The Future of Manufacturing, with Erik Palitsch & TJ Ronacher (Co-Founders of Freeform)

This week on Pathfinder, we explore the future of 3D metal printing and manufacturing with Erik Palitsch and TJ Ronacher, co-founders of Freeform, a pioneering startup aiming to redefine industrial-scale additive manufacturing. Both SpaceX alumni, Erik and TJ share their journeys from leading projects on the Merlin and Raptor engines to co-founding Freeform, where they’re using high-power lasers and real-time process control to create a new era of rapid, scalable 3D printing.We dive into how Freeform’s approach is addressing longstanding challenges in the additive industry, from quality control to production speed. Erik and TJ outline their vision for Freeform as a “manufacturing as a service” model, where clients can access high-quality printed parts without the steep learning curve and costs of traditional additive systems. We also discuss:The engineering challenges they tackled at SpaceX and how that shaped Freeform’s technology and business modelFreeform’s technology, including their real-time closed-loop process that enables unprecedented print speeds and precisionTheir vision for the “factory of the future,” where autonomous 3D printing facilities operate globallyThe role of 3D printing in off-planet manufacturing and its impact on space explorationAnd much more… • Chapters •00:00 - Intro00:35 - TJ's background02:15 - Erik's time at SpaceX before Freeform07:25 - How has materials in 3D printing changed in the past 10 years?12:27 - Manufacturing as a service and the tech at Freeform18:16 - 3D printing vs traditionally manufactured parts23:11 - What is the tech that Freeform is building?32:45 - True factory scale 3D printing37:10 - Traction beyond space38:06 - What Freeform is printing today38:41 - Revenue and customers41:53 - Manufacturing capability today and in the future43:51 - Advice for investors looking to invest in 3D printing49:18 - Future of 3D printing54:24 - What will off-planet 3D printing look like?57:08 - Favorite stories from SpaceX days60:47 - Milestones to look out for • Show notes •Freeform’s website — https://freeform.co/Freeform’s socials —https://x.com/freeform_futureMo's socials — https://twitter.com/itsmoislamPayload’s socials — https://twitter.com/payloadspace / https://www.linkedin.com/company/payloadspacePathfinder archive — Watch: https://www.youtube.com/@payloadspacePathfinder archive — Listen: https://pod.payloadspace.com/episodes • About us •Pathfinder is brought to you by Payload, a modern space media brand built from the ground up for a new age of space exploration and commercialization. We deliver need-to-know news and insights daily to 19,000+ commercial, civil, and military space leaders. Payload is read by decision-makers at every leading new space company, along with c-suite leaders at all of the aerospace & defense primes. We’re also read on Capitol Hill, in the Pentagon, and at space agencies around the world.Payload began as a weekly email sent to a few friends and coworkers. Today, we’re a team distributed across four time zones and two continents, publishing five media properties across multiple platforms:1) Payload, our flagship daily newsletter, sends M-F @ 9am Eastern2) Pathfinder publishes weekly on Tuesday mornings (pod.payloadspace.com)3) Polaris, our weekly policy briefing, publishes weekly on Tuesdays4) Payload Research, our weekly research and analysis piece,  comes out on WednesdaysYou can sign up for all of our publications here: https://payloadspace.com/subscribe/