Employee Spotlight: Lucas Becker, Materials Engineer at AddUp Inc.

Meet Lucas Becker, Materials Engineer at AddUp Inc. Lucas graduated from Wright State University, majoring in materials science and engineering, and continued with an Additive Manufacturing Research fellowship there. Since working at AddUp, Lucas has shown a passion for materials engineering, thriving to expand his knowledge about the world of metal additive manufacturing and the role that materials engineers will play in the bright future of technology.

Recently we chatted with Lucas about his role at AddUp. In addition to his passion for additive, we discovered he has a few different hobbies, including watching car racing and exploring state and national parks.?

How did you start in metallurgy and, subsequently, the additive manufacturing industry?

I majored in Materials Science and Engineering at Wright State University, where I developed a love for the world of materials.?I studied under many professors that really care about what they do and what they teach, and I believe that rubbed off on me.?In my early years of college, I saw some of the incredible things happening in the news with additive, which pushed me to take the dedicated additive manufacturing course WSU offers as an elective.?I knew within the first few classes that it was game over, and additive was where I wanted to apply my materials knowledge.

Explain the importance metallurgy has on additive as an emerging technology.

In my opinion, metal additive needs a keen metallurgical eye to be successful.?In regulated industries like medical and aerospace, it is essential to have a working knowledge of the requirements for said regulations and why those regulations are there in the first place.?For example, when using medical-grade Titanium for implants, it is crucial to know how and why alpha-phase casings form in the microstructure.?These severely compromise the long-term performance of the completed part.?Knowing the how and the why of this allows for a bottom-up review of the manufacturing process to properly monitor and provide checks and fixes if needed.

How would you summarize what you do at AddUp?

I work on a wide array of projects at AddUp.?Getting to analyze different metal alloys with various excellent machines happens every day for me.?I get to do anything from performing metallographic analysis on metals that I polish down to a mirror finish to roughness analysis on finished parts. ?Metallography and material testing provide invaluable details on our processes and materials that help to dial in said processes and qualify materials for use on our machines. ?

What is your favorite part of your role?

I absolutely love collaborating with the team that we have here at AddUp.?In my time here, everyone has been incredibly helpful, and everyone is very driven.?The culture is that of safety, collective learning, and success.?I get to work with so many people with diverse professional backgrounds, so I look forward to learning something new every day.

Which company values resonate with you the most?

AddUp has shown me that educating everyone on health and safety is a core value here.?In my mind, you can’t have success without proper safety practices.?Safety has been and always will be important to me, so to be at a company that (from the beginning) has reiterated that exact sentiment is a great feeling.?Professional ethics are always at the forefront of my mind, so seeing AddUp sweat the details about health and safety was a major green flag to me.

Could you tell us the most significant project you have handled and how it has impacted our company?

I would have to say that all the work I have done to qualify materials for use has been highly pertinent to AddUp.?You can’t have an LPBF printer without metal powder to use in it!

What is AddUp doing for additive that differentiates them from other AM companies?

Besides having the best people, AddUp has some incredible technology and a drive to innovate in both hardware and software.?Additionally, the support that every one of the teams here provides to customers is unparalleled.

What do you like to do in your spare time??

In my spare time, I have quite a few different hobbies!?My hobbies range from collecting vinyl records to playing in pinball leagues and tournaments.?I’m also part of a car club and enjoy watching racing.?I enjoy hiking/being outside and exploring state and national parks.?Spending time with my family and friends is also very important to me.?

What's something you're planning on doing in the next year that you've never done?

I would really like to take racing classes the next year! I’m also planning on getting my motorcycle license.?Both have been things I’ve wanted to do for quite a while, so it’s definitely time.?I really want to get into motorsports, so I think this would be a great start for that.