Capt. Erin Hager pours the powdered form of AF-9628 steel into a powder bed fusion machine. In this type of additive manufacturing, a laser selectively melts powder in a pattern to create three-dimensional objects. As each layer is complete, the printer dispenses more powder on the build area, and the process continues until the part is complete. Once Hager verified that the powder melted predictably in the machine, she began creating actual test articles. (Courtesy photo/Air Force Institute of Technology)