From Faster Development to More Consistent Production: A Webinar on Resonant Mixing for AM Materials
We’ve all shaken a jar to mix something. Now imagine doing it 60 times per second, at forces of up to 100G, applied to some of the most advanced materials used in additive manufacturing. This is Vertical Resonant Oscillatory Mixing (VROM), and for many AM teams it addresses a variable that is often overlooked: material preparation before a feedstock ever reaches the printer.
Additive manufacturing is moving beyond rapid prototyping and into more demanding production environments, but materials preparation is still one of the biggest constraints. Achieving consistent dispersion and reducing batch-to-batch variability are persistent challenges. Scaling formulations from lab to production adds another layer of complexity, across powders, binders, and composite systems.
How can material mixing methods improve repeatability across development and production? Where do conventional mixing approaches fall short when working with advanced AM feedstocks? And how can a single mixing principle support everything from early-stage formulation work to industrial-scale manufacturing?
These were the questions at the center of 3Dnatives’ webinar with Montana Mixers.
Attendees learned how resonant mixing differs from conventional methods and where it offers advantages in AM material preparation. The session also covered how the same mixing principles apply across development, scale-up, and production. Additionally, it presented an overview of the Dry Metal Alloying (DMA) process, where VROM’s dispersion and coating capabilities enable LPBF-printable powdered alloys to be mixed directly from their constituents.
Meet the Speakers
Dr. Peter Lucon is Chief Innovation Officer at Montana Mixers and a mechanical engineer with extensive experience in product development, machine design, and materials processing. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Montana State University and is an inventor on 16 granted U.S. patents, with additional patents pending. At Montana Mixers, his work supports the development and scale-up of resonant mixing technologies for additive manufacturing applications.
Layton Bahnmiller is an application engineer at Montana Mixers. Layton grew up on a farm in central Montana, which gave him a hands-on approach to engineering that’s carried through his career, from steel manufacturing to NASA research facilities. He recently defended his Master’s thesis in mechanical engineering, focused on resonant mixing material behavior, and brings deep practical experience in resonant mixing, additive manufacturing, and material processing.
If material consistency is a challenge in your workflow, catch the replay. It’s a must watch.
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*All Photo Credit: Montana Mixers
