My Printer

  • Mimaki & Cleeks Golf Club Collaborate for Miniature 3D Printed Golf Bag Collectibles

    Japan-headquartered Mimaki Engineering launched its first full-color inkjet printer in 1996. Not long after, the company established its US-based Mimaki Inc. operating entity, which manufactures digital printing and cutting products, including industrial inkjet printers. Mimaki USA installed its first 3D printer, the 3DUJ-553, in the Americas in 2018. Since then, the full-color printer has been used to fabricate everything from artwork to gaming collectibles and even sports miniatures.

    Recently, Mimaki partnered with the Crewe Alexandra football club to make a 3D printed miniature of the club captain. Now, it’s 3D printing a series of full-color, highly detailed, miniature golf bag collectibles through an exclusive collaboration with Cleeks Golf Club, a professional, franchise-based team. These limited edition prints are from the club’s Art of Golf cultural series: a collection of artist-designed golf bags used by Cleeks’ professional golfers during the 2026 LIV Golf tournament.

    “Built to tour standards and played in competition, the bags carry individual creative perspectives directly onto the course,” the Art of Golf website explains.

    “Art of Golf is about expanding what golf can be. We use the golf bag as a canvas to celebrate artists, cultures and creative voices from around the world, bringing a new dimension to the sport and creating experiences that resonate beyond traditional golf audiences,” explained Jonas Mårtensson, General manager, Cleeks Golf Club.

    “These collectibles capture that idea perfectly. They’re not simply miniature golf bags; they’re miniature works of art. Mimaki’s technology has allowed us to faithfully reproduce each artist’s vision and create something that fans can take home while preserving the integrity of the original work.”

    There are 14 events in the LIV Golf tournament, which runs through the end of August. Crowds in the US, Spain, Korea, and Mexico have already been impressed with the 3D printed mini golf bags, and Mimaki is helping with the design and 3D printing of more bags for upcoming rounds in the UK and US. In total, 14 different artists from the Art of Golf collection designed 14 different miniature golf bag collectibles—one for each event.

    According to the Art of Golf website, “Each artist is invited to respond to golf as a system built on discipline, repetition, and pressure. The golf bag becomes the artist’s canvas, not as a symbolic gesture, but as a functional object used under real tournament conditions.”

    Most of the golf bags in the Art of Golf series are made by an artist who’s local to the region of the various tournament events. So each design is reflective of the artist’s language, as well as the culture in the area surrounding the golf course. For instance, the design for the sixth bag incorporates the Northern Cardinal and Flowering Dogwood for Virginia.

    Using traditional production methods to make the miniature golf bags would have meant reducing the amount of color, simplifying the shapes, and lots of manual finishing. That’s why Cleeks Golf Club went with 3D printing.

    Each 15 cm golf bag is 3D printed in one piece on the photorealistic, full-color 3DUJ-553 system. There is no assembly or painting required, and only a little post-processing. Mimaki’s flagship 3D printer can produce more than 10 million unique colors, and enables texture, fine detail, and color transitions, which makes for visually stunning golf bag collectibles.

    Each one of the 14 golf bag designs is printed in a limited quantity of just 25, for a total of 350 models that people can purchase as a keepsake at the LIV Golf tournament events.

    “When it comes to high-quality collectibles, this project perfectly exemplifies the capability of our 3D printing proposition – namely short-run, highly precise, full color output consistent from one piece to the next and delivered in a matter of hours,” said Matthew Stark, 3D Segment Manager at Mimaki.

    “The reality is that for projects like this, 3D printing is really the only viable option. Aside from the time and cost associated with conventional methods, the level of realism and fine detail we’re able to achieve would be impossible with techniques like traditional hand model-making.”

    Additionally, Cleeks Golf Club also commissioned Mimaki to make a half-scale 3D printed reproduction of the players’ bags for each of the designs in the Art of Golf series. The 50 cm models are not for sale, but are instead displayed as a showpiece at each clubhouse for LIV events.

    Here are the dates and locations for the rest of the 2026 LIV Golf tournament:

    • July 23-26, LIV Golf UK, JCB Golf and Country Club, Rocester, England
    • August 6-9, LIV Golf New York, Trump National Golf Club, Bedminster, New Jersey
    • August 20-23, LIV Golf Indianapolis, The Club at Chatham Hills, Westfield, Indiana
    • August 27-30, LIV Golf Michigan, The Cardinal at Saint John’s, Plymouth, Michigan

    Any golf fans attending the remainder of the events can see the 3D printed golf bag miniatures for themselves, and even buy one if they’re looking for a one-of-a-kind keepsake.

    We’ve seen 3D printed art, and 3D printed sports equipment—even golf clubs. It’s nice to see the two brought together in this unique way.

  • 3D Printing News Briefs, July 4, 2026: AMUG, Metacrystals, Coral Reefs, & More

    We’re starting this 4th of July 3D Printing News Briefs with some AMUG news, and then moving on to business with DSH Technologies and materials with Markforged. We’ll end with some interesting 6G research and 3D printed coral reefs in India.

    AMUG Announces Board of Directors for 2026-2027 Term

    AMUG’s newly elected and appointed board members: Top row (from left)—Dallas Martin, Daniel Landgraf, and Daniel Braley; bottom row (from left)—David Leigh and Bruce LeMaster.

    The Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) announced the results of the recent board elections and appointments for the 2026-2027 term. After three years of service, current AMUG President Shannon VanDeren and Treasurer Robin Van Bragt will assume ex officio roles on the board, as Immediate Past President and Immediate Past Treasurer, respectively. William “Dallas” Martin was elected President, Daniel Landgraf was elected Vice President, and Daniel Braley was elected Director of Membership, while the board appointed David Leigh as Treasurer and Bruce LeMaster as Director at Large. All five have received the AMUG Distinguished INnovator Operator (DINO) Award, and their multi-year terms began this week. Martin is a Senior Engineer in AM at Toyota, while Landgraf is Vice President Global Sales, Marketing & Business Development at 3D Spark. Braley is Senior Manager – Engineering & Depot Solutions for V2X Modernization & Sustainment, Leigh is Director of the Center for Additive Manufacturing & Design Innovation at The University of Texas at Austin, and LeMaster operates as an independent contractor.

    The other AMUG Board Members for 2026-2027 are:

    • Secretary: Heather Natal, GoEngineer
    • Director of Education & Conference: Alex Roschli, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    • Director of Marketing & Events: Kim Killoran, Stratasys
    • Director of Sponsors & Exhibitors: Thomas Murphy, New Jersey Innovation Institute

    DSH Technologies Transforming Powder Metallurgy with Membership Program

    DSH Technologies, the international authority on debinding and sintering services, is increasing its commitment to powder metallurgy production with its new membership program, DSH Advantage. Meant for MIM and sinter-based AM shops, OEM captive parts makers, and industrial manufacturers, the DSH Advantage program offers proactive, structured guidance, troubleshooting help, and access to laboratory services to help improve yield and eliminate production downtime. Participants will enroll in a monthly program led by the company’s Chief Metallurgist, Bryan Sherman, to get access to expert support and process control for metal parts manufacturing. DSH Advantage is technology-agnostic, designed for quick ramp-up, and should integrate right into any metals operation. The company says the program results in “higher first-pass yields and reduce rework” for better cost savings in production.

    “DSH Advantage was built to solve the real, day-to-day challenges that MIM and sinter-based additive manufacturers face when moving from prototypes to production. By marrying deep metallurgical expertise with powerful instrumentation and process, we’re helping customers make better parts faster, and protect their margins while doing it,” said DSH Technologies President Stefan Joens.

    Markforged Brings Functional Color & Industrial Strength to Factory Floor

    Markforged recently announced the release of Onyx GF for its FX-series industrial printing platforms. This is a chopped glass fiber-filled nylon material that pairs the trusted stiffness and strength of the Onyx material family with functional color for manufacturing environments. Color is one of the fastest, most reliable visual signals in fast-paced manufacturing facilities for communicating critical operational information, like part classification and hazard warnings. With Onyx GF, which is available in six highly visible colors, operators can deploy color-coded tooling, safety indicators, and error-proofing fixtures on the factory floor. The color is embedded within the material formulation, so you don’t need to do any secondary painting, label applications, or related post-processing. Additionally, the excellent tensile strength, surface finish, stiffness, print reliability, and dimensional accuracy from the Onyx family have been carried over to Onyx GF. It’s naturally non-conductive, which makes it great for applications that need strong electrical isolation, and can be reinforced with Continuous Carbon Fiber using the CFR process for advanced structural jobs.

    “Bringing color to the factory floor is about far more than aesthetics; it is about unlocking a new level of operational velocity, safety, and error-proofing for our customers. Until now, manufacturers often had to choose between the industrial-grade performance of materials like Onyx or the use of brittle, weaker materials like ABS or PLA. With Onyx GF, we are removing that compromise entirely. We are delivering the same trusted mechanical foundation our users rely on every day, but with the immediate communication benefits that functional color provides. This allows teams to scale visual management seamlessly across their entire enterprise,” said Jon Bond, General Manager of FFF at Markforged.

    Researchers Make 3D Printed Metacrystal Panels to Guide Wireless Signals

    A passive 3D printed metacrystal panel redirects radio waves around obstacles and toward users, offering a low-cost way to improve indoor/outdoor wireless coverage without adding base stations, wiring or powered electronics. Illustration: Aalto University / Mahdi Asgari

    Normally when you have a weak Wi-Fi or mobile signal in places like basements or large buildings, people just throw more electronics at the problem. But as we get closer to a 6G mobile network, this can be costly and unsustainable. The higher-frequency channels of 6G should add much more data bandwidth than 5G, but they’re blocked more easily by obstacles like walls. Researchers at Aalto University have come up with a fairly low-tech solution: passive, 3D printed smart panels of metacrystals that can guide wireless signals and radio waves around these barriers without using a power supply, electronics, or active tuning. These panels have several potential advantages: they could handle multiple incoming waves at the same time, operate simultaneously over different frequency bands, be installed on furniture, ceilings, or walls, and even fully absorb unwanted signals. Most reconfigurable intelligent surfaces need complicated control circuits and tuneable elements, but 3D printing metacrystals enables the fabrication of custom panels for specific environments.

    “When a room is too dark, you can bring in more lamps – or use simple mirrors to guide the already available light. This is what these metacrystals do, but with radio waves. Unlike previously proposed single-layer intelligent surfaces, these volumetric metacrystals can be designed to control multiple incoming signals or frequency bands independently — a key requirement for realistic wireless communication,” explained doctoral researcher Mahdi Asgari.

    You can learn more about their work in the published paper.

    India’s “First” 3D Printed Artificial Coral Reef Modules Deployed

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Tvasta (@tvasta3dp)

    In the coastal waters off Ramanathapuram, an ambitious marine habitat restoration initiative is underway. Last month, what’s reported to be the first 3D printed artificial reef modules in India were sunk in the Gulf of Mannar. It was the last leg of a project, carried out over 213 artificial reef sites in Tamil Nadu, that was funded by both the state government and the Visakhapatnam Regional Centre of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s (ICAR) Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute. The concrete 3D printed modules each weigh about 1 tonne, and were created by the Visakhapatnam Regional Centre and Indian automation firm Tvasta. They have multiple folds, crevices, and attachment surfaces to help enhance biodiversity. While they were fabricated with no iron reinforcement, the modules do feature material innovations meant to increase porosity and create substrates specifically for marine organisms. Traditional fishing communities in nearby districts cooperated with the implementation of the program, which will help scientists evaluate the ecological performance and durability of the modules.

    “The objective so far has been fish habitat restoration and strengthening the resilience of coastal communities,” explained Dr Joe K Kizhakudan, who leads the Visakhapatnam Regional Centre. “These new-generation modules provide immense possibilities because they allow greater structural complexity, higher surface area, and species-specific habitat design.”

  • Red, White, and Blue: Star-Spangled 3D Prints to Celebrate America’s 250th Birthday

    I often do roundups of free 3D printed models for holidays, like Christmas, Halloween, and even the 4th of July, which all of America will celebrate tomorrow. Because I’ve written so many of these over the years, I sometimes have a hard time coming up with catchy titles, which obviously you need for articles like this one.

    I was not feeling very creative today, so I asked my husband if he had any ideas. He suggested “Party Your Prints Off,” which I thought was funny but too generic, though certainly in line with all the “‘Murica!” cookouts to come this weekend. While I ultimately went another way, “Declare Your 3D-Pendence” was definitely my favorite of his suggestions. But no matter the title, 3D printing is a great way to celebrate Independence Day!

    4th of July patriotic earrings

    I love these patriotic earrings by Thingiverse user ddubya3187! If you check his profile, you can see several of his other earring designs as well. The 3MF file is optimized to work with a multicolor Flashforge AD5X 3D printer with a 0.25 mm nozzle.

    “Star spangle yourself this 4th of July with the coolest accessory at your family’s bbq. Ring the 250th celebration of our nation’s freedom from the grip of the English monarchy.”

    USA Shoelace Charm

    You’ll have the best-dressed kicks at the barbecue with this 3D printed shoe charm from Cults 3D user 3D_P_LAYER. Designed to easily slide onto standard shoelaces, it’s recommended to print the charm with PLA and 0.16 mm layer height, for better detail. This one does need small supports, but it takes less than an hour to print two of these charms. Use multiple colors for the best visual effect!

    “Perfect for personalizing your shoes for the 4th of July, sporting events, or everyday wear to show your American pride.”

    USA Heart Clicker Keychain

    I do love a good 3D printed clicker, and this heart-shaped flag one by MyMiniFactory user ValeriaMomo-Mattia3D is perfect for the 4th. There are STL files for any desktop 3D printer, but optimized 3MF ones for Anycubic, Bambu Lab, and Creality printers specifically. It doesn’t need glue or supports, and it comes with a ball chain so you can turn it into a clicky keychain. Finally, “4TH JULY” is embossed on the side.

    “For multi-color prints, we suggest filling the bed to minimize PLA waste from color changes.”

    Compact LET Joint Kaleidocycle 4th of July Firework

    This movable print by Thingiverse user BYU_CMR isn’t quite the same as a fidget, but I don’t think I would ever stop playing with it. There aren’t a lot of details about this one, but there are three print files to make it. The seams need to be set to random, and the wall generator needs to be “Arachne.”

    Flappy American Flag

    Flexi prints are also fun to play with, like this floppy, articulated American flag from Cults 3D user Bearded_Printer. Created in Bambu Studio, the 3MF file has a 0.2 mm layer height configured, as well as 3 wall loops. Alternately, a zip file is also included, with the model split into different colors so it’s easier to paint in the slicer.

    “Also included is a blank flag so if you which to paint your own, you’re more than welcome to.”

    If you don’t use the 3MF file, he’s added instructions for painting the model in either Orca or Bambu Slicer.

    Uncle Sam Hat Magnets

    We go back to MyMiniFactory user ValeriaMomo-Mattia3D for this last print: a set of magnetic Uncle Sam top hats! There are three different sizes—small, medium, and large—for whatever display or space you’re working with, from office whiteboards to your home refrigerator. You don’t need any supports for these. If you want that iconic red, white, and blue color palette, you should fill the bed in order to minimize material waste from color changes.

    “Despite the size difference, all versions are designed to accommodate the same round D8x2mm magnet, ensuring compatibility and easy replacement.”

    From all of us here at 3DPrint.com, have a safe and happy Independence Day weekend, and as always, happy 3D printing!

  • UCLA 3D Prints Zinc-Ion Battery With Seven Times More Energy

    Just days after researchers at the California Institute of Technology unveiled a 3D printed design for lithium-ion batteries, another university team has announced a different battery breakthrough using additive manufacturing (AM).

    This time, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) developed a 3D printed hybrid zinc-ion battery that can store more than seven times as much energy as similar devices. The team says the technology could one day help store electricity from renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power.

    Unlike traditional lithium-ion batteries, the hybrid zinc-ion battery combines features of both batteries and supercapacitors, allowing it to store large amounts of energy while delivering it quickly. These batteries use zinc, a material that is cheaper, easier to find, and typically considered safer. That has made them a promising option for storing renewable energy, where cost and safety are usually more important than keeping batteries small and lightweight. Batteries used to store electricity from solar and wind farms also need to last for years and recharge quickly. The challenge has been storing enough energy to compete with other battery technologies.

    “The future of energy storage won’t be defined by a single technology,” said co-corresponding author Maher El-Kady, an assistant researcher in UCLA’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and co-founder and Chief Science and Technology Officer of Nanotech Energy. “At some point, we will need to look for something to complement the current options for grid-scale energy storage. What we’ve done in this study essentially gives us zinc-ion hybrid devices that can store nearly one order of magnitude higher capacity.”

    The findings were published in the journal Small in the paper titled “High Mass-Loading Vanadium Oxide on 3D Printed Carbon Lattices for Zinc-Ion Supercapacitors.”

    A UCLA-led research team developed a 3D printed electrode with a hollow structure that expanded the capacity of hybrid zinc-ion energy storage devices. Image courtesy of Maher El-Kady / UCLA.

    A New Design

    Instead of creating a new battery chemistry, the UCLA team decided to redesign one of the battery’s main parts. The researchers first 3D printed a lightweight lattice on an Elegoo Mars 3 Pro resin printer. After printing, the structure was heated at high temperatures until it became a conductive carbon framework. That carbon lattice acts as the battery’s electrode. The team then coated it with vanadium oxide, the material that stores and releases energy. Because the lattice contains billions of tiny pores, it provides a huge internal surface area while still leaving room for zinc ions to move through the battery.

    “The method we used lets us build any 3D scaffold, layer by layer, and control its microstructure,” said co-corresponding author Ric Kaner, a UCLA distinguished professor of chemistry and biochemistry and of materials science and engineering, holder of the Dr. Myung Ki Hong Endowed Chair in Materials Innovation, and a member of the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA. “We can actually have billions and billions of these tiny holes, producing an enormous internal surface area. That means we can store a lot of charge.”

    The researchers say that combination helped the battery store more than seven times as much energy as similar devices while retaining 82% of its capacity after 1,500 charge and discharge cycles.

    More Than Just a Better Battery

    The study also describes a second innovation made possible by 3D printing. The team designed a sealed electrochemical test cell that could make battery research easier. The test cell was designed in Onshape and printed on a Bambu Lab X1 Carbon using transparent filament. The device is used to measure the performance of experimental batteries, and the team says it improves on one of the most common testing methods used in laboratories today. Instead of building custom testing equipment for every experiment, researchers could use the standardized design to evaluate and compare new battery technologies more consistently.

    High mass-loading vanadium oxide on 3D printed carbon lattices for aqueous zinc-ion energy storage. Image courtesy of Maher El-Kady / UCLA.

    Lithium gets most of the attention, but it isn’t the only option. Zinc is cheaper, easier to find, and generally considered safer because zinc-based batteries are less likely to overheat. That is why researchers have long seen them as a good fit for storing electricity from solar and wind farms, where low cost and long life matter more than keeping batteries small and lightweight.

    The biggest challenge has been storing enough energy to compete with today’s lithium-ion batteries. Zinc-ion batteries simply haven’t been able to hold enough energy to compete with today’s leading battery technologies. The UCLA team believes its new 3D printed design could help change that.

    “It’s a concept that we hope can be useful to other researchers in the field by helping them obtain more consistent measurements and reliable data for their devices,” said first author Sophia Uemura, who recently earned her Ph.D. from UCLA. “One of the exciting things about 3D printing is how accessible it has become. In this case, anyone with access to a 3D printer will be able to make a test cell like ours and adapt it for their own work.”

    The UCLA and Caltech projects take different approaches. One focuses on lithium-ion batteries, while the other aims to improve zinc-ion technology. Both, however, rely on 3D printing to create battery designs that would be difficult to manufacture any other way. Together, the studies suggest researchers are beginning to use additive manufacturing not just to make battery parts, but to rethink how batteries are built.

  • VulcanForms Lands Major State Backing in Massachusetts Manufacturing Push

    Massachusetts is making a major bet on industrial 3D printing. As part of a new $52 million package of state tax credits to support business expansion, the Massachusetts Economic Assistance Coordinating Council awarded more than $21.2 million to metal additive manufacturing (AM) company VulcanForms. The incentives will support the company’s plans to build a manufacturing facility of up to one million square feet in Devens, Massachusetts, where it expects to create 1,063 new jobs.

    It was the largest award approved in this funding round, which included 11 business expansion projects across the state. That is what makes this announcement stand out. Massachusetts is not funding another research project or pilot program. It is investing in large-scale manufacturing built around metal 3D printing.

    A factory built around AM

    VulcanForms already operates advanced manufacturing facilities in Massachusetts. The new Devens expansion would become another major production site, allowing the company to increase output for aerospace, defense, medical, industrial, and consumer applications. The brand has built its business around manufacturing finished metal parts at production scale. The new campus would also rank among the largest manufacturing investments centered on metal AM in the United States.

    VulcanForms has created digital production systems based on its industrial 3D printing technology. Image courtesy of Joseph Seif.

    Programs like Massachusetts’ Economic Development Incentive Program are performance-based. The $52 million represents state tax credits, not direct funding. In return, the 11 companies are expected to invest more than $1.4 billion of their own money into new facilities, equipment, and expansion projects across Massachusetts while creating and retaining thousands of jobs. VulcanForms’ planned Devens campus is part of that investment. In fact, the size of the VulcanForms award tells us that state officials believe AM can deliver those returns.

    “The Economic Development Incentive Program is one of the state’s most effective tools for supporting business expansion and job creation,” said Economic Development Secretary Eric Paley. “From robotics and artificial intelligence to advanced manufacturing and life sciences, these companies are making long-term commitments to grow here. That’s a strong vote of confidence in Massachusetts as a place where innovation can scale and businesses can succeed.”

    Manufacturing has become a bigger priority in the U.S. in recent years. Governments have pushed for more products to be made at home and for stronger supply chains. Metal 3D printing is becoming part of that effort because it can produce complex parts quickly and closer to where they are needed. There are no guarantees that every investment will succeed. But by supporting a project expected to create more than 1,000 jobs, Massachusetts is showing confidence that industrial 3D printing can play a bigger role in U.S. manufacturing.

    The announcement also comes just months after VulcanForms raised $220 million in private funding to expand its manufacturing platform. In recent weeks, it has strengthened its leadership team by appointing a new Chief Technology Officer as it prepares for its next phase of growth. In recent weeks, it has strengthened its leadership team by naming former Relativity Space executive Michael Kenworthy as its new Chief Technology Officer. Kenworthy has also held leadership roles at GE Aviation, Divergent, and Seurat Technologies, bringing experience in scaling advanced manufacturing technologies for aerospace and industrial production. The Devens project is the company’s biggest step yet. Together, those moves point to a company preparing for its next stage of expansion.

  • The SLS Market: Game of Trucks

    This is truly an exciting moment in the SLS market. With HP‘s release of the 1200 and Formlabs‘ release of the X1, we can see the SLS market heating up. I think that a great analogy to how this market will play out can be found in commercial vehicles. Whereas so far choices have been made mainly on volume, going forward, we will see more differentiation and specialization. Before, SLS machines were kind of sold like we were in an ice cream parlor. So much choice, but it boiled down to small, medium, or large. To me, deskside SLS is now at a point where different machines will serve different markets. We will see true change in operator profile, behavior, and utilization. What, therefore, is the future of the PBF-LB/P market? It’s a Game of Trucks.

    Road Trains (SLS Factories)

    The MGM C509 Quad Road Train is a colossal heavy-haulage combination operated by Australian logistics company MGM Bulk. Image courtesy of MGM Group.

    At the very tip of the market sit the Road Trains, big trucks that would be impractical in European cities and unusable in most other places. But, in the Australian outback, long journeys, straight roads, and isolated communities make huge truck-trailer combinations of up to 50 meters feasible,

    3D printing workflow. Image courtesy of Grenzebach

    Likewise, large, productive polymer manufacturing setups composed of several large multilaser systems are strung together by Grenzebach and others to produce very specific items at very specific quality levels. Rather than a service spitting out all sorts of stuff in PA12, this is a specific manufacturing solution tailored to one product, one industrialization, one industry, one use case. We don’t often see these in the wild, but they make millions of parts. Sometimes in materials that we don’t see anywhere else. Sometimes they’re like a line, and other times it’s more of a round-robin thing with robots connecting batch processes. Highly automated, highly customized, these road trains are going to become more popular, but never popular, costing millions to set up. They require quality, integration, and lots of capital to set up. Let’s call this the SLS Factories segment.

    DyeMansion, EOS & Grenzebach successfully implemented the first-ever automated AM production line for polymer parts at scale at BMW Group. Image courtesy of Grenzebach.

    Big Rig Versus Cab-overs and Rigids (Continuous Production, Full Frame, Large Part)

    The big rig in the US is a heavy semi-truck that looks like it was built in a world where CFD, wind tunnels, and even aerodynamics don’t exist. European variants of the same class come in a cab-over-engine (COE) configuration, reducing overall vehicle length while looking squished. Generally, in the US, trailer length is limited, while in Europe, it’s the length of the truck and trailer that is limited, making US trucks bigger and leading to more compact European models. Trips in the US are longer and mostly on highways, which makes US trucks more comfortable to stay in, while European ones are more maneuverable and comfortable to ride.

    The Peterbilt 579 UltraLoft (UL) is a flagship on-highway Class 8 truck. Image courtesy of Peterbilt.

    European trucks like Scania, DAF, and Volvo are more suave, designed by committee, safer, more reliable, more comfortable, and fuel-efficient. A US Peterbilt or Kenworth is a shiny, chrome-fueled homage to cars of the past. European trucks want to fit in and look appliance-like, eight-tonne dust busters. while the US ones want to wow, dominate, crush, and speed by. Both these variants are purpose-built for their environment and market.

    DAF starts production of XG Electric and XG⁺ Electric. Image courtesy of DAF.

    Japan has smaller trucks that are rigid without a separate trailer, using a cab-over truck layout. They don’t really have sleeper units. Although reliable, they offer significantly fewer features and less comfort and are meant for less extended and intensive use. Typically, they cost less and are meant for regional trips, a much more austere place to be, and are optimized, for example, for unloading car parts via the side.

    Hino Motors truck. Image courtesy of Hino.

    Continuous Production

    Likewise, in this segment, I expect a split. We will see highly productive, continuous production systems similar to the Farsoon HT1001P machine, where the 1000 × 500 × 450 mm build cylinders can be swapped automatically, with a new, preheated cylinder inserted in their place. This is, of course, much more efficient than the one-box approach, in which an expensive machine tool frequently spending its time heating up and cooling down. Add these times to the fact that the thing recoats two-thirds of the time, and we really don’t have a 3D printer market; it’s a recoater that spends a lot of its time preheating and cooling down. We sell recoaters not 3D printers.

    Farsoon, therefore, with its CAMS approach, cools down outside the machine tool and keeps the laser on for much longer. This is clearly more efficient, and to me, twin-scan, continuous-production variants with more optics will become standard for those who want to produce many small parts at the lowest per-part cost. This will be especially useful if the part is your final product and requires few post-processing steps. This approach requires a lot of automation in the machine, however, and will incur high additional costs. And if your complex machine breaks, you may as well go home.

    Big Rig comparison (metric units). Image courtesy of 3DPrint.com/Joris Peels.

    Full Frame

    What if you already have a considerable number of post-processing and conveyancing steps? What if you have to color, coat, or scan a part repeatedly? What if it needs to be inserted in another component, or it is a semi-finished product? Or what if quality and monitoring are of the utmost importance? Then you will look towards the P500 and future full-frame machines like it, which just produce small parts well. Together with Volkmann and other units, robots and the like, a round-robin type of production system will be made with multiple units. Less scaled than the factory and less of a line than the continuous production solution, these systems may very well be expensive and give unparalleled accuracy, surface quality, and repeatability.

    Large Part

    Comparison of leading industrial SLS platforms, showing build volumes, laser configurations, power, system weight, and machine footprint. Image courtesy of 3DPrint.com/Joris Peels.

    As we see in metals, we can also see large parts of systems emerge. The P700, in part, and the HT601P Series are like this. Here, companies want high-temperature performance, some kind of less-than-horrible performance in PEEK and the like, and the ability to make big parts. Here, one large part may be printed, and keeping it from warping or deforming is key. These will be specialized, but in areas like aerospace, large build volumes and the ability to make the largest parts with SLS will matter a lot to those who care about drones, hypersonics, and the like.

    In this way, we can now see parallels between a functional diversification based on utility. In this light, we can see that we are increasingly moving towards a more user-inspired SLS market. Join us next time when we talk about Sprinters and Kangoos!

  • Jaden Smith, Louboutin, and Zellerfeld Tease a New 3D Printed Luxury Shoe

    Jaden Smith may have just brought 3D printed footwear into one of fashion’s most famous red-soled shoes.

    It all started during Paris Fashion Week, where Christian Louboutin presented its Men’s Spring/Summer 2027 collection on June 24, led by Smith, who was named the house’s first men’s creative director in 2025. Instead of a traditional runway, guests walked into a vivid red terrain. Massive prehistoric stone-like formations, much like a modern Stonehenge, took over the venue. Some of those “stones” had “display niches” carved into them, almost like museum cases, where shoes, bags, and accessories were exhibited. Other shoes were displayed on top of the rocks, almost like sculptures or artifacts. Most of it was bathed in Louboutin’s signature color. This was a visually striking show, or we could say, an immersive setting built around ruins and fantasy.

    Inside Louboutin’s Men’s Spring/Summer 2027 presentation, in the form of monumental circular monoliths that reveal the collection’s key shoes and leather goods.

    But then came the social media posts. And that’s when the clues appeared. Smith posted a video that seemed to have been filmed backstage at the presentation. Dressed in one of his Louboutin looks, he slipped on a shoe with the brand’s unmistakable red sole, then took it off and folded it in half to show just how flexible it was. Shortly after, Zellerfeld, known for its fully 3D printed footwear, reposted the clip with a shushing emoji (à la “keep this a secret”) and an arrow pointing to the word “Soon.”

    Well, it wasn’t secret for long. A few days later, Footwear News reported that Smith had previewed a never-before-seen Christian Louboutin shoe that was 3D printed with help from Zellerfeld. In a statement sent to FN, Zellerfeld said the shoe “marks a major step for what a luxury dress shoe can become, not cut, stitched and assembled in the traditional sense, but shaped through next-gen manufacturing.”

    That’s all we know so far. What is still unclear is whether the shoe featured in Smith’s video was part of the presentation itself or previewed separately around the event. But, we could say that Smith’s latest Louboutin chapter seems to be opening the door to 3D printed luxury footwear, and Zellerfeld is part of that next step.

    Zellerfeld reposted Jaden Smith’s video with a “Soon” teaser before confirming its collaboration on a fully 3D printed luxury dress shoe. Image courtesy of Zellerfeld via Instagram.

    And what about the bright red shoes everyone saw in Paris? Could those have been 3D printed too? One of the standout pieces in Smith’s installation was the Claw Feet, a slip-on with claw-like toes and a smooth, seamless look. It actually shared a lot in common with other shoes we’ve seen 3D printed. Of course, we don’t have confirmation of this at the moment. Neither Louboutin nor Zellerfeld has said whether the Claw Feet were 3D printed. But after Smith’s flex test, Zellerfeld’s “Soon” teaser, and the company’s later confirmation that it had worked on a fully 3D printed luxury dress shoe, it’s hard not to wonder if visitors had already seen the collaboration without realizing it.

    Jaden Smith’s Claw Feet.

    Zellerfeld has spent the last few years pushing a different model for footwear. Instead of cutting, stitching, gluing, and assembling shoes from many parts, the company uses 3D printing to make shoes as single-piece or near-single-piece objects. That changes how footwear can be designed, made, fitted, and eventually (and much more easily) distributed.

    It has also been expanding the business behind that vision. Just last week, Zellerfeld announced a partnership with Swedish foot-scanning company Volumental, integrating its scanning technology into Zellerfeld’s production platform to manufacture custom-fit shoes. The deal followed Zellerfeld’s investment in Volumental and points to its strategy of building an end-to-end digital footwear ecosystem, from capturing a customer’s foot shape to producing a made-to-order 3D printed shoe.

    The entrance to Louboutin’s Men’s Spring/Summer 2027 collection took place at Palais Brongniart.

    Until now, most 3D printed footwear stories have been around sneakers, slides, concept shoes, and limited-edition collabs with celebrities, athletes, and designers. A luxury dress shoe is a different challenge. Mention a luxury dress shoe, and most people imagine fine leather, skilled artisans, and brands like Hermès, Berluti, John Lobb, or Louboutin. It’s a world built on tradition. A fully 3D printed dress shoe breaks away from that tradition. And Zellerfeld isn’t trying to replace traditional shoemaking with a cheaper alternative. Instead, the company says 3D printing opens the door to a new kind of luxury.

    The red sole adds another layer. So when Smith teases a red-soled shoe, and Zellerfeld reposts it with a “Soon” hint, the message is hard to miss. Something is coming, and it seems to be at the intersection of Louboutin’s luxury and Zellerfeld’s digital manufacturing platform. That could make this more than another celebrity shoe. Not that we don’t love a celeb collab. In fact, celebrity collaborations have helped bring 3D printed footwear into the spotlight, but this one could show how the technology is finding a place in luxury fashion.

    Then there’s the question everyone will probably ask first: How much would a shoe like this cost? Christian Louboutin’s men’s dress shoes often sell for $1,200 to $1,500, while most Zellerfeld shoes cost somewhere between $150 and $300. If this collaboration eventually goes on sale, it will be fascinating to see where the two worlds meet. Right in the middle? Or closer to the red sole than the 3D printer?

    Images courtesy of Maison Christian Louboutin unless otherwise noted

  • AM Asia Watch: Chinese Company Claims Advances in Titanium Powder Beyond 700C

    They’re a familiar sight at trade shows: Chinese powder companies with barren stands lacking parts. There’s maybe some glass vessel with powder in it and a semi-complete data sheet, but not much else. So far, Chinese powder vendors have offered cost savings but not much else. Often they have no machine settings or practical guidance on using the powder.

    But we know that China is printing rockets and implants, and they will use a lot of machines for defense purposes as well. So there should be advanced powders, and there should be some Chinese powder vendors that know what they’re doing. But, kind of like Spanish wine, they really haven’t been exporting the good stuff. It doesn’t help that China has actively banned or dissuaded companies from exporting some powders and alloys over the last few years.

    But we know that developing 3D printing is part of the past 14th Five-Year Plan (from 2021 to 2025) and is a foundational technology for China’s future, alongside 5G networks and AI. In the current Five-Year Plan, 3D printing is integrated into advanced manufacturing, but it identifies alloy standardization under national standards and focuses on developing new high-temperature and high-performance materials. China is trying to develop leading alloys itself and has a sovereign 3D printing capability. This effectively means there is near-unlimited funding available in China for new Additive alloys, as long as they outperform existing ones.

    So we shall have to get used to new high-performance powders being available from and being developed in China. At the same time, this kind of an unlimited money fountain tends to bring out the worst in people and often unleashes a wave of claims that turn out to be hogwash. If you want a little more background, you can check out our “How China Works” article.

    So with that as context, Vilory Metal Powder (formally known as Jiangsu Vilory Advanced Materials Technology)  has announced a 3D printable titanium alloy that outperforms Ti6Al4V while being able to maintain ≥450 MPa at 700°C. The near-alpha titanium T70X uses Sn, Zr, Mo, Cr, Co, V, and Ni to reportedly reduce embrittlement up to 750°C. The company says this makes it a replacement for existing high-temperature Ti powders, such as TIMETAL 834, while enabling it to outperform at high temperatures. At the same time, the firm believes the powder is a lighter alternative to Inconel, weighing 45% less in high-performance parts.

    The company says that the material is commercially available. It indicates that the processing parameters are normal and that it takes standard heat treatment. The firm also says it has a “production-scale supply” available. One of the applications the company says is well-suited is “hypersonic control surfaces, leading edges, thermal shields,” which is nice to know. VMP also believes that the same material can serve in turbomachinery, turbine blades, compressor disks, and other aeroengine components. At the same time, it may be used in automotive applications. So the pricing shouldn’t be too painful then? For things like an afterburner heat shield, it can offer “lightweight + printable complex cooling channels.”

    VMP T70X. Image courtesy of VMP.

    The company states that, “Production-Ready. Not a Lab Curiosity. T70X is in commercial production at VMP, with powder specs that rival or exceed industry benchmarks.” Furthermore, the material is said to have “Low CTE + mid-temp strength retention,” which could be useful in “Engine nacelle thermal shields,” and to have “Lattice structures validated for this alloy family,” which could be useful there and elsewhere.

    Now, for a while I’ve noticed that alloys are never really perfect. We discussed this in our RCAA article, Goldilocks Flywheel. It’s therefore nice that they mention that it is not for corrosion applications, cryogenic ones, or medical implants. So what to think of Ti-Al-Sn-Zr-Mo-Cr-Co-V-Ni? It could very well be that through reducing aluminum content to 3.6–4.0% the company has managed to make a perfect cocktail. Can we call this Valconi, by the way?

    Alloying Element Function T70X range
    Sn α-strengthener without α₂ risk 1–5%
    Zr Solid-solution strengthening 1.5–5.5%
    Mo β-stabilizer and creep resistance 0.5–2.5%
    Cr, Co, V, Ni Grain boundary pinning ≤1% each

    So this kind of weird intermarriage between a nickel superalloy and titanium would seem to be a very interesting material indeed. It would also, at face value, seem to be the most obvious RCAA-like material to develop. So maybe the company is optimistic? And the ORNL & NASA people have all been asleep at the wheel? This lovechild of Waspalloy and Ti seems super-duper obvious for people to try to play with? But given China’s industrial might, its stated goal of developing these alloys, and its needs in aviation, rocket engines, aircraft engines, missiles, and hypersonics, it will eventually develop an alloy very similar to this one.

    Temperature TC4 TA15 IMI 834 T70X (VMP)
    500°C ~550 MPa 747 MPa ~800 MPa ~800 MPa
    600°C — — ~600 MPa ≥650 MPa
    700°C — — — ≥450 MPa

    “Listen very carefully, I shall say this only once, René.” This is a very important moment in our 3D printing market. Western powder suppliers will have to work harder to innovate faster. The Goldilocks Flywheel article poses some interesting dilemmas but also a huge potential for those who conquer new alloys using computational methods and additive manufacturing. It is 100% that many Chinese firms will try this. It will take a genius to make this alloy work, but a kid with PowerPoint could get $10 million to try to make this work. And very simple minds will be able to figure out that with AI, AWS, additive, and RCAA’s you may be able to make a future family of alloys.

    So real competition is coming, and it will be in advanced materials and rooted in real production cases. China is advancing not just in low-cost, bulk products but also in the most critical applications.

  • Austal, Curtin University and AMCRC Work on R&D Together

    Australia’s Additive Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (AMCRC) works with 70 industry partners to deliver collaborative R&D projects. They also work on workforce development and technology transfer. It’s kind of analogous to America Makes, but with a broader focus than just defense. AMCRC is funded to the tune of $57 million by the Australian government and is trying to help additive manufacturing grow and gain a foothold in the country.

    Now the AMCRC is working with Austal and Curtin University on a $600,000 research product. Austal is an Australian shipbuilder that employs over 4,000 people and has revenues of 1.82 billion Australian dollars ($1.29 billion in US). Austal has built patrol vessels for many countries and also builds ferries, submarines, and autonomous vessels. Curtin, meanwhile, is a leading university for mining, geology, geophysics, and architecture. 

    The research project will look through Austal’s defense supply chain to identify parts ripe for 3D printing. Running for 18 months, the idea is to develop “a practical, industry-ready framework capable of providing consistent methodology for assessing potentially thousands of components against operational, commercial, technical, and regulatory requirements.” This is similar to the US Army, Navy, and America Makes projects that we’ve seen in the US.

    This seems like a sensible move for Austal. This way, the company can reap the benefits from AM while learning to deploy it more widely. The partners also want to look to “support sovereign manufacturing capability.” Australia is very far from anywhere else and indeed extremely far away from the US. In the case of a long, drawn-out conflict or a very impactful one, Australia will have to make many parts itself. In Europe, these sovereign manufacturing exercises always have an air of tea, biscuits, and let’s run the flag up the pole. For Australia, on the other hand, this is a very serious thing indeed. Especially for large parts such as steam turbine components or superstructures, Australia would need to be able to repair them quickly and on its own if it were cut off from the US or if the part was too large for even the US’s enormous C5 aircraft. Generally, having a repair ability would also be very useful in the event of a conflict. And speaking up lead times for casting and forging is always a good idea. 3D printing and sustainment are generally a match made in heaven.

    Head of Research and Development at Austal, Sam Abbott, noted that,

    “The challenge is no longer whether additive manufacturing works. The challenge is knowing where it delivers the greatest value. This framework will help us quantify the demand for additive manufacturing across maritime and defence programs, allowing industry to make better investment decisions, build more resilient supply chains and accelerate the uplift of Australia’s advanced manufacturing capabilities.”

    Austal is already working as a prime contractor for the United States Navy’s Additive Manufacturing Centre of Excellence, so that experience should help. The Navy’s COE is doing a lot of work not only on qualification and the like, but also on actually getting 3D printed parts made and used. They’re currently looking for manufacturers of ball valve components and LPBF gate valve components. This is good news for Curtin University, which could gain a deeper understanding of practical scale-up and have parts made on the AM side.

    Austal and AMCRC work on R&D.

    The university’s Dr. Karl Davidson explained that,

    “By combining engineering, operational and commercial considerations into a single framework, we can help manufacturers make faster, more informed decisions about where additive manufacturing can deliver measurable benefits,”

    Meanwhile, the AMCRC’s Director, Simon Marriott, said,

    “Many organisations understand the potential of additive manufacturing, but struggle to determine where it makes commercial and operational sense.This project will deliver a practical solution that helps industry identify high-value opportunities, prioritise investment and build confidence to scale adoption.”

    This kind of collaborative work, rooted in real practice, is very valuable. Of course, a lot of hard work and discussion will still be needed for this to succeed. But if Australia develops a path from need to part, the country could see which parts it can make, which technologies it needs to invest more in, and which capacities it needs to develop further. Australia has worked with Spee3D on cold spray and with several DED vendors to develop local capacity to manufacture parts and machines. But, being much further from anyone and lacking the immense budgets the US has, the Australians will have to make more precise choices earlier on to truly build capacity. The AMCRC is doing important work here, and there will be much more of it should Australia truly want to develop a sovereign manufacturing capacity.

    Images courtesy of Austal

  • Caltech Uses 3D Printing to Rethink the Lithium-Ion Battery

    For more than two decades, lithium-ion batteries have powered almost everything around us. They are inside smartphones, laptops, electric vehicles, drones, and even many medical devices. Batteries have improved a lot over the years. But they can still overheat, use expensive materials like cobalt, and are becoming harder to improve. Instead of developing a completely new battery, researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) are focusing on the one we already use. Their idea is to redesign its inside with 3D printing. And the team’s work focuses on one of the battery’s most important components: the cathode.

    A Different Way to Build a Battery

    Most lithium-ion batteries today are built with flat, layered electrodes. It is a design that has worked well for years because it is pretty easy to make. But the Caltech team is doing things differently. Instead of making a flat cathode, they designed and 3D printed one with a tiny, carefully engineered structure. So instead of moving through a flat layer, lithium ions can travel through a more complex 3D network. The researchers say this could help the battery store and deliver energy more efficiently.

    That’s important because every time a battery charges or discharges, lithium ions have to travel between the electrodes. If that trip is shorter and smoother, the battery can work better.

    “If you make a battery that is 3D architected instead of planar, every lithium ion is going to have an active surface available to it as it’s transporting through the electrolyte,” says Julia Greer, Professor of Materials Science, Mechanics and Medical Engineering at Caltech, whose lab has been working to improve Li-ion batteries.

    Julia Greer, the Ruben F. and Donna Mettler Professor of Materials Science, Mechanics and Medical Engineering and executive officer for applied physics and materials science at Caltech. Image courtesy of EAS Communications Office/Caltech

    According to the researchers, those extra surfaces give the ions more places to move, helping the battery transfer energy more efficiently than a traditional flat design.

    The findings were published in the paper, “Structure–Transport Relationships in Microarchitected LiFePO4–Carbon Li Ion Battery Electrodes,” in ACS Energy Letters. The work was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory through its President’s and Director’s Research and Development Fund, and Caltech.

    Goodbye to Cobalt

    One of the biggest changes is the material. The new battery component does not use cobalt, a metal found in many of today’s lithium-ion batteries. Cobalt is expensive, supplies are limited, and mining it has raised environmental and human rights concerns. Battery companies have spent years trying to reduce or replace it, and this research could help make that possible.

    The team also changed how that battery component is made. Instead of traditional manufacturing, they used a 3D printing method called hydrogel infusion additive manufacturing (HIAM) process, which was developed in Caltech’s Greer Lab. Here, HIAM was used to build a small, highly detailed structure. Creating the same design with conventional manufacturing would be extremely difficult.

    So rather than inventing a new battery material, the researchers found a new way to shape an existing one using 3D printing. Changing the shape of the component changes how the battery works. The new 3D design gives lithium ions more room to move through the battery, which could help it charge and discharge more efficiently while keeping the same basic lithium-ion chemistry.

    Schematic of the hydrogel infusion additive manufacturing process for LFP/C composite electrodes and representative images of the resulting lattices. Image courtesy of ACS Energy Lett. 2026, 11, 6, 4392-4400.

    The work is still at the research stage. And there is no indication that these batteries are ready for mass production, and many challenges remain before manufacturers could adopt a completely new electrode architecture.

    Scaling any new battery technology from the laboratory to millions of products is a long process that often takes years. However, the study points to a growing trend across advanced manufacturing. Instead of using additive manufacturing only to make battery housings, tooling, or production equipment, researchers are increasingly using 3D printing to redesign the battery itself.

    Microscope images (top) and a diagram (bottom) showing the 3D-printed battery electrode developed by Caltech researchers. Credit: Sun et al., ACS Energy Letters (2026). Image courtesy of ACS Energy Lett. 2026, 11, 6, 4392-4400.

    Demand for better batteries continues to grow as electric vehicles, AI data centers, renewable energy systems, and everyday electronics all need more power and longer battery life. Much of the attention has focused on new battery chemistries, but the Caltech team’s work points to another possibility, improving today’s lithium-ion batteries by changing how they’re designed. If the concept can be scaled beyond the lab, 3D printing could give researchers a new way to rethink battery design without replacing the technology that already powers millions of devices.