Erik Palitsch

Erik Palitsch is the CEO and co-founder of Freeform, a company at the forefront of AI-driven metal 3D printing technology. Here's a comprehensive overview of his background and current role:

Professional Background

Erik Palitsch has an extensive career in the aerospace industry, particularly in propulsion development:

• He began his career as a Field/Laboratory Technician at CME Associates in 2000.2
• Worked at NASA as a Solid Propulsion Systems Cooperative Education Student in 2004 and later as a Solid Propulsion Systems Engineer in 2005.2
• Interned at SpaceX in 2006 as a Propulsion Development Intern.2
• Joined SpaceX full-time in 2008, where he had a successful career in propulsion development2:
  • Started as a Propulsion Development Engineer
  • Progressed to Propulsion Development Responsible Engineer (RE)
  • Led the Merlin Vacuum team
  • Served as the Propulsion Development Manager

Freeform

In 2018, Erik co-founded Freeform and became its CEO.2 Under his leadership, Freeform has achieved significant milestones:

• Developed an AI-driven platform for metal 3D printing, providing real-time predictive control over the complex physics of the process.1
• Secured investments from NVIDIA's NVentures and AE Ventures.13
• Joined NVIDIA's Inception program to support cutting-edge startups.1
• Building the world's first AI-native, autonomous metal 3D printing factory.13

Vision and Impact

Erik Palitsch is driving innovation in advanced manufacturing:

• He aims to transform the manufacturing industry by combining AI, supercomputing, and advanced sensing.13
• Under his leadership, Freeform is addressing critical pain points in traditional 3D metal printing, such as inconsistent quality and long delays.1
• The company's technology is being embraced by industry leaders like Boeing for certifying and scaling metal parts for commercial aviation and defense.1

Education

Erik has a strong educational background in aeronautics and astronautics:

• Associate in Science (A.S.) from Hudson Valley Community College (2002)2
• Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Dual Major, Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2005)2
• Master of Science (M.S.) in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Purdue University (2008)2

Erik Palitsch's experience at SpaceX and his innovative work at Freeform position him as a leader in the advanced manufacturing and aerospace industries, driving the convergence of AI and hardware-accelerated computing in metal production.