Home-AMA: Energy 2026: [INTERVIEW] How Large-Scale Metal AM is Helping Energy OEMs Break Free from Forging and Casting Delays

WithAMA: Energy 2026just around the corner, 3D Printing Industry is taking a closer look at the role of additive manufacturing in the energy sector. In this critical industry, a missing forged component does not just delay a shipment. It can ground an entire maintenance operation for the better part of a year.

Forging queues, foundry backlogs, and multi-supplier coordination have long been accepted as the cost of doing business in energy manufacturing. But as lead times stretch beyond twelve months for critical high-performance alloy components, more OEMs are looking at large-scale metal AM as a way to take back control of their supply chains.

I sat down with Yash Bandari, Director of Business Development atFastech Engineeringto understand how that shift is playing out on the ground and what it will take for the approach to scale across the sector.

The 2026 edition of ourAMA: Energy online conferencereturns this month. Register now!

Large-Scale AM Enters the Supply Chain Conversation

When Bandari describes how these conversations typically begin, the trigger is almost always accumulated pressure. “Energy OEMs typically approach us when they face long lead times, supply chain constraints, or limited manufacturing flexibility with traditional processes such as forging or casting,” he explains.

For most OEMs that reach out to Fastech, finding an alternative is already a settled decision. The real challenge is qualifying one fast enough to matter.

The contract manufacturer’s solution to that pressure relies on two wire-based processes. Wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) deposits material at rates of 1 to 5 kg/h using a MIG-based system, suiting large and thick components where deposition speed is the priority.

On the other hand, laser-wire directed energy deposition (LW-DED) runs slower at deposition rates of 0.4 to 0.6 kg/h but produces a finer surface finish, making it better suited to parts with tighter geometric requirements.

Source: 3D Printing Industry