Part 1: The Shallow Depths of “Deep Tech” in AM
Introduction
Additive Manufacturing (AM) is often labelled as “deep tech”, a term that implies profound scientific innovation and transformative potential. But is this label truly deserved? As someone who’s worked with AM technologies ever since 1990, I find this classification increasingly ironic.
The Myth of Novelty
Most Directed Energy Deposition (DED) techniques are, at their core, automated welding systems. The underlying technologies, arc welding, laser welding, and electron beam welding, have existed for decades. Even Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) systems, similarly rely on scanning 2D patterns with lasers or electron beams, a task that’s completely straightforward, in engineering terms.
System Integration ≠ Deep Tech
Yes, AM systems involve complex integration of subsystems, powder handling, thermal control, scanning strategies, but none of these are unique. Automation companies, that specialise in factory solutions and in providing complex system integrations, have built their reputations on solving far more intricate multi-domain engineering problems.
Materials Science: Rediscovering the Known
Laser–powder interactions have been studied since the 1980s. My own Ph.D. work, which was completed in 1994, characterised these types of metallurgy. Even then I was able to find prior art. Much of today’s AM materials research revisits known phenomena under slightly different conditions, rather than breaking new ground.
The Role of Market Perception
The “deep tech” label often serves marketing and funding purposes more than technical accuracy. It’s a language designed to attract investment, sometimes relying more on ignorance and hype than on genuine innovation.