About Us - Next Generation Additive Process Simulation

Who are We?

We are experts. Our leadership team has a combined 80+ years of experience in thermomechanical modeling and HPC. We wrote the books on this. And wrote the first legacy generation solver (CUBES by Pan Computing).

PanOptimization was founded to address the current simulation and optimization needs of the AM market; to dramatically improve simulation accuracy, to simulate parts of extreme geometric complexity and to not just predict print outcomes but to improve/optimize them. Traditional AM simulation tools do not address these needs. PanOptimization licenses the PanX solver (a finite element based engineering software) to users in the aerospace and defense, biomedical, and CAE industries, as well as machine OEMs and universities. We are located in State College Pennsylvania, just across the street from Penn State’s CIMP-3D Lab.

Pan Michaleris, Ph.D.

C.E.O.

Pan Michaleris founded PanOptimization LLC to develop and commercialize process optimization solutions for Advanced Manufacturing. In 2012, he founded Pan Computing LLC which was acquired by Autodesk in 2016. The additive manufacturing process simulation software CUBES developed by Pan Computing was commercialized as Netfabb Simulation. Dr. Michaleris became Sr. Software Architect at Autodesk and supervised the development of additive manufacturing simulation software until 2021. He has over 40 years of experience in high performance computing and thermo-mechanical process modeling such as additive manufacturing, welding and thermal forming. He has a Ph.D. in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, and has worked as a senior research engineer at Edison Welding Institute (EWI) from 1994 to 1997, and as professor at the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering of The Pennsylvania State University from 1997 to 2016. He has coauthored over 100 technical papers, one book on Minimization of Welding Distortion and Buckling, one book on Thermo-Mechanical Modeling of Additive Manufacturing and one book on Additive Manufacturing with Metals.

Erik Denlinger, Ph.D.

C.O.O.

Erik Denlinger co-founded PanOptimization LLC where he currently serves as Chief Operating Officer. His work focuses on validating and commercializing process optimization solutions for Advanced Manufacturing. Prior to joining PanOptimization he was a stakeholder and engineer at Pan Computing LLC. After the acquisition of Pan Computing LLC by Autodesk he became a Principal Research Engineer and Manager of Additive Process Simulation at Autodesk, where he also served as Product Owner of Netfabb Simulation and the Fusion 360 Additive Simulation Extension. He has over a decade of experience investigating thermal and mechanical effects during AM processing and validating Finite Element models of Laser Powder Bed Fusion and Directed Energy Deposition processes. He holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Penn State University and has coauthored over 20 technical publications, including the ASM Handbook on Additive Manufacturing Processes and a book on Thermo-Mechanical Modeling of Additive Manufacturing.

Tyler Nelson, M.S.

Principal Engineer

Tyler Nelson joined PanOptimization LLC in 2023 as a Principal Engineer. He previously worked at the GE Research Center (GRC) and GE Aviation in the areas of process modeling, software development and design. His research focused on simplifying additive process modeling and developing software for iterative geometry compensation and improved part buildability. He was the primary developer of the SimComp platform in use as a standalone software package at GE Aviation as well as powering the compensation portion of the GE Additive Amp platform. He has over 10 years of finite element analysis and process modeling including additive manufacturing, welding, thermal and structural analysis. He has a MS in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University and holds several patents relating to model-based geometry compensation and re-coater clearance optimization.

Peter Rogers

Contractor

Peter Rogers is an industry leading additive expert in the Asia Pacific region. He established his own company, Layered Ltd, in Japan, focusing on consulting advanced manufacturing companies on how to most efficiently achieve success in the Asia Pacific market. His expertise in additive technology stems from his work with Velo3D, Autodesk and Kabuku, where he worked with every aspect of the AM technology ecosystem. Peter’s journey into AM started with his Global Sales Director role at Kabuku Inc (Tokyo) where his strong business development results fueled the company’s growth, leading to a total of $10mil+ in venture capital fund raising. At Autodesk, Peter was the head of the AM cohort and was the regional product specialist from 2016 to 2022. His role entailed sales, business development and customer success in the APAC region for the Autodesk Netfabb, Powermill and Fusion360 products. After Autodesk acquired Netfabb in 2015, he developed and delivered on the regional GTM strategy and was crucial in the fast growth achieved. During this time, he also project led many consulting projects which drove 15x growth in revenue from their consulting business. His role as APAC regional director of business development at Velo3D had him working with all of the major manufacturers in Japan, Korea, ANZ and South East Asia on delivering high value solutions that leverage the unique capabilities of the Velo3D technology. Graduating from Swinburne University of Technology (Australia) International Business / Arts double degree, he’s been living in Tokyo for a total of 16 years. He is an active contributor and thought leader, and his strong industry presence earned him the nomination for Community Advocate of the Year award in 2021 at the 3D Printing Awards.

Daniel Bartilson, Ph.D.

Principal Computational Mechanics Engineer

Daniel Bartilson joined PanOptimization LLC in 2025 as a Computational Mechanics Engineer. Before joinning PanOptimization, he spent several years developing a range of simulation software for Alta Dynamics, Inc., including structural, acoustic, and multiscale composite material modeling. He also worked for a major U.S. defense contractor where he contributed new capabilities to a high performance coupled structural-acoustic simulation software. Daniel holds a Ph.D. from the Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics department at Columbia University.

Juls Scott

Operations Manager

Juls Scott joined PanOptimization in 2025 as Operations Manager. She has also been the Operations Manager for spotLESS Materials Inc. since June 2022. Juls has 15 years of experience from Penn State University as the administrative coordinator and assistant to the Department Head of Mechanical Engineering. Prior to joining Penn State, she was the Branch Manager of a heavy equipment parts and service business for one of the oldest Berco importers in the U.S. Juls offered an abundance of experience ranging from parts and supply management, manufacturing and production, fleet management, all aspects of human resources, finance, travel, itineraries, sales and customer service, organizational change management, process analysis, and policy matters involving OSHA, and the EPA. She previously worked in retail banking as an assistant manager with extensive knowledge in sales lead generation, goal setting, establishing employee reward and discipline programs, and a proven track record of positive employee management. Juls also has experience in advertising, negotiating contracts, and graphic design.

Tyler Stevens, Ph.D.

Senior Engineer

Tyler Stevens joined PanOptimization LLC in 2025 as a Senior Engineer. He has a diverse background bridging data analysis, predictive modeling, manufacturing processes, and mechanical design. Prior to joining PanOptimization, he worked as a data scientist, developing analytical software. He holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Brigham Young University, where his research specialized in design for additive manufacturing and origami-inspired mechanisms. His work has spanned industries including aerospace, building energy, deployable structures, fitness, and entertainment.