David Thompson

What's your favourite element? Tough question... but for electrical engineers, especially those working with semiconductors, silicon has to be up there.

With low electrical resistance,strong stability even at higher temperatures,and low reactivity, the element is perfect for crafting electronic and computing components. It's also one of the most abundant elements in the world, making it easy to source and providing ample opportunity for development and innovation.

But if we're going to combine silicon and AME,there are some challenges to overcome. 

Silicon's resilience at high temperatures is both a blessing and a curse, as it makes extrusion almost impossible. Its highly viscose nature also makes accurate 3D printing difficult, and AME processes can be slow.

These are obstacles, but they are not dead ends. As 3D printing methods and technologies advance, silicon will become increasingly common as an AME material. For electrical engineers, this is going to be very exciting indeed.