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Our decision maker’s guide to the best metal 3D printers for small parts, batch manufacturing, and aerospace & defense. Plus, a metal 3D printing tech primer.
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We’re used to seeing “sustainable” 3D printing materials arrive with a Benchy and a lot of promises. A blouse is far more interesting. Designer Danit Peleg collaborated with filament maker ColorFabb on a soft, textile-like version of Algenesis’ Soleic bio-based TPU that All3DP featured in January. The result is a soft, textile-like 3D printing material that's biodegradable and free from microplastics. If biodegradable TPU can go from experimental filament to actual clothing, that’s the kind of progress we’re happy to wear.
Rocket engines, Future Vertical Lift, aerospace-grade alloys, supplier qualification, and AM production scale-up dominate the October program — reflecting a sharp rise in DoD-backed additive manufacturing funding.
Chinese additive manufacturing equipment and materials company PollyPolymer just unveiled PollyAlign at Formnext Asia. This AI-assisted footwear customization system turns photos or short videos of feet into a 3D foot model upon which custom 3D printed PollyFab shoes are made for customers worldwide. Custom-fit shoe configurators have been tried before, but PollyPolymer may just have the full-workflow, machines, materials, and volume others have lacked. It already runs five fully automated factories for an annual production capacity of 3.5 million pairs of shoes.
A new Navy standard will make metal 3D printing far easier to use in submarine construction and repair, allowing approved AM materials and processes to replace conventional welding and forging.
Military-focused drone manufacturer Firestorm says its xCell microfactory kept several HP MJF 3D printers busy aboard the USS Essex, producing more than 1,000 parts, including components for 12 Squall FPV drones, in waves reaching 12 feet on the way to RIMPAC, the multinational military exercise in Hawaii. Service members assembled the drones en route and later flew them in a counter-UAS exercise.
Researchers in Japan have developed an additive manufacturing process for producing tungsten carbide-cobalt parts with industrial-grade hardness while potentially reducing material waste.
The Phillips Hybrid machines integrate Meltio wire-laser metal deposition technology with Haas CNC platforms, enabling sailors to add and machine metal using a single system.
Lacoste and Alpine are giving their one-off electric rally car the full French-performance treatment, right down to where the "Crocopilot" parks his derrière. Parts of the rally seats are 3D printed using lattice structures designed to balance light weight, comfort, and performance. In rallying, where every kilogram counts, it’s a nice example of additive manufacturing doing delivering less material, useful cushioning, and function baked into the geometry.
Chinese Academy of Sciences spinout is reportedly investing more than $14M in aerospace additive manufacturing, with plans to acquire over 100 large-format metal 3D printers.
Vikram-1’s successful maiden flight takes Skyroot’s additively manufactured propulsion technology beyond the test stand, although the Indian startup has yet to reveal exactly how the engine is printed.
Investors are betting millions on Kind Designs, a startup using large-format concrete printing to turn ordinarily flat coastal barriers into customized infrastructure with habitat features and architectural appeal.
Researchers have developed an end-to-end digital manufacturing workflow that turns a patient's corneal scan into a customized contact lens with a post-processing technique that smooths printed optics without ever touching them.
The US Navy is testing a 3D printed composite repair method that could cut certain F/A-18 Super Hornet repair times by around 50%, potentially giving maintenance crews a faster way to return grounded aircraft to service.
A new market forecast from Additive Manufacturing Research details how surging defense demands and low-cost polymer printing may drive a sixfold expansion for the drone 3D printing sector by 2034.
Swedish exhaust specialist Ferrita used a Meltio robotic wire-laser DED system to produce two matching stainless-steel side-exhaust tip assemblies for a customized Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, reportedly halving the cost of conventional production.
Eric Utley, applications engineering manager at Protolabs, explains the engineering principles behind Gaudí's architecture and how they can help you design better support-free 3D prints.
3D printed bike saddles are practically mainstream now, so it was only a matter of time before 3D printed padding came for cycling shorts. The new Aura N3X FL from Elastic Interface is a digitally engineered, 3D printed, open-geometry padding insert to improve ventilation, pressure distribution, and long-ride support. Designed as a component for cycling-apparel brands — rather than a finished pair of shorts — these could soon be turning up inside your favorite cycling shorts, giving 3D printing another intimate assignment.
Relativity Space is heading to Mars, well, its hardware is. NASA has picked the California-based 3D printed rocket maker to deliver its Aeolus science instruments to the Red Planet in 2028. Relativity will handle the rocket, spacecraft, cruise, and mission management, while NASA’s instruments study Martian winds, dust, clouds, and temperatures to help make future landings less of a white-knuckle affair.
A Brazilian engineering team used 3D scanning, scan-to-CAD software, and ABS 3D printing to recreate a damaged four-blade propeller for an industrial cooling system in record time.
Shining 3D's new Ceramix-Nano is a dental crown-making appliance, rather than general-purpose 3D printer. Could this concept apply to other industries?