Episode 143 - Eric Utley, Applications Engineering Manager at Protolabs

"Computational design and 3D printing go together like peanut butter and chocolate." For most of its history, 3D printing was considered speculative, risky, even fringe. Today, says Eric Utley, 3D printing applications engineering manager at Protolabs, it's boring, and that's exactly the point. In this episode of Manufacturing Matters, TECH B2B Marketing's Jimmy Carroll sits down with Utley, a 16-year veteran of the additive manufacturing industry, to explore how 3D printing has quietly evolved from a rapid prototyping curiosity into mainstream production technology, and where it's headed next. The conversation covers how Fortune 500 companies like GE and HP helped shift additive manufacturing toward end-use production, why the explosion of application-specific materials is one of the clearest signs of the industry's maturation, and how customers are increasingly designing parts specifically for 3D printing rather than as a stepping stone to other processes. Additional topics include the growing role of AI and computational design, how hobbyists are quietly driving innovation, and why algorithmic-based design processes paired with digital manufacturing are creating new opportunities.https://www.manufacturing-matters.comhttps://www.techb2b.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/manufacturing-matters/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manufacturing_matterspodcast/#manufacturing #automation #additivemanufacturing #3dprinting #manufacturingmatters #techb2bSupport the show