Additive Snack

Fabian Alefeld interviews Brandon Brodie, co-founder and CEO of Annihilator Broadheads, about how an Idaho elk hunt and a lost bull sparked a new broadhead concept sketched by Brandon’s future partner Micah. They describe turning the 2D sketch into plastic CAD prototypes via Boise State, a makeshift “wind tunnel” test using Instant Pot steam, and early performance goals of flight, penetration, durability, and lethality. Field and improvised tests (steel drum, long-range accuracy, animal kills) plus third-party fluid dynamics modeling suggested Annihilator’s design created unusually large high-pressure and low-tension effects.  

After major supply failures with investment casting and metal injection molding - causing shortages, high scrap rates, and lost dealers - Brodie brought manufacturing in-house, adopting metal laser powder bed fusion, improving repeatability and enabling new geometries like the Katana. He outlines ongoing innovation, potential adjacent products, and plans to leverage Annihilator’s additive capabilities for partnerships and contract manufacturing. 

02:26 Elk Camp Origin 

06:43 Sketch to Prototype 

11:36 Instant Pot Wind Test 

14:44 Performance Pillars 

18:41 Steel Drum Proof 

22:45 Real Hunt Validation 

26:45 Fluid Dynamics Breakthrough 

30:41 Engineering Led Marketing 

33:32 Manufacturing Growing Pains 

34:27 Industry Award Surprise 

35:53 COVID Demand Crunch 

36:54 Casting Supplier Failures 

39:40 MIM Tooling Disaster 

42:30 Additive Breakthrough 

46:35 Learning Metal Printing 

49:55 Repeatability and Materials 

52:56 Katana Broadhead Innovation 

57:49 Scaling R&D Team 

Creators and Guests

Host
Fabian Alefeld

What is Additive Snack?

Join host Fabian Alefeld and a range of guests as they discuss all things additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing news, with interviews and real-world stories to educate and entertain. Each episode, Fabian talks to AM experts, professionals in specialist fields, and 3D printing users from all walks of life to deliver a well-rounded view on the state of AM.

Cut through the confusion surrounding polymer and metal additive manufacturing solutions with our digestible, down-to-earth discussions that deliver insights into common mistakes and best practice tips so you can get a clear understanding of AM — layer for layer.

Whether you’re curious about 3D printing technology for the aerospace industry, a deep dive into post processing, or applications of injection molding — we leave no spare parts behind. We want to provide you with the additive insight needed to stay laser focused and leverage every opportunity 3D printing materials have to offer.

Join us for an Additive Snack and we’ll help you and your business achieve growth and success through the latest developments in AM.

No marketing B.S. and no product pitches. Just the education, inspiration and information you and your organization need to drive business growth, brought to you by global AM leader EOS.

Get ready to feed your AM knowledge and find your path to success!