Q&A: Dr. Manyalibo “Ibo” Matthews, Deputy Group Leader, Laser Materials Group, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA

Dr. Matthews and his team have developed a new laser-based method for 3D printing of large metal objects called Diode-Based Additive Manufacturing (DiAM). It uses high-powered lasers to flash-print an entire layer of metal powder. The process will enable large metal objects to be printed in a fraction of the time typically needed for metal 3D printers.