3D printing is transforming visual effects by converting digital designs into tangible, highly detailed props with higher speed and precision. For filmmakers, this allows complex scenes to be executed safely, efficiently, and with greater creative flexibility. Netflix’s Stranger Things provides a clear example, using 3D printing for everything from massive set pieces to intricately detailed […]
Italian eyewear and sports gear company Rudy Project is celebrating 40 years of performance eyewear with the Performance 40, a limited-edition model that combines the brand’s 1985 design DNA with modern production techniques. Limited to 100 units worldwide and priced at €950, the frame features a lightweight titanium structure produced using 3D printing, allowing lattice […]
National additive manufacturing accelerator America Makes, in collaboration with the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM), announced that the University of Dayton Research Institute has been awarded $450,000 under the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate (AFRL(RXN)) project. The effort is part of the Affordable and Agile Composite Additive Manufactured Structures […]
An interdisciplinary team at Cornell University is developing a method to 3D print concrete directly underwater, aiming to enable faster, lower-impact construction and repair of critical subsea infrastructure such as ports, pipelines, and offshore energy assets. Supported by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the project combines materials science, robotics, and 3D printing […]
Researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, ETH Zurich, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, the National University of Singapore, and Koç University have developed an optofluidic 3D microfabrication and nanofabrication technique that enables the creation of fully three-dimensional microstructures from a wide range of materials, including metal nanoparticles, metal oxides, diamond nanoparticles, and […]
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are using large-scale 3D printing methods that turn recycled plastic into construction-grade beams, trusses, and other structural elements. The team envisions lightweight, modular alternatives to traditional wood-based framing that are faster to produce, more durable, and environmentally sustainable. “We’ve estimated that the world needs about 1 billion […]
A new World Economic Forum (WEF) report includes AM in its policy recommendations aimed at strengthening regional manufacturing capabilities and supply chain flexibility. Developed with consulting firm Kearney and drawing on consultations with over 100 industry and government leaders and survey data from more than 300 global executives, the Global Value Chains Outlook 2026: Orchestrating […]
E3D, a UK-based manufacturer of extrusion systems and hardware used in filament-based 3D printing, has been selected to participate in the Innovate UK Business Growth Scaleup Programme, an invitation-only initiative supporting a limited number of fast-growing, innovation-led companies. The programme provides tailored, director-level support to fewer than 100 businesses identified as having the capacity to […]
Nordic Alpha Partners, a private equity firm focused on green industrial transformation, has invested a mid-double-digit million euro sum to acquire a minority stake in Additive Drives, a German company developing high-performance, 3D printed electric motors. Existing investor AM Ventures, which backed the company from its seed stage, also added new funding. The partnership positions […]
Digital manufacturing firm VulcanForms has secured $220 million in an oversubscribed financing round led by Eclipse and 1789 Capital, with participation from Washington Harbour, Fontinalis, IEQ Capital, and other investors. The funding will support expansion of the company’s integrated digital metal manufacturing operations as demand grows for domestic production of high-performance, mission-critical components. The investment […]
America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) have announced two new project calls totaling $8 million, focused on materials development and qualification challenges in defense applications. Across many defense AM programs, AM adoption has progressed, but qualification and certification often remain the dominant constraints on material readiness. In high-temperature defense […]
Industrial 3D printer manufacturer AON3D has raised new growth capital in a funding round led by venture capital firm Cycle Capital, with participation from Desjardins Capital and continued backing from SineWave Ventures, IronGate Capital Advisors, Starship Ventures, and EDC Capital. The company said the investment will be used to expand manufacturing capacity and accelerate the […]
Researchers at Wroclaw University of Science and Technology have published a comparative study evaluating five metal additive manufacturing methods for producing H13 tool steel, identifying significant differences in density, microstructure, and heat-treatment response across the technologies. Published in Materials, the research compares filament-based extrusion, binder jetting, laser powder bed fusion, and directed energy deposition to […]
Canadian aerospace company NordSpace has received advisory support and up to $335,000 in funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) for an R&D project supporting the development of medium-lift rocket engines. According to the aerospace company, the project is directed toward advancing large-format, multi-material metal AM capabilities for […]
The U.S. Army is actively modernizing how it maintains autonomous and semi-autonomous systems on the battlefield. Drawing lessons from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Army is deploying mobile 3D printing and machining units, training soldiers in advanced manufacturing, and experimenting with in-field recycling of materials to keep drones and unmanned vehicles operational. These initiatives aim to […]
Alphabet, the parent company of Google, has acquired Common Sense Machines, Inc., a Cambridge, Massachusetts–based startup developing generative artificial intelligence models that produce three-dimensional assets from two-dimensional images. According to S&P, the acquisition closed on January 24, 2026. Financial terms were not disclosed. The transaction adds a small research-focused AI company to Google’s broader portfolio […]
Global standards organization ASTM International has been selected for a NATO-funded initiative on unmanned surface vehicle (USV) standardization, titled “Unmanned Surface Vehicles Standardization: Current Status and Future Outlook.” The project aims to strengthen interoperability, operational readiness, and future USV capabilities across the alliance. The initiative will leverage ASTM’s expertise in advanced manufacturing and standards development […]
Hadrian, the AI-driven advanced manufacturing company, has launched Hadrian Additive, a new division focused on delivering production-ready, scalable additive manufacturing to the U.S. defense sector and allied partners. This move integrates additive capabilities directly into Hadrian’s factory ecosystem, allowing critical defense programs to move from validated designs to full-scale production efficiently. Expanding Additive Manufacturing for […]
U.S. company creating patient-specific spinal implants Nivalon Medical Technologies has developed what it describes as the first fully patient-specific spinal implant that preserves natural motion without metal components. The device combines AI-driven design with advanced ceramic 3D printing, using a zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA) structure and a flexible core to replicate spinal movement. Conventional spinal implants […]
In Poltava, Ukraine, a team of medical students is using 3D printing to transform recycled plastic into functional laboratory and training equipment. The initiative, led by third-year medical student Anastasiia, emerged through UPSHIFT, a UNICEF-supported programme that helps young people develop community-focused projects. While participating in workshops, Anastasiia and her teammates—Olha, Myroslava, Anna, and another […]
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