Ottawa, Ontario – Equispheres continues to develop its knowledgeable and experienced leadership team to accelerate the industrialization of metal additive manufacturing. The Ottawa-based materials technology company recently welcomed Dr. Adrian Keppler to its Board of Directors.  

 “Adrian is both a great ambassador for the metal additive manufacturing industry, and a great resource for us. He knows this business from every angle and has boundless enthusiasm for metal 3D printing,” says Equispheres’ CEO Kevin Nicholds. 

Keppler has deep connections to the industry. He was a member of the executive team at EOS for many years and is now an advisor and board member for several companies within the metal AM supply chain. 

“I believe in metal 3D printing,” Keppler comments. “It will add significant value to the overall manufacturing community. To achieve that, we must work on the economics; the cost per part must be reduced. Materials play a major role in this equation.” 

“Keppler has a unique grasp of what’s needed to bring metal AM into mainstream manufacturing. He has joined Equispheres because he believes engineered, productivity-enhancing materials are one of the key elements for the future of additive manufacturing.” – Kevin Nicholds, CEO, Equispheres 

 Keppler says his focus is to make people aware of how Equispheres’ materials enable more efficient manufacturing and boost productivity. “Equispheres is not just a powder manufacturer; it is a technology company engineering high-strength materials and optimizing them to be used efficiently in 3D printing. This is what users of additive manufacturing need, today and in the future.” 

Since leaving EOS, Keppler has directed his skills to scaling metal AM for industrial production. He founded AM Scalation, a consulting team of AM experts focused on helping OEMs, contract manufacturers, and end users increase the production of 3D printed parts. 

His experience will be valuable to Equispheres as the materials supplier adds capacity for AM powders from its new reactors.  

Dr. Keppler is also Senior Advisor for Digital Manufacturing at H&Z, a management consulting firm in Europe. He holds a PhD in Geotechnical Engineering from Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich and a degree in Business Administration from the University of Zurich. 

During this period of rapid growth for metal AM, Keppler believes the sector needs to build credibility. “As an industry, we have to regain the trust of potential customers. Delivering what is promised is key! This is how Equispheres is differentiating itself already in the market. Trust is about technical, measurable results and not about future possible business potential.” 

Equispheres’ materials have consistently shown increased build rates compared with traditional aluminum powders, with no adverse effects on mechanical properties