The AM industry has spent years perfecting the technology. The next two years will test whether the business models, regulatory frameworks, and institutional structures around that technology can keep pace. Six structural pressures are converging, each rooted in forces already in motion, each with observable indicators that practitioners can monitor today. There is a recurring […]
After a few rough years, the mood among additive manufacturing executives is shifting. Not euphoric, but noticeably better. New data from the 3D Printing Industry Executive Survey shows that 70.3 per cent of respondents expect business conditions in 2026 to be favourable or very favourable. That’s a meaningful jump from 51.2 per cent who looked […]
US-based metal 3D printer manufacturer Velo3D has secured an $11.5 million, multi-year full-rate production agreement with an undisclosed U.S. defense contractor. The contract supports a “sensitive” nationally security program. According to the company, the agreement will use Velo3D’s Rapid Production Solution (RPS) which combines industrial-scale Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) technology with its manufacturing software […]
Researchers at San Diego State University’s (SDSU) Experimental Mechanics Laboratory and Advanced Manufacturing Hub have developed 3D printed continuous carbon fiber “meta-skins” designed to improve impact mitigation in composite foam-core structures. Published in Additive Manufacturing Letters, the study by Sean Eckstein, Sophia Benkirane, and George Youssef evaluates pseudo-woven composite skins fabricated using automated tow placement […]
Researchers from IMDEA Materials Institute and the Technical University of Madrid (UPM) have reimagined nickel-titanium (Nitinol) alloys as fabric-like, interwoven structures, achieving levels of flexibility and mechanical performance previously impossible. By combining design-focused approaches with advanced 3D printing, the team has created superelastic metamaterials that could transform applications in robotics, aerospace, and healthcare. The project, […]
Cambridge-based materials testing company Plastometrex has introduced a new MultiScale capability for its PLX-Benchtop system, allowing high-resolution mapping of mechanical properties across thin, welded, and geometrically complex parts. Announced in February 2026, the update allows engineers to test specimens as thin as 0.75 mm and perform property mapping with 1.5 mm indent spacing, expanding access […]
Researchers at RWTH Aachen University are investigating whether steel scrap can be transformed into certified, load-bearing construction components using 3D printing. The BMWE-funded AddMamBa project focuses on producing optimized facade brackets from recycled steel powder via laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB/M), aiming to reduce material consumption and improve circularity in the construction sector. The research […]
What does 3D printing look like in 2036? To find out, we asked dozens of industry leaders, CEOs, founders, CTOs, and analysts from across the additive manufacturing ecosystem to look beyond the immediate horizon and share their longer-term forecasts. The result is a panoramic view of an industry in transition. The picture that emerges is […]
QinetiQ, a UK defence and security technology company, has completed a flight test of an aircraft fitted with a structural component 3D printed from recycled titanium. Flight was conducted by QinetiQ’s Flight Test Organisation at MOD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire using a company-owned Agusta A109S helicopter. The firm described the milestone as a world first. […]
Scientists from The University of Texas at Austin, Sandia National Laboratories, and two other U.S. national labs have unveiled a 3D printing technique capable of producing objects with highly varied mechanical and optical properties on a fine, pixel-level scale. The method relies on widely available materials and affordable 3D printers, opening possibilities for applications such […]
Materialise NV, a Belgium-based 3D printing software and medical device company, has introduced custom-made implants made from polyetheretherketone (PEEK) to its cranio-maxillofacial (CMF) portfolio. Surgeons can now select either titanium or the high-performance polymer for patient-specific reconstructions while using the same digital planning and case management system. Availability covers Europe, excluding Switzerland. Integration occurs within […]
Carbon, a product development and manufacturing technology company, has promoted Jason Rolland, Ph.D., to Chief Technology Officer. Rolland has been with the company for more than 12 years and was one of its earliest hires. In his new position, he will lead Carbon’s broader product development and research and development organization. Trained as a polymer […]
