01
Design for AM
Support-Free Overhangs in LPBF
Core research focus: geometries that print correctly without sacrificial supports — cutting post-processing time and material waste at the source.
LPBFDfAMTi-6Al-4V
Metal Additive Manufacturing Researcher
Open to opportunities — R&D roles · consulting · collaborations
Dr. Amit Kumar
I make metal 3D printing predictable — and profitable.
Materials engineer and industrial R&D specialist (PhD, McGill) working on laser powder bed fusion — support-free overhangs, thermo-mechanical simulation, and the powder economics most teams get wrong. Previously with Productique Québec, turning AM research into production-ready solutions for industrial partners.
Laser Powder Bed FusionDesign for AMThermo-Mechanical SimulationPowder EconomicsAI / ML
8+Years in AM research
PhDMaterials · McGill
8+Years of AM research
15+Peer-reviewed publications
2Patent applications
1Working cost model — try it
About
Research that survives contact with production.
I am a materials engineer and industrial R&D specialist (PhD, McGill University) focused on laser powder bed fusion — the physics of the melt pool, the mechanics of the build, and the economics of the powder that makes it all possible.
My core research is support-free overhangs: geometries that print correctly without sacrificial supports, cutting post-processing time and material waste at the source. In industry at Productique Québec, I developed LPBF strategies for IN625 that reached ≥99.9% density and cut surface roughness from Ra 20 µm to Ra 7 µm — moving components from R&D toward manufacturing readiness.
Introduction
Meet Dr. Amit Kumar.
The deck I share with collaborators, recruiters and industry partners. Swipe or use the arrows to walk through it right here.
Background
Lab depth, industry mileage.
A PhD in the materials, then years turning it into parts that ship.
Experience
- Additive and Digital Manufacturing SpecialistProductique Québec (CCTT), Sherbrooke · 2025–2026
Industrial R&D with manufacturing partners — LPBF strategy development, validation and scale-up for IN625 components.
- Principal InstructorAdvanced Training Program on AM Technologies, IIT Guwahati · 2024
Designed and delivered technical training on LPBF, powder-bed processing, DfAM and data-driven parameter optimisation.
- Doctoral Research FellowMcGill University, Montréal · 2018–2024
PhD research on LPBF process optimisation, defect formation and support-free overhangs, supervised by Dr. Mathieu Brochu.
- Engineering ConsultantB3D Performance Inc., Montréal · 2018–2021
Deep-tech product development — design reviews, DFMEA/DfMA, testing and prototype validation.
Education
- Ph.D., Materials EngineeringMcGill University · 2018–2024
Thesis: Laser Powder Bed Fusion of Support-Free Overhang Structure.
- Master's, Materials Science and EngineeringIIT Gandhinagar · 2014–2016
- Bachelor's, Mechanical EngineeringVisvesvaraya Technological University · 2008–2012
Recognition
McGill Engineering Doctoral AwardGATE 99.9 percentileDfAM — Wohlers Associates
Services
I help companies de-risk metal additive manufacturing.
For OEMs, machine builders, powder producers and investors: independent, research-grade answers to the questions that decide whether a part gets printed — or machined.
LP
LPBF Process Development
Parameter windows for new alloys, defect mitigation — porosity, cracking, surface finish — and build qualification support from first article to production.
TM
Thermo-Mechanical Simulation
Distortion and residual-stress prediction, support strategy optimisation, and pre-deformation compensation — fewer failed builds, less trial and error.
PW
Powder Strategy & Reuse Economics
Reuse protocols, oxygen-pickup modelling, top-up optimisation and cost-per-part modelling. The math behind my powder reuse calculator.
DF
Design for AM
Support-free overhangs, part consolidation and design rules that cut post-processing time and material waste at the source.
EV
Technology & Supplier Evaluation
Independent benchmarking of machines, powders and service bureaus — techno-commercial due diligence for buyers and investors.
TR
Training & Workshops
LPBF fundamentals, design-for-AM and powder handling for engineering teams — taught by someone who runs the builds.
Full-time R&D rolesConsulting engagementsResearch collaborations
Start a conversation →
Expertise
Six domains, one goal: parts that print right the first time.
AM
Additive Manufacturing
Deep process knowledge across LPBF — from powder characteristics to final part properties, and everything that can go wrong in between.
DF
Design for AM
Support-free overhangs and design rules that reduce post-processing. Geometry decisions made with manufacturing reality in mind.
MT
Materials Science
Titanium alloys (Ti-6Al-4V), microstructure evolution, and the process–structure–property relationships that determine part performance.
SM
Simulation
Thermo-mechanical modelling of the build process — predicting distortion and residual stress before the laser fires.
AI
AI & Machine Learning
ML-assisted defect detection and process optimisation — turning build data into decisions.
EC
Powder Economics
Reuse modelling, cost-per-part analysis and sourcing strategy. The commercial side of the powder bed.
Selected Work
Projects that moved the needle.
02
Powder Economics
Titanium Powder Reuse Model
A quantitative model of oxygen pickup, top-up dilution and batch retirement across 100 builds — the engine behind the interactive powder reuse calculator.
Reuse cyclesOxygen pickupCost modelling
03
AI / ML
ML-Assisted Defect Detection
Machine-learning approaches to in-situ defect detection in powder bed fusion — turning build data into go/no-go decisions.
In-situ monitoringClassificationLPBF
04
Process
Ti-6Al-4V Parameter Optimisation
Systematic development of parameter windows balancing density, surface finish and build rate for production-grade titanium parts.
DOEDensityTi-6Al-4V
Research
Publications, verified on ORCID.
Peer-reviewed work on laser powder bed fusion, titanium alloys, simulation and process optimisation — newest first, with links to the publisher where available.
15+Peer-reviewed works
ORCIDVerified author record
LPBFCore process focus
Ti-6Al-4VPrimary alloy system
- 2025
Progress in Additive Manufacturing
- 2025
- 2025
- 2025
Understanding Residual Stresses in the Field of Additive Manufacturing
ASM Handbook — Residual Stress Fundamentals (book chapter)
- 2024
Crack-Free Tungsten Fabricated via Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing
Advanced Functional Materials
- 2024
- 2024
Laser powder bed fusion of support free overhang structure
McGill University — doctoral thesis
- 2023
Powder bed fusion methods and related apparatus
U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2023/0405681 A1
- 2023
Materials Science and Engineering: A
- 2022
Analysis of the effect of surface morphology on tensile behavior of LPBF SS316L microstruts
Materials Science and Engineering: A
- 2022
- 2021
- 2021
- 2020
Device and method for measuring powder bed density in 3d printing/additive manufacturing operations
WIPO International Publication WO 2021/051197 A1
- 2020
Laser Powder Bed FusionSupport-Free OverhangsTi-6Al-4VThermo-Mechanical SimulationPowder ReuseDefect DetectionDesign for AMProcess Optimisation
Insights
Thinking in public.
Notes on the technology, the market, and where they collide.
★
Beyond Price per Kilogram
How powder-based manufacturing is helping America build again — the economics article behind the reuse calculator. Published on LinkedIn.
02
Why Reuse Beats Recycling
Powder in a powder bed behaves less like a raw material and more like tooling — it enables the build, survives it, and goes again.
03
The Oxygen Budget
Every reuse cycle spends a little of the powder's oxygen budget. Modelling pickup rates is how you know when a batch retires.
04
America Is Building Again
Domestic powder capacity is scaling fast. What reshoring means for who qualifies, evaluates and approves suppliers.
Interactive tool
See the thinking in action.
The Powder Reuse Calculator models oxygen pickup, top-up dilution and cost across 100 builds — the same math from my reuse research, running in your browser.
Contact
Let's build something that prints.
For recruiters: my CV is one click away, my publications are ORCID-verified, and my economics thinking runs live in the calculator. For industry: if a build keeps failing or a business case won't close — that's my inbox. Or just use the form.