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Featured image of Best Metal 3D Printers in 2026: Systems to Know by Budget, Technology & Use Case
Additive Metallurgy
Best Metal 3D Printers in 2026: Systems to Know by Budget, Technology & Use Case

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.

by Carolyn Schwaar
Featured image of US Navy Bets on Meltio-Equipped Hybrid DED-CNC Systems with 12 Machine Order
Fleet Readiness, Built In
US Navy Bets on Meltio-Equipped Hybrid DED-CNC Systems with 12 Machine Order

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.

by Carolyn Schwaar
Featured image of SketchUp 2026: Free Download of the Full Version
Save Money on Pro CAD Software
SketchUp 2026: Free Download of the Full Version

Looking for a full version of the new SketchUp 2026 to download for free? Read on to see what your options are and what's new in SketchUp.

by Carolyn Schwaar
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Featured image of US Navy Bets on Meltio-Equipped Hybrid DED-CNC Systems with 12 Machine Order
Fleet Readiness, Built In
US Navy Bets on Meltio-Equipped Hybrid DED-CNC Systems with 12 Machine Order

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.

by Carolyn Schwaar Jul 29, 2026
Rally Hard, Sit Soft
Alpine’s rally car seat has a soft spot for 3D printing

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.

by  Carolyn Schwaar Jul 28, 2026
Source: Lacoste/Alpine
Featured image of Chinese Aerospace Supplier Plans 100-Machine Metal 3D Printer Expansion
China’s Upstream AM Push
Chinese Aerospace Supplier Plans 100-Machine Metal 3D Printer Expansion

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.

by Carolyn Schwaar Jul 22, 2026
Featured image of Skyroot’s Vikram-1 Makes Its Orbital Debut with a 50% Lighter 3D Printed Engine
Printed Propulsion
Skyroot’s Vikram-1 Makes Its Orbital Debut with a 50% Lighter 3D Printed Engine

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.

by Carolyn Schwaar Jul 21, 2026
Featured image of 3D Printed Seawall Startup Rides a $21M Wave of Investment
Kind Designs’ Rapid Rise
3D Printed Seawall Startup Rides a $21M Wave of Investment

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.

by Carolyn Schwaar Jul 17, 2026
Featured image of 3D Printed Contact Lenses Customized in Just 20 Minutes
20/20 via 3D
3D Printed Contact Lenses Customized in Just 20 Minutes

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.

by Carolyn Schwaar Jul 15, 2026
Featured image of Bypassing the Supply Chain: US Navy 3D Prints Patches to Fix Jets 50% Faster
Tactical Band-Aids
Bypassing the Supply Chain: US Navy 3D Prints Patches to Fix Jets 50% Faster

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.

by Carolyn Schwaar Jul 10, 2026
Featured image of Why the Military’s Need for Cheap Drones Is Driving a $900M 3D Printing Boom
Defense Tech
Why the Military’s Need for Cheap Drones Is Driving a $900M 3D Printing Boom

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.

by Carolyn Schwaar Jul 3, 2026
Featured image of Why 3D Print These Custom Mercedes SLR McLaren Exhaust Tips? 50% Cost Savings, Made in 5 Hours
Supercar Pipe Dreams
Why 3D Print These Custom Mercedes SLR McLaren Exhaust Tips? 50% Cost Savings, Made in 5 Hours

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.

by Carolyn Schwaar Jun 26, 2026
Featured image of The Brilliant Geometry Secret Behind Gaudí’s Architecture & Your Next Support-Free 3D Print
Gravity-Defying Design
The Brilliant Geometry Secret Behind Gaudí’s Architecture & Your Next Support-Free 3D Print

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.

Jun 23, 2026
Seat of Innovation
3D printing gets cheeky with this new pad for cyclists.

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.

by  Carolyn Schwaar Jun 23, 2026
Source: Elastic Interface
Red Planet Ready
NASA taps 3D printed rocket maker for mars duty.

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.

by  Carolyn Schwaar Jun 22, 2026
Source: Relativity Space
Featured image of From Damaged Propeller to 3D Printed Propeller in 4 Days With Specialized Reverse Engineering Software
Rapid Propeller Recovery
From Damaged Propeller to 3D Printed Propeller in 4 Days With Specialized Reverse Engineering Software

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.

by Carolyn Schwaar Jun 18, 2026
Featured image of New Shoebox-Sized 3D Printer for Ceramic Crowns Could Have Implications Beyond Dental
Resin Miniaturized
New Shoebox-Sized 3D Printer for Ceramic Crowns Could Have Implications Beyond Dental

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?

by Carolyn Schwaar Jun 18, 2026
Featured image of Divergent Bets Big on Defense with Massive New Printer & 64-Machine 3D Printing Super-Factory
Printing the Arsenal
Divergent Bets Big on Defense with Massive New Printer & 64-Machine 3D Printing Super-Factory

The 'Monolith One' is a laser powder bed fusion 3D printer with 24 kW of laser power, which Divergent plans to use for defense and automotive part production. No, it's not for sale.

by Carolyn Schwaar Jun 18, 2026
Featured image of Why the U.S. Is Betting $4.2M on Norsk Titanium to Solve Its Submarine Part Shortage
Mission Critical
Why the U.S. Is Betting $4.2M on Norsk Titanium to Solve Its Submarine Part Shortage

By backing Norsk’s wire-fed titanium process, the U.S. is testing whether additive manufacturing can solve real bottlenecks in maritime manufacturing.

by Carolyn Schwaar Jun 15, 2026
Featured image of This High-Tech Polymer Replaces Metal in Spacecraft, Implants & Defense: Your Ultimate PEEK 3D Printing Guide
Take a PEEK Around
This High-Tech Polymer Replaces Metal in Spacecraft, Implants & Defense: Your Ultimate PEEK 3D Printing Guide

Looking to 3D print with stronger-than-metal PEEK polymer? Our updated guide covers the material and the best 3D printers for the job.

by Carolyn Schwaar Jun 13, 2026
Featured image of $70M in Federal Grants to Additive Manufacturing in the Last Year: How Can You Get Some?
A Piece of the Pie
$70M in Federal Grants to Additive Manufacturing in the Last Year: How Can You Get Some?

Navigating America Makes’ collaborative project calls is becoming the defining strategy for securing a piece of the nation's surging additive manufacturing funding calls.

Jun 12, 2026
Future of Fashion
This 3D printed sci-fi outfit knows when your body needs to breathe.

Designing garments based on body data — from curves and sweat zones to sun exposure — Laura Civetti and Juan Daniel Cabrera Cobo, with additive manufacturing partner Stratasys, generates textile patterns tuned to the wearer’s needs. This design research project is part fashion, part performance gear, and part glimpse of a future where your clothes don’t just fit — they respond. Printed on a Stratasys PolyJet 3D printer in 18 pieces then assembled.

by  Carolyn Schwaar Jun 2, 2026
Source: Adaptive System
Featured image of Why Nike is Dropping 8 Limited-Edition 3D Printed Air Max Sneakers This Year
Vanguard Sneaker Tastemakers
Why Nike is Dropping 8 Limited-Edition 3D Printed Air Max Sneakers This Year

Nike is testing a new initiative that uses additive manufacturing to create a flexible, digital platform for limited-run sneaker designs and customer personalization.

by Carolyn Schwaar Jun 1, 2026
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