Beyond the Printer: Automation’s Role in the Next Generation of AM

In this episode of the Additive Snack Podcast, host Fabian Alefeld is joined by Oliver Elbert, Head of Additive Manufacturing at Grenzebach, to discuss the pivotal role of automation in scaling additive manufacturing. They delve into Grenzebach’s extensive expertise in industrial automation and its recent ventures into additive manufacturing. The conversation covers the challenges and benefits of automating post-processing tasks, increasing equipment efficiency, and optimizing labor dynamics. They also explore notable projects like the Next Gen AM and the Polyline project, highlighting how automation can significantly enhance production availability and reduce manual intervention. Oliver provides insights into the integration of automated guided vehicles (AGVs), robots, and job exchangers in additive manufacturing, and discusses the future potential of fully automated production environments. 00:00 Introduction to Additive Snack Podcast 00:18 The Challenge of Automating Additive Manufacturing 01:07 Introducing Grenzebach and Oliver Elbert 02:22 History and Evolution of Grenzebach 06:33 Grenzebach’s Entry into Additive Manufacturing 08:31 The Slow Adoption of Automation in Additive Manufacturing 14:34 The Dual Setup Station and Its Impact 19:25 Automation Solutions for Various Industries 23:52 The Future of Automation in Additive Manufacturing 24:48 Challenges and Opportunities in Automation 34:13 The Role of Humanoids in Industrial AM 36:20 Conclusion and Future Outlook

You can listen to Beyond the Printer: Automation’s Role in the Next Generation of AM online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Beyond the Printer: Automation’s Role in the Next Generation of AM is an episode from Additive Snack by Fabian Alefeld.

This episode is 37:49 long.

This episode was published on Jan 27, 2026.

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