Part 2: Where AM Is Deep Tech—A Digital Frontier
Introduction
“Deep tech” refers to technologies that are based on substantial scientific or engineering advances and require significant R&D to develop. These are not just incremental improvements or consumer-facing widgets, they’re innovations that often push the boundaries of what’s technically possible. That is why, while much of AM’s foundation is evolutionary, it is not revolutionary. However, there are areas where it genuinely earns the “deep tech” badge. These lie not in the machines or metallurgy, but in the digital ecosystem surrounding them.
Digital Twinning and Synthesis Anywhere
The ability to create digital twins of parts and processes, simulate builds, and manufacture anywhere with consistent quality is transformative. This is where AM begins to transcend its roots and enter the realm of cyber-physical manufacturing.
AI, Machine Learning, and LLMs
The integration of AI and ML into AM workflows for optimising build parameters, predicting defects, and generating geometries is at the frontier of real innovation. Large Language Models (LLMs) are now assisting in design ideation, simulation setup, and even real-time troubleshooting.
Design Freedom and Flexibility
AM enables the realisation of geometries and internal structures that traditional manufacturing cannot. When paired with generative design and AI-driven optimisation, this flexibility becomes a powerful tool for engineers and designers. Without these powerful computing tools, AM may have always been unable to reach its full potential.
Conclusion: A Reframed Perspective
AM isn’t deep tech because it uses lasers or powders, it’s deep tech when it becomes part of a digitally orchestrated, intelligent, and distributed manufacturing system. That’s where the real innovation lies, and that’s where the future of AM should be focused.