Oqton has been named the winner of the 2026 ASTRO America and FSU InSPIRE Tech Showcase, recognized for its approach to distortion prediction and compensation in laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) of Inconel 718.
Held August 12 in Destin, Florida, the second annual showcase brought together additive manufacturing technology providers to evaluate solutions to a key production challenge: predicting and compensating for part distortion to improve manufacturing accuracy and repeatability.
Pictured left to right: Kristina Sergueeva, Corporate Development, Oqton; Steve Lokam, CEO, Oqton; Abdalla Nassar, Director and General Manager, ASTRO South, Sridharan Hariharan, VP of Sales & Customer Success, Oqton, Neal Orringer, President, ASTRO America, following the presentation of a metal 3D-printed trophy at the 2nd Annual ASTRO-InSPIRE Tech Showcase in Destin, Florida.
Advancing Simulation for Metal Additive Manufacturing
Oqton competed against Ansys, Siemens, Dassault, Autodesk, and Cadence. The challenge used real parts of interest rather than simple test articles, evaluating how participating technologies addressed practical manufacturing requirements.
“ASTRO America designed this challenge to separate research-stage tools from production-ready ones, using real parts of interest rather than simple test articles,” said Sridharan Hariharan, Global VP of Sales and Customer Success at Oqton. “We’re proud that Oqton’s approach to distortion prediction and compensation in LPBF Inconel 718 came out on top.”
Oqton’s metal 3D-printed trophy from the 2nd Annual ASTRO-InSPIRE Tech Showcase.
Why Distortion Prediction Matters
Distortion can affect part accuracy, repeatability, production costs, and qualification in metal additive manufacturing. Simulation-based prediction and compensation can help manufacturers better anticipate these challenges and improve process predictability.
Key considerations for production-ready additive manufacturing include:
- Part accuracy: Anticipating distortion that could affect final component geometry
- Process repeatability: Improving consistency across builds
- Production readiness: Evaluating simulation solutions against real industrial applications
- Manufacturing efficiency: Addressing potential issues before they lead to costly rework
Pictured left to right: Steve Lokam, CEO, Oqton; Sridharan Hariharan, VP of Sales & Customer Success, Oqton; Kristina Sergueeva, Corporate Development, Oqton, following the presentation of a metal 3D-printed trophy at the 2nd Annual ASTRO-InSPIRE Tech Showcase in Destin, Florida.
Advancing Industry Collaboration
Organized by the Applied Science and Technology Research Organization of America (ASTRO America) and Florida State University’s Institute for Strategic Partnerships, Innovation, Research, and Education (FSU InSPIRE), the showcase supports evaluating and advancing manufacturing technologies for real-world applications.
Oqton’s win underscores the importance of simulation in helping manufacturers overcome technical barriers and make metal additive manufacturing more predictable. Contact an Oqton expert today to request a demo, get a customized quote, or explore how Oqton’s software can support your additive production needs.