Additive manufacturing: How lightweight design, generative engineering, and user-friendly 3D printing are reshaping industries
From Mountaineering to Additive Manufacturing
Sometimes innovation comes from the most unexpected places—like goats. In extreme mountaineering, adventurers often rely on alpine pack goats to haul gear deep into the wilderness. These animals are strong, agile, and surprisingly loyal, but their saddles—used to carry loads—are often bulky and heavy. Traditional designs use half-inch aluminum plates, wood panels, and cushioning that add unnecessary weight.
Problem: A standard saddle can weigh 7.5 lbs, eating into the goat’s carrying capacity. Since goats can only carry about 20–25% of their body weight (around 50 lbs for a 200 lb goat), that saddle alone consumes 15% of the available load.
The challenge was clear: how do you reduce saddle weight without compromising strength? This is where additive manufacturing, specifically large-format 3D printing, steps in.
Redesigning the Pack Saddle with Additive Manufacturing
By reverse-engineering the saddle, every component was analyzed for unnecessary bulk. Instead of oversized aluminum rods and plates, lightweight structural tubes and hollow 3D-printed parts could be used. This approach promises a 33% reduction in weight, translating directly into more gear capacity and greater endurance for mountaineers.
Generative design and additive manufacturing techniques allow strength to be placed exactly where it’s needed—while removing weight everywhere else. It’s a perfect example of how 3D printing enables designs that are impossible with traditional subtractive methods.
Why Ease of Use Matters in 3D Printing
This story isn’t just about goats—it’s about usability. A tool only works if it’s simple and reliable. In the past, 3D printers had a reputation for being difficult, requiring endless calibration and tuning. Many machines ended up collecting dust because they weren’t user-friendly.
Today, companies are changing that narrative by focusing on robust, high-temp printers that deliver convenience without overcomplication. Open platforms allow users to modify firmware, explore new materials, and scale their innovation without being locked into proprietary ecosystems.
Key Insight: Convenience sells. Whether it’s a mountaineer shaving weight off a pack goat saddle or an engineer producing jet engine components, ease of use drives adoption in additive manufacturing.
The Bigger Picture: Additive in Industry
The goat saddle is just one example of a much larger shift. Industries are already proving that additive is not just an alternative—it’s often the only viable solution. For instance, jet engine fan blades with hollow channels for cooling simply cannot be manufactured through CNC machining, but they can be produced additively.
While metal 3D printing is still expensive today, costs are expected to fall as adoption rises. And as the technology continues to deliver strength, customization, and efficiency, its place in industries from aerospace to medical devices becomes undeniable.
Final Thoughts
From pack goats to jet engines, additive manufacturing is reshaping the way we think about design and performance. By eliminating unnecessary weight, enabling new geometries, and making machines easier to use, 3D printing is paving the way for a new era of manufacturing. The future belongs to tools that just work—and additive is leading the charge.