Micah Chaban is the founder and Vice President of Sales at RapidMade, a U.S.-based advanced manufacturing firm known for its agility in custom 3D printing, rapid tooling, and precision engineering services. Under his leadership, RapidMade has become a key partner to manufacturers navigating the transition from prototyping to scalable additive production. With deep expertise in engineering design, sales strategy, and manufacturing operations, Micah offers a technical yet accessible perspective on where additive manufacturing (AM) stands today—and how it can be strategically scaled for tomorrow.
How do you see the role of additive manufacturing evolving in 2025 and beyond?
It’s not about whether AM is useful anymore—it’s about how to deploy it efficiently at scale. For the last decade, the industry has focused heavily on prototyping. That made sense. Prototyping is low-risk, fast, and ideal for what AM does best—speed, iteration, and part consolidation. But what’s changed is the production-readiness of the technology. We’re now in a phase where companies are saying, “Okay, we’ve proven it works. Now how do we do this reliably at volume?” That’s where we come in.
At RapidMade, we see more customers moving from proof-of-concept to bridge manufacturing or low-volume production. They’re looking for design-for-AM support, certified materials, and repeatable processes. Our job is to eliminate friction—from material selection to post-processing—so they can focus on output and performance.
The industry seems to be facing some key barriers to scaling. What do you think are the most pressing challenges?
There are three big ones: materials, cost, and digital integration.
First, material availability is still limited—especially for metals and composites with regulatory certification. We get clients in aerospace and medical who want performance-grade materials, but the options are narrow unless they’re willing to invest in internal R&D or qualification processes.
Second, cost remains a major concern. Even though machines are getting faster and more affordable, the overall system—including software, labor, post-processing, and QA—is still expensive. You can’t just buy a printer and expect it to run production-grade parts without infrastructure behind it.
Lastly, digital integration is a real issue. AM often sits outside the MES or ERP ecosystem. That’s a problem if you’re trying to scale. You need traceability, scheduling, and quality data to live alongside your traditional workflows. Until those systems talk to each other, AM is going to feel like a bolt-on rather than a core capability.
What are companies doing right when it comes to adopting additive manufacturing at scale?
The ones who succeed understand that AM isn’t just a machine—it’s a process. They’re not just buying hardware; they’re investing in design training, software tools, and supply chain alignment.
The best examples we’ve seen are companies that form internal AM teams with cross-functional ownership. Engineering, procurement, operations, and QA all have a seat at the table. These firms also tend to be deliberate about where AM adds value—things like tooling, jigs and fixtures, or parts with complex geometries that can’t be machined.
When you align the right application with the right process—and pair that with organizational support—you can scale quickly and efficiently. That’s exactly what we help companies do.
What’s RapidMade’s role in helping companies overcome these challenges?
We act as both a manufacturing partner and a technical consultant. If you need 10,000 plastic parts for a bridge production run, we’ll deliver that. If you need a titanium bracket certified for aerospace, we’ll help you design it, select the right process, and manage production from start to finish.
We specialize in helping clients deploy additive at scale by solving upstream and downstream problems. That includes everything from DfAM—Design for Additive Manufacturing—to material qualification and post-processing workflows.
Because we’re vertically integrated, we’re not just printing parts. We’re building fixtures, verifying tolerances, applying coatings, and delivering ready-to-use components that fit right into your assembly line.
What trends are you seeing in material development for AM?
Customization is the big theme. Off-the-shelf materials aren’t always good enough anymore. More clients want specific mechanical or thermal properties—impact resistance, RF shielding, bioinert surfaces, you name it. That’s led to a surge in vendor-formulated and internally developed materials.
We’re seeing a lot of movement in carbon fiber-reinforced polymers for tooling, ceramic-infused resins for electronics, and flame-retardant composites for aerospace interiors. The challenge is validating these materials at scale. That’s where we help—by testing, certifying, and integrating new materials into real-world manufacturing systems.
Let’s talk economics. Is AM really cost-effective for production?
Yes—and no. If you’re making millions of identical parts, traditional injection molding is still more economical. But if you’re producing 500 to 5,000 units, need tight turnaround, or want to consolidate assemblies, AM can beat traditional methods both in cost and speed.
Where AM shines is in applications where flexibility matters more than volume. Think of products that evolve quickly, parts that need frequent customization, or supply chains that can’t support long lead times. That’s where the ROI becomes undeniable.
At RapidMade, we focus on helping clients optimize the break-even point. We can show them when to print, when to mold, and when to transition from one to the other. It’s a strategic decision, not a binary one.
What advice would you give to engineering teams just starting to scale their AM operations?
Don’t try to build everything in-house on day one. Additive manufacturing looks simple from the outside, but the learning curve is steep—especially when you’re dealing with certified materials, dimensional tolerances, and real production demands.
Start by outsourcing to a partner who can show you the ropes. Let us help you identify the right parts, optimize the design, and deliver production-quality output. As your volume grows and your team gains experience, you can internalize more of the process.
Also, don’t treat AM like a standalone department. Integrate it with design, operations, and quality from the start. That’s how you turn prototypes into production.
How can companies get started with RapidMade?
It’s easy. Just visit rapidmade.com or email us at info@rapidmade.com for the world’s best 3D printing service. We’ll connect you with one of our engineers for a consultation. Whether you’re in early development or ready to scale production, we’ll help you figure out the most efficient, cost-effective path forward.
We’re here to make additive work—for prototyping, tooling, or end-use parts—at any stage of the product lifecycle. Scalable. Certified. Repeatable.
Let’s build something better.