about the technology." After experimenting with various technologies, Laursen discovered MJF and recognized its production potential. "I thought, 'Well, this is amazing. I love how it works in batches,'" said Laursen. Streamline 3D has since grown significantly, focusing heavily on manufacturing applications rather than one-off prototypes. "We try to focus on production," said Laursen. "We're able to scale product opportunities. We’ve seen more opportunity for that in the last 12 to 14 months than we've seen in previous years. We’re seeing bigger production programs with a whole new level of complexity." Streamline 3D found success in the drone and robotics markets, as well as consumer products. "A lot of folks are becoming more official in manufacturing, with documentation reviews and material certifications," said Laursen, highlighting the industry’s maturation. The operational challenges of running 24/7 Both companies emphasized that success in production AM requires more than just installing machines. It requires operational infrastructure. "It's not just about how fast you can print," said Schneider. "You have to figure out your whole operating system. When you have one machine, that's one thing. When you have thousands of parts, thousands of orders, everything from the office to shipping has to be airtight." Laursen echoed this sentiment, sharing lessons learned from rapid scaling. "If I could go back in time, I'd probably start with MJF from the beginning," he said. "It forced me to really figure things out. You need to make sure your whole operation is rock solid before you scale up. Once you have multiple machines running, any system weakness gets amplified." Part consolidation & design innovation One of the most significant trends both leaders are seeing is part consolidation, using additive manufacturing to combine multiple components into single, optimized parts. "There's almost always an opportunity to consolidate four or five parts into one," said Schneider. "It's definitely becoming more common now." Laursen agreed, noting that this trend is driving an increased adoption of additive manufacturing. "There's a lot of opportunity. Part consolidation is a huge driver. As the technology matures over the years with better materials and processing, we'll see even more possibilities." Enabling entrepreneurship & Innovation Both companies are helping entrepreneurs and startups bring innovative products to market. "I have a couple of customers in the outdoor and consumer industries that started with just an engineer with an idea," said Laursen. "Now they're producing thousands and tens of thousands of parts. Some of these companies have become quite large. We worked with them from square one. It's been great seeing people go from concept to successful business." Schneider highlighted a recent milestone: "We just did our first full qualification of a machine and a product for a medical device company. That was new for us. It's fully approved now. It was a really cool process, taking a startup through the full regulatory process." Looking ahead to the future of production AM When asked about the future, both leaders expressed optimism about continued growth and technological advancement. "I think we're seeing adoption accelerate," said Laursen. "More companies are moving from 'Can we do this?' to 'How do we scale this?' That's a fundamental shift in the industry." Schneider emphasized the importance of partnerships in driving growth. "Working with HP and having their support as we scale has been critical. The technology keeps improving, and that opens up new applications and opportunities." As additive manufacturing continues to evolve from a prototyping tool to a production technology, companies like Addman and Streamline 3D are proving that with the right technology, operational excellence, and customer focus, it's possible to build substantial businesses around 3D printing, running machines 24/7 and delivering parts at the speed of software. For both entrepreneurs and established manufacturers, the message is clear: the technology is ready for production, but success requires more than just buying machines. It demands a complete operational system, a focus on customer needs, and a willingness to innovate and improve processes. "At the end of the day, it's about enabling people to make things that weren't possible before—or at least weren't economically feasible,” said Laursen. “That's what gets me excited about this technology."