Material Management in Additive Manufacturing: What ‘Good’ Actually Looks Like

Authentise Team
Feb 8
3 min read

Updated: Dec 5

Why Material Management Still Holds AM Back

Material is one of the most influential variables in additive manufacturing. Powder quality determines:

density
surface finish
mechanical integrity
porosity
fatigue life

Yet most organisations still track materials using spreadsheets, labels, and manual logs. That system worked when AM meant “one machine in an R&D lab.” It collapses the moment you scale to:

multiple machines
multiple sites
external labs
aerospace or medical audits

This article explains what good material management actually looks like, and how you can build a complete genealogy from powder to finished part.

For background, see also: Future of Material Management

👉 Improving Customer Service in Manufacturing

The Hidden Cost of Poor Material Management

Most AM teams underestimate how much waste, rework, and risk is caused by weak tracking.

H3: Common issues include:

Losing track of re-use cycles
Using powder beyond allowable thresholds
Mixing blends without documentation
Failing audits due to missing records
Materials expiring unnoticed
No link between material batch and final geometry
Inconsistent consumables usage
Incorrect withdrawal amounts
Stock levels constantly inaccurate

Small errors create big consequences.

In highly regulated sectors, a single missing batch certificate can invalidate an entire production run.

What ‘Good’ Material Management Looks Like

If you walked into an aerospace-grade AM facility with strong traceability, you’d see the following:

1. A Single Source of Truth for All Materials

Instead of spreadsheets, everything is managed in a unified system:

batch IDs
supplier details
certifications
expiry dates
storage conditions
re-use counts
chain of custody
stock location

Every action is traceable - no guesswork.

2. Automated Tracking of Re-Use Cycles

Metal AM relies heavily on powder re-use. Without accurate tracking, unexpected porosity or mechanical failures appear.

A mature system handles:

sieving events
blending
lifecycle limits
automatic warnings
withdrawal and return logging
contamination prevention

3. Full Material Genealogy

This is the backbone of good material management. A closed-loop genealogy connects:

powder batch → build → machine data → operator → post-processing → tests → certification

This is the core theme behind: Smart, Traceable, Efficient

4. Integration With Workflow, Machines, and Quoting Tools

Material data should flow automatically into:

build travellers
scheduling
costing
quoting
MES workflows
reporting

This level of interoperability was demonstrated in: 3D Spark / Digifabster / Paperless Parts Integrations

This prevents teams from printing with the wrong batch or miscalculating inventory.

5. Real-Time Visibility of Stock Levels

This includes:

powders
filaments
resins
gases
supports
consumables

“Do we have enough material to start this build?” should always have an instant answer.

Why Material Management Is Becoming a Certification Requirement

In aerospace and defence programmes - such as the UK’s DECSAM initiative - material genealogy is becoming a central requirement for qualification.

The Impact of Good Material Management on Quality

Better Predictability

Consistent material handling means predictable builds.

Reduced Scrap

Re-use cycles are controlled, not guessed.

Faster Root Cause Analysis

When failures occur, you can see:

exact batch
exact re-use count
exact processing steps

Higher Certification Confidence

You can prove every step of the part’s history.

How to Implement Effective Material Management

Organisations typically progress through four maturity stages.

Stage 1 — Manual Tracking

Spreadsheets + shared drives. Works… until it doesn’t.

Stage 2 — Partial Systemisation

Some scanning, some internal tools. Better, but still inconsistent.

Stage 3 — Connected Toolchain

Workflow, machines, materials, and testing linked together.

Stage 4 — Full Digital Thread

Every material-related action permanently tied to the part’s lifecycle.

This is the foundation for large-scale manufacturing.

Conclusion — Material Management Is the Foundation of Good Additive Manufacturing

Machines can’t fix poor material control. Even the best-built part will fail if built on bad powder.

That’s why the organisations scaling AM fastest aren’t just buying better hardware — they’re building better material governance.

The payoff is huge:

higher reliability
stronger compliance
lower waste
faster certification
predictable production

Recommended Authentise Tools

Materials Management — track batches, re-use cycles, stock levels
Authentise Flows — connect material data to workflow
Authentise Threads — link material genealogy to testing
Digital Design Warehouse — maintain secure versions of build files

Want to Bring Order to Your AM Material Process?

See how leading manufacturers automate material genealogy across entire programmes. Book a demo

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