EP 104 — Impac Systems Engineering's Justin Smart On Cutting The Weight From An Aerospace Part Without Losing Structural Performance

Justin Smart has spent 30 years in additive manufacturing. Now at Impac Systems Engineering, he helps manufacturers adopt 3D printing for production-scale applications, including a continuous carbon fiber process that reduces an aerospace component's weight by 78% while matching the original's load capacity and vibration modulus.

Justin tells Dave how photopolymers went from sun-sensitive prototypes to engineering-grade plastics in five years, how metal printing costs dropped to a fifth of what they were, and what it actually takes to scale additive beyond prototyping.

Topics discussed:

• Photopolymers going from sun-sensitive to engineering grade
• Metal printing entry costs dropping fivefold in five years
• Continuous carbon fiber forced through 3D printed parts
• A weldment replacement at 78% less weight for space
• Printing almost 13,000 small gears in one 12-hour build
• Shipping containers converted into deployable drone factories
• Workforce pipeline changes as 3D printing enters universities

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