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  • Rocket Lab Buys Iridium in $8 Billion Deal, Creating a New SpaceX Rival

    Rocket Lab is buying Iridium for $8 billion in a cash-and-stock deal worth $54 per share. Shareholders will receive $27 in cash plus additional Rocket Lab common stock. The company now sees itself as a “vertically integrated space company that designs, builds, launches, and operates its own constellations, delivering critical communications capability to millions of users worldwide.” In essence, therefore, Rocket Lab is now a SpaceX alternative. Given Elon Musk‘s increasingly visible political profile, Rocket Lab may be seen by many firms and individuals as a more responsible and safer partner. Iridium currently has 2.55 million active subscribers for L-band spectrum and LEO-based data and voice direct-to-device services. The hope here is to use Rocket Lab’s launch capabilities to extend the Iridium network, its constellation, and its capabilities to a level that rivals SpaceX.

    Rocket Lab launches “IoT 4 You & Me” Mission. Image courtesy of Rocket Lab.

    Sir Peter Beck, founder and CEO of Rocket Lab, said,

    “This is a defining moment for the space industry and the start of a new era of strategic, accelerated growth for Rocket Lab and Iridium- Iridium has built the gold standard in secure, safety critical global satellite connectivity. It is relied upon by maritime fleets, the aviation industry, governments, and heavy industrial organizations who operate in the most remote off-the-grid locations. By marrying Iridium’s deep heritage, trusted infrastructure, and highly sought-after spectrum with Rocket Lab’s extensive and proven launch and manufacturing capabilities, we have the capability to unlock entirely new markets. We will go far beyond maintaining a legacy; we are going to build upon it to pioneer next-generation space applications and deliver sought-after capabilities to existing and new customers.”

    Iridium CEO Matt Desch added,

    “As the worlds of space and terrestrial communications continue to converge, more critical services will depend on space-based capabilitie. Success will come from those who can bring new innovations to space quickly and sustain them over time as efficiently as possible. We’re excited about being able to accelerate the next generation of IoT, aviation, maritime, PNT, and national security capabilities, and pursue new innovative applications as part of Rocket Lab – a fully integrated, end-to-end space company. That’s an incredible opportunity for our customers, partners, employees, and stockholders.”

    The company wants to be an end-to-end space firm with captive launch capabilities and its own path to end users, constellation, spectrum and network. This should materially add to Rocket Lab’s revenue and profile. The company previously was an interesting potential partner for governments, and now it will be an essential one. Just days ago, SpaceX also bought around $20 billion in spectrum, meaning it is likely to enter the US mobile market directly. Potentially, Rocket Lab can now do this, either as a partner to existing networks or as a rival to them. Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile have revenues of $138 billion, $125 billion, and $88 billion, respectively, so the prize there is indeed a rich one.

    The company also thinks that there is a defense play in warfighter communications. In PNT (Positioning, Navigation, and Timing) and other military services, which could include targeting and navigation capabilities for drones, for example, as well as direct warfighter push-to-talk and other services. Iridium did $871.7M in revenue in 2025. The company hopes to close the deal in 2027. So far, both boards have agreed. Rocket Lab has gotten a $3.6 billion 364-day senior secured bridge term loan facility from Deutsche Bank and Wells Fargo to help finance the deal.

    “IOT 4 You and Me” payload integration. Image courtesy of Rocket Lab.

    This deal is interesting since it opens up a direct SpaceX competitor. Will the deal go through? We’re not sure, since there are many considerations for countries to weigh. Also, Elon Musk was the largest direct source of funds for Donald Trump’s campaign, giving him $291 million in the last election. He could yet secure approval in the US for this complex deal, or, at the very least, slow it down considerably.

    It would be good for the military and commercial businesses to have more alternatives to SpaceX. More competition on the worldwide internet will prevent a monopoly from forming there. It may take years for competitors to build up capacity and global coverage, so a monopoly of space-based internet services for only a few years may deter competition indefinitely. For companies and governments wanting to deploy backup networking solutions, sensor networks, and global communications networks, just having SpaceX is, of course, a terrible thing. It would give them only one choice and open them up to being effectively extorted on pricing. A livelier, more spirited Iridium offering would give many people a viable alternative, lower prices, and lead to better service.

    Direct-to-device internet could be a winner-take-all global market for control over internet access. I don’t think anyone, save one person, wants this to be dominated by one firm. And two or more global players would make it much more likely that people would use and rely on satellite internet services worldwide. So if this goes through and gets approval, it should bring some much-needed competition. Across the pond, this may lead to jockeying for space among the largely European offerings of Viasat, SES, and Eutelsat. Will one or two of these merge? Will Echostar find a suitor as well?

    Europe as a whole will also have to decide whether it wants to mollycoddle a viable European alternative, initiate more space startups in Europe, or build a defense communications alternative to achieve a sovereign alternative. Eutelsat and OneWeb have focused on government and corporate clients but have proved invaluable in Ukraine. IRIS is kind of a European clown car for the internet, including Thales, Airbus, SES, and Eutelsat, and would cost $10 billion. Just looking at the sovereign warfighter communications that it could provide and the targeting this could be necessary. But, if it were just a government network, then both Rocket Lab and SpaceX would seem to be better businesses. SwissTo12 again looks to be a brilliant play because, by using that firm’s 3D printed infrastructure and Hummingbird satellites, more government-specific networks and potentially a fully fledged competitor could emerge. Interesting times indeed in the space launch and constellation business.

  • HeyGears Unveils G1X, the World’s First Desktop Full-Color 3D & UV Printer

    For creators, makers, studios, and small businesses, color has remained one of the biggest barriers in digital fabrication. Multi-color FDM is limited in detail and often creates waste towers, while resin 3D printing delivers fine detail but requires manual painting for color. Full-color 3D printing has traditionally been expensive and out of reach, with UV printing and texture creation still locked in separate workflows.

    The HeyGears G1X is designed to change that. As the world’s first desktop full-color 3D and UV printer, G1X combines Full-Color 3D, 3D Texture, and 2D UV printing in one desktop-scale platform. From paint-free full-color models and tactile relief effects to high-resolution surface customization across hundreds of materials, G1X gives creators a faster, more flexible way to turn digital ideas into finished physical products.

    One Machine. Three Worlds of Creation.

    The HeyGears G1X combines Full-Color 3D, 3D Texture, and 2D UV printing in one desktop system.

    3D Printing Mode (Prints Full-Color 3D Models & 2.9D Deep Relief)

    In 3D Mode, the G1X builds three-dimensional models layer by layer using a dedicated ink set: CMYK + Double White + Water-SolubleSupport + Transparent (CMYKST+W*2). This mode produces:

    • Full-Color 3D Models: Seamless, paint-free models with interior and exterior color.
    • Deep Relief (2.9D): A specialized application of full-color 3D printing for deep three-dimensional relief, extending your prints up to 150 mm for enhanced expression.

    Transparent printing application demonstrating color fidelity, fine detail, and clear material effects. Image courtesy of HeyGears.

    UV Printing Mode (2D Printing & 3D Textures Printing)

    In UV mode, the G1X 8-channel ink system and up to 1440 × 2400 DPI resolution support vivid color, fine detail, raised textures, and surface customization across 400+ compatible materials. It functions as a high-speed flatbed printer capable of producing two types of creations:

    • 2D Printing: Direct high-resolution printing on 400+ compatible materials (metal, acrylic, wood, leather, ceramics).
    • 3D Textures: Supports up to 5 mm in 3D texture height, allowing you to reproduce realistic surfaces such as leather, wood carvings, brushstrokes, and Braille.

    A leather-style book cover featuring raised 3D textures and high-resolution color printing created with the G1X. Image courtesy of HeyGears.

    Industrial-Grade Print Quality, Speed, and Color Fidelity

    G1X is designed to bring industrial-grade print performance into a desktop-scale system, combining faster UV printing, precise color reproduction, and stable long-term output.

    • Epson I3200 industrial-grade printhead: Supports ultra-high-frequency jetting for faster printing, more stable ink ejection, and reduced risk of clogging.
    • Up to 3X faster UV printing: Helps creators, studios, and small businesses improve productivity for custom projects and small-batch production.
    • Advanced RIP algorithms: Enable 10M+ colors, smoother gradients, and more accurate visual output across different printing modes.

    Note: The 3X UV printing speed boost is based on internal testing compared with desktop UV printers equipped with a single F1080 (XP600) printhead.

    Custom skateboard deck produced using the G1X’s full-color UV printing capabilities. Image courtesy of HeyGears.

    From Idea to Print with AI and Auto Calibration

    G1X combines AI-powered creation tools with intelligent hardware alignment, making the workflow from idea to final print faster and easier.

    • AI-powered modeling: With HeyVerse AI and Blueprint Studio, users can generate high-fidelity models from text or images or convert 2D visuals into 3D Texture outputs through a simplified workflow.
    • Auto calibration in seconds: Line-scan imaging identifies an object’s position, shape, and edges, enabling accurate design alignment and smart layout in Blueprint Studio for more efficient, consistent batch production.
    • Full-stack creation workflow: With HeyVerse, Blueprint Studio, 500+ curated assets, and text/image-to-3D generation, users can turn ideas into printable models in minutes—even without 3D modeling experience.

    Early Access and Deposit Reservation

    The HeyGears G1X is launching soon on Kickstarter. Join our waitlist now to secure early bird pricing.

    Special Launch Offer

    Secure your VIP Early Bird Slot for Just $50

    Receive a complimentary 300ml bottle of White UV Ink (valued at $49) with your printer.

    Reserve Your VIP Slot →

    About HeyGears

    HeyGears specializes in 3D printing and digital manufacturing, delivering precision solutions across dental, rehabilitation, and consumer applications. From medical personalization to consumer innovation, we help restore, reshape, and reimagine what’s possible—making advanced manufacturing more accessible. To learn more about HeyGears products, visit store.heygears.com or contact [email protected].

  • New University of Miami Facility Brings Bioprinting Closer to Clinical Reality

    The University of Miami‘s Miller School of Medicine has opened a new bioprinting facility that is already being used to create living tissues, patient-specific implants, and advanced drug delivery systems. The facility could help move bioprinting technologies closer to real-world clinical use.

    Located within the Dr. John T. Macdonald Foundation Biomedical Nanotechnology Institute (BioNIUM), the facility brings together researchers, engineers, and clinicians under one roof. The goal is to accelerate the development of personalized medical treatments and regenerative medicine technologies.

    “It’s a little bit like Star Trek,” said Sylvia Daunert, director of BioNIUM and Lucille P. Markey Chair in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. “We make molecules called nano-carriers that recognize diseased cells. They act like a GPS and deliver drugs where they’re needed. These technologies are making a huge impact on medicine.”

    Dr. Sylvia Daunert is the director of the BioNIUM, which houses the 3D Bioprinting Facility. Image courtesy of the University of Miami.

    What sets the new facility apart is the range of technologies available in a single location. Researchers can use the center to develop so much, including tissue models, bone regeneration scaffolds, bioactive molecules, microfluidic devices, microneedles for drug delivery, surgical models, neural interfaces, and artificial organs. What’s more, the university says the platform can create features as small as 200 nanometers while preserving living cells during printing.

    “We’re making operating tools for surgeons, creating artificial tissues, layer by layer, for discovery research, recreating bones and developing microfluidics for point-of-care tests. We can make microchips for computer-brain interfaces, artificial organs,” said Dr. Daunert. “We’re pushing the envelope of what science can do.”

    The new facility is designed to work with living cells, growth factors, and other sensitive biological materials. Unlike many conventional manufacturing processes that rely on high temperatures, the platform operates under conditions that help preserve the viability of those materials.

    “If you look at some of the other things that have been done, like heating up filaments to hundreds of degrees for extrusion…that would kill cells,” said Vasudev Vivekanand Nayak, a mechanical engineer and operational manager of the 3D Bioprinting Facility as well as a postdoctoral researcher at the Miller School of Medicine. “If you have any sort of temperature-sensitive drug that you want to incorporate within your tissue constructs, extreme heat would destroy it. You need equipment that can print live cells or any sort of bioactive molecules or growth factors at a physiological temperature. It’s really hard to do and has not been attempted in many cases in the past. But it’s happening here.”

    Microneedle array for drug delivery, made in the 3D Bioprinting Facility. Image courtesy of the University of Miami.

    Because the facility is housed within BioNIUM, users also have access to nanofabrication tools including photolithography, electron-beam lithography, advanced imaging, and materials characterization equipment. Those resources can be used alongside the bioprinting systems as projects move from development to testing.

    Some of that work is already underway. Paulo Coelho, a professor of surgery at the Miller School of Medicine who leads the research initiatives behind the 3D Bioprinting Facility, is developing 3D printed scaffolds designed to help patients regenerate bone lost to trauma, disease, or surgery. The technology has shown promising results in animal studies, and researchers are preparing for future clinical trials.

    3D printed bone scaffolding from the BioNIUM’s 3D Bioprinting Facility. Image courtesy of the University of Miami.

    Researchers are also exploring new ways to create skin, cartilage, bone, and nerve tissue. The long-term goal is to develop implants that help the body repair itself more naturally. And while major hurdles remain, progress continues in areas such as tissue viability, vascularization, and implant performance.

  • 3DPOD 304: Precast Concrete AM with Greg Kerkstra, Mangrove 3D

    Greg Kerkstra is part of a family business that leads in the precast concrete industry. They’ve now turned to Progress Group’s large-format binder-jet concrete technology, which we covered here in a podcast with Andreas. Greg is exploring applications, products, and go-to-market with his family business. What will work? Where is the value? What is interesting and profitable in concrete 3D printing? We contrast their printing method with the usual concrete deposition technologies and look at what they can make and want to make. We look at Mangrove 3D options, its goals, and try to Devine where the business is in this novel market.

    This episode of the 3DPOD is brought to you by FacFox, where your next product starts as a file and ends as a custom-made reality. With instant quoting, rapid design feedback, and on-demand 3D printing, CNC machining, injection molding, and more, FacFox makes it easier to test out ideas, fine-tune every detail, and manufacture with confidence. Curious what your design could become? Upload it and find out.

     

  • How One Artist Is Using 3D Printing to Tell Stories About the Ocean

    Artist Kimberly Callas sees something different when she looks at a 3D printer. Where others see a machine for making parts, she sees a way to tell stories about the ocean, climate change, and humanity’s relationship with nature.

    That vision has now earned her a place in the New York Academy of Art‘s 2026 Summer Exhibition, where her piece Ocean Reach combines hand-painted details with 3D printed biofilament to explore the beauty and fragility of marine ecosystems.

    Oceans, coral reefs, marine life, and the challenges facing our planet have become the foundation of her work.

    Callas, an artist and professor at Monmouth University in New Jersey, combines traditional art techniques with modern technologies, including 3D printing. Her piece Ocean Reach wasn’t just selected for the New York Academy of Art’s Summer Exhibition; it was also featured in the latest issue of WEAD Magazine, a publication focused on women working in environmental art.

    What makes the piece especially interesting to the 3D printing community is that it contains PLA biofilament, one of the most widely used materials in desktop 3D printing. This shows us how additive manufacturing is being used in creative fields beyond engineering and manufacturing.

    Art Meets Technology

    For years, 3D printing has given artists incredible new creative possibilities. In Callas’ work, however, the technology is just one part of the artistic process. Her work often explores humanity’s relationship with nature, particularly the oceans. Through sculpture, drawing, installation pieces, and 3D printed elements, she creates works that encourage viewers to think differently about the environment.

    In Ocean Reach, 3D printed PLA biofilament is combined with acrylic ink and graphite to create a piece that feels both organic and futuristic at the same time. It’s amazing how the technology almost disappears into the artwork itself. But that’s part of what makes it interesting. The goal isn’t to show off a 3D printer, it’s to tell a story. And here, the visible print layers add texture and movement that look like waves, currents, and other natural forms.

    Measuring 8 x 6 x 2 inches, the piece, Callas says, “continues my interest in the visceral meeting point between humans and nature.”

    A Different Side of 3D Printing

    Callas chose to create the piece using PLA biofilament, one of the most common materials used in desktop 3D printing. Made primarily from renewable resources such as corn starch or sugarcane, PLA isn’t a perfect environmental solution. Although it still has an environmental footprint, Callas’ decision to use it in artwork inspired by the oceans creates an interesting connection between the material itself and the environmental themes she explores.

    Ocean Reach was selected for exhibition by the New York Academy of Art as part of its summer exhibition program.

    Anyone interested in seeing Ocean Reach can visit the New York Academy of Art’s 2026 Summer Exhibition, which runs through July 13 at the Academy’s Tribeca campus at 111 Franklin Street and features more than 75 works by alumni, students, and faculty.

    Sculptor Kimberly Callas. Image courtesy of Kimberly Callas.

    Ocean Reach isn’t the first time Callas has worked with 3D printing. She has been using the technology for several years in sculptures inspired by the ocean and the environment. Her solo exhibition, Ocean Bodies, shown at Monmouth University in 2025, featured a series of works made with 3D printed biofilament. Other projects have included her long-running Portrait of the Ecological Self series, as well as Ocean Swimmers (Entanglement), a solo exhibition in Budapest inspired by marine ecosystems.

    Art like Callas’ reminds us that 3D printing is also a creative medium. Artists around the world are using the technology to experiment with form, texture, and materials. Some create large sculptures. Others produce wearable pieces, jewelry, furniture, or interactive installations. Callas is part of this growing group of artists who are exploring how digital fabrication can support this type of environmental storytelling.

  • 3D Printing News Briefs, June 27, 2026: Nanoscale 3D Printing, Defense Readiness, & More

    We’re starting with a story about a grant for advanced nanoscale 3D printing in this weekend’s 3D Printing News Briefs, and then on to metal additive manufacturing (AM) for defense readiness and shipbuilding. We’ll finish up with industrial X-ray CT scanning.

    UCSB Receives NSF Grant for Advanced Nanoscale 3D Printing

    Co-PI Andrew Jayich will use the new technology to create ion traps like the one shown here, in which colors indicate independent electrodes to control trapped ions. Image credit: Brian Long

    In response to a proposal they submitted, a team of researchers at University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) recently secured a $1.15 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to purchase a 3D nanoprinting system. The equipment, which the team wrote will “open the door to new approaches to nano- and micro-manufacturing of complex structures and devices,” is able to print a polymer lens fewer than 50 micrometers wide onto the edge of a chip, and will be housed in the UCSB Nanofabrication Facility. The team consists of lead PI Galan Moody, UCSB professor of electrical and computer engineering, and co-PIs Marley Dewey (bioengineering), Andrew Jayich (physics), Sumita Pennathur (mechanical engineering), and Andrea Young (physics). They will all use the new system for their own projects, like creating new photonic chip designs and patterned biomaterials, microprinting ion trap structures for optical clocks, 3D printing microfluidic channels on chips to use as electrical control, and more. As they explained in their proposal, the team also plans to train UCSB students on the equipment, as well as local community college students.

    “There are just a few universities in the U.S. that have tools with these capabilities,” Moody said.

    “Ten-nm-resolution lithography is available at off-campus commercial foundries, but none is capable of creating complex 3D structures with nanoscale resolution and high speed for high-throughput prototyping, which are required for next-generation devices. Being able to make structures in true three dimensions opens new capabilities.”

    Meltio Developing Ecosystem of Certified Partners for U.S. Defense Readiness

    Spanish company Meltio, which specializes in wire-laser metal deposition (W-LMD), is working to strengthen its presence in U.S. defense manufacturing through a growing ecosystem of certified industrial partners. These partners operate under recognized quality and regulatory frameworks, including ITAR registration, Type 7 FFL, SAM Registration and ISO 9001:2015 compliance, and they help reinforce the company’s work to provide advanced technology for metal parts production and repair. Meltio’s adaptable manufacturing capability has been validated by the U.S. Navy and allied defense programs, and is perfect for mission-critical environments, like those in the military sector, that require operational readiness, supply chain resilience, and sovereign production capacity. By having these kinds of certified partners, Meltio can deploy its solutions within secure defense environments. These partners include Force Automation, which operates under ITAR registration; Snowbird Technologies, an ISO 9001:2015 certified small business; Fastech LLC, which operates under ISO 9001:2015 and is registered with the U.S. Department of State under ITAR; and Phillips Corporation, which is an ITAR-registered and ISO 9001-certified organization through its Phillips Federal division.

    “Defense organizations are increasingly prioritizing manufacturing sovereignty, resilience, and readiness across distributed environments. Meltio technology, combined with our network of qualified partners in the United States, enables secure and flexible metal part production where it is needed most, supporting mission readiness and reducing dependency on traditional supply chains,” said Jon Grubb, Defense Industry Strategy Manager at Meltio.

    AML3D Completes Initial ARCEMY X Order for Newport News Shipbuilding

    AML3D announced that it has successfully completed an initial order of two of its custom, large-scale ARCEMY X metal AM systems for Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of America’s largest military shipbuilder, HII. These custom ARCEMY X systems use a 10,886 kg positioner to create “heavy capacity build capability” for shipbuilding applications. They have been commissioned and are now operational at NNS, which completes the initial ~$4.5 million order and triggers the final payment. NNS has already placed an additional ~$9.9 million order for four more ARCEMY X systems, set to be delivered in early 2027 to support the U.S. Navy’s Marine Industrial Base (MIB). This is a major endorsement of AML3D’s WAM technology, and supports the company’s strategic investment plan to double its U.S. manufacturing capacity in order to keep meeting MIB demand.

    “The strong and growing demand we are seeing from the US MIB is a ringing endorsement of AML3D’s U.S. scale up strategy. We are doubling the capacity at Stow to ensure we are well positioned to maximize the opportunity outlined in the letter of intent we received from the from the US Navy earlier in the 2026 financial year that indicated a need for up to 100 additive manufacturing systems and 3,400 additively manufactured parts by 2030,” said AML3D CEO Sean Ebert.

    “It is also pleasing to see the same demand signals that underpinned AML3D’s strategic push into the U.S. market are emerging in other globally significant defense markets, in particularly the UK where AML3D has already won UK defense contracts. We are looking to leverage our U.S. strategic playbook in Europe, with plans and funds to establish a European Technology and manufacturing hub as we have done is Stow. Establishing a European hub will position AML3D with manufacturing capability to support the USA, UK and Australia, the three signatories to the trilateral AUKUS defense partnership. We will also have the capacity to deliver on our strategic growth driver of accessing non-defense industrial manufacturing sectors across the U.S., Europe and Australia.”

    Lumafield Introduces New Tier of Industrial X-Ray CT Scanning Solutions

    Lumafield Triton Performance

    Industrial X-ray CT scanning can be very useful for detecting internal defects on 3D printed parts. Lumafield specializes in this technology, and recently announced a new tier of high-performance, industrial X-ray CT scanning solutions, connecting metrology-grade 3D measurement to production line inspection. In this shaky economic climate, as manufacturers are dealing with material inflation, trade uncertainty, and energy volatility, the timing of the new Neptune Performance and Triton Performance systems couldn’t be better. Traditional inspection tools can’t inspect hidden internal geometries well, or they’re too slow, but Lumafield says its new system tier offers high accuracy and fast scanning speeds. This helps engineering and quality teams inspect complex assemblies and verify internal dimensions of parts, and helps manufacturers catch defects much earlier, thus protecting their margins.

    Lumafield’s Neptune scanner was first introduced back in 2022, making X-ray CT inspection technology accessible to industries that hadn’t been able to use it before. The new Neptune Performance features a major hardware upgrade to offer 12x faster scans and better accuracy, with 4x the data quality compared to the standard Neptune. According to Lumafield, users can now measure critical internal features at micron-level accuracy, even with materials that are transparent. Plus, a measurement template built on the Neptune Performance in the R&D lab is now the automated inspection template for the Triton Performance on the factory floor, and both connect to the cloud-based Voyager software environment for a more unified thread. Speaking of the Triton Performance, the company says it enables users to scan parts at production speed and scale, providing complete volumetric CT reconstructions in as little as 10 seconds per part. It’s supposedly able to catch internal defects, create automated inspection recipes that target known failure modes, and identify parts that deviate from the norm.

  • US Army Awards Continuous Composites 3D Printed Missile Component Contract

    Despite the very loud, indignant claims from American defense officials that the US hasn’t depleted a significant portion of its munitions stockpiles, the US has depleted a significant portion of its munitions stockpiles. Resultantly, President Trump has used the Defense Production Act (DPA) to stimulate accelerated production by US defense contractors.

    This appears to have already filtered into the additive manufacturing (AM) industry, based on recent announcements like Beehive Industries’ $50 million order with EOS. Now, Continuous Composites also looks to be a beneficiary of the broader push to ramp up weapons production: the Idaho-based original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of robotic arm extrusion 3D printers just landed a US Army Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) contract to use its carbon fiber technology for missile components.

    The multi-year contract for Continuous Composites is administered through America Makes, the Manufacturing USA institute dedicated to accelerating the US defense industrial base’s AM adoption. Continuous Composites has amassed an array of DoD contracts in the last couple of years, pulling in funding for work on applications like US Navy UAVs, light-weighting for Air Force airframes, and simulation software specifically designed for 3D printed composites.

    The diversity of defense applications for which Continuous Composites has validated its process would suggest that the company has an outsized role to play in a production environment where agility has moved to the top of the prioritization agenda. This takes on extra relevance when you consider that DoD is currently trying to strike a balance between replenishing legacy weapons systems and getting the ball rolling on new spending programs.

    The CF3D Enterprise®, an integrated system for structural composite manufacturing—built to print complex geometries with precision and speed.

    In a press release about US Army ManTech’s award of a multiyear contract to Continuous Composites for 3D printed missile components, the company’s CEO, Steve Starner, said, “We believe our technology provides game-changing capabilities to the U.S. industrial base, and we are focused on solving some of the toughest challenges related to high-performance and high-temperature materials. Our goal is to lower program risk, improve system capability, and position our customers for confident, scalable production in the future in alignment with Department of Defense priorities.”

    It’s unusual to find a company of Continuous Composites’ size that has worked on so many different applications within the defense sphere, especially considering that all of those applications are currently in urgent demand by military customers. While Continuous Composites’ work with DoD has thus far primarily involved early-stage R&D, that’s arguably precisely the spot a company wants to be when serving a market on the verge of making major shifts in terms of the product mixes it’s targeting.

    Additionally, the fact that an enterprise like ADDMAN Group is a Continuous Composite user provides a readymade pathway for the results of Continuous Composites’ work to move to commercialization. In that sense, too, Continuous Composites’ contract should benefit users like ADDMAN down the road, as well.

    And, along those same lines, Stratasys should be another winner, considering that it just acquired Markforged, which has the rights to use Continuous Composites’ technology following a 2024 $25 million patent infringement settlement. Interestingly, the differences in how the two companies deploy the same core technology make it feasible that what’s good for one will also be good for the other: while Continuous Composites is appropriate for large-format parts, the relative portability of Markforged machines means that the parts printed with Continuous Composites’ systems can be repaired in the field by Markforged printers.

    I expect to see that sort of redundancy/versatility get embedded into the foundation of the Pentagon’s new spending programs in the years ahead. AM industry stakeholders should pay equal attention to how quickly that same mindset makes its way into the overall manufacturing sector.

    Images courtesy of Continuous Composites

  • Why Qualification Is Becoming the Next Frontier for AM in Energy

    The energy industry doesn’t have much room for failure. Components used in power generation often operate under extreme temperatures and pressures, sometimes for decades at a time. That’s one reason why qualification has become one of the most important challenges for the additive manufacturing (AM) industry today

    The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), working closely with America Makes and industry partners, has spent years working on that problem, helping bridge the gap between AM innovation and real-world deployment. The organization recently earned Best Paper honors from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Manufacturing, Materials, and Metallurgy Committee for its paper, “Learnings in the Qualification of ABD®900AM for Turbine, Aerospace, and Energy Applications.”

    At the center of the research is ABD®-900AM, a nickel-based superalloy developed by Alloyed specifically for AM. The paper focuses on lessons learned while qualifying the material for turbine, aerospace, and energy applications. Unlike many qualification efforts, the project involved multiple organizations, manufacturing sites, and AM systems, helping establish a broader foundation for future deployment.

    What’s more, that recognition points to a growing focus on qualification, an area many in the industry see as one of the biggest barriers to wider adoption of additive manufacturing in critical applications.

    Plot showing the improved temperature capability of superalloy ABD®900-AM compared to traditional materials such as alloy 718. Image courtesy of America Makes/EPRI.

    Moving Beyond Demonstration Parts

    The energy industry has long been interested in AM’s potential to shorten supply chains, reduce lead times, and enable the production of complex components that can be difficult to manufacture conventionally. However, printing a part is only one step in the process.

    For critical applications, it isn’t enough to just print a part. Companies also need to prove that they will perform as expected every time. That means a lot of testing, data collection, and validation before a component can be put into service.

    EPRI’s work has also been built around collaboration. Working with America Makes and industry partners, the organization has sought ways to apply aerospace and defense qualification practices to energy, while sharing what it has learned with other sectors. And the result is a more coordinated approach to qualification, with companies and organizations building on each other’s work instead of starting from scratch.

    Building the Foundation for Energy Innovation

    Qualification work may not attract the same attention as a new printer or material, but it often determines whether a technology ever reaches real-world use. That’s one reason EPRI launched its Advanced Manufacturing Methods and Materials (AM3) initiative in 2022. The program brings together utilities, manufacturers, national laboratories, and other partners to share data, develop standards, and help move advanced manufacturing technologies closer to deployment.

    The work is particularly important for emerging energy technologies, including advanced nuclear reactors and modernized grid infrastructure, which may rely on new materials and manufacturing methods in the years ahead.

    Alloyed ABD-900AM used to make a combustion chamber. Image courtesy of Alloyed.

    But EPRI isn’t only focused on qualification. The organization has also been studying how AM could be used to produce larger parts for the energy industry. To that end, earlier this year, EPRI highlighted its work on large-area directed energy deposition (DED), a process that could help manufacturers produce large metal components that are often difficult to obtain through traditional supply chains. In some cases, those efforts focus on replacement parts for aging infrastructure where original suppliers may no longer exist or lead times have become impractical.

    The project is one example of how EPRI is approaching advanced manufacturing. Instead of looking at materials, manufacturing processes, and qualification separately, the organization has been working across all three areas at the same time.

    Timing is also important. Utilities and manufacturers are under pressure to secure critical components more quickly while reducing their dependence on long, sometimes unpredictable supply chains.

    The Push Toward Deployment

    The AM industry has reached a point where technical capability alone is no longer enough. In fact, printing the part is only half the battle. For industries like energy, aerospace, and defense, the real test is proving that a part will perform reliably once it’s in service. That’s why qualification has become such an important part of the AM conversation.

    For the energy industry, that work could have implications well beyond AM. Faster access to critical parts, stronger supply chains, and new manufacturing options are all becoming super important as utilities prepare for the next generation of energy infrastructure.

    Through its work with organizations such as America Makes, EPRI is helping build the framework that could allow additive manufacturing to play a much larger role in the next generation of energy infrastructure.

  • Solukon Releases SPR-Pathfinder PRO—and a Smart Software Strategy

    Large-format LPBF darling Solukon Maschinenbau launches SPR-Pathfinder PRO, an upgrade to its depowdering software. This is a smart play because it enables the company to keep ahead of potential competition through software. It could also enable the better use of existing Solukon machines.

    The company says the new software offers improved process time prediction, simulation, and validation. The company also has a BASIC version of the software. This again seems like a smart move. If I have something relatively simple to depowder, like some engine block components, then maybe BASIC is just fine. I don’t have to pay for the McSalad Shaker Tom Cruise in Cocktail, top-of-the-line stuff, then.

    Meanwhile, if I have a rocket engine, I’m a money-no-object type of person anyway, looking at a backlog of 300 satellites, so I’ll upgrade for every willy-nilly advantage, no matter how small. This can let the company make a good software offering for car companies and other cost-conscious buyers, and develop super-premium features for the heat-exchange and rocket-engine crowd. Too often, most of the differentiation, value-based pricing, and premium offerings in 3D printing are stupid. But this is an example of letting the cost-conscious spend less. Letting the performance crowd get more while showing improvement to your product. And let’s not forget that this software will improve your existing machine. What Solukon is doing here may seem simple, but it is anything but. Too often, in any kind of differentiation in pricing, a lot of people will feel “had,” or worse yet, you kind of break your product somehow. So far, at least here, there is a balance around the right lever for pricing and channel complexity that parallels the cost consciousness and price elasticity of their customers.

    Simulation and validation tools in SPR-Pathfinder PRO help predict depowdering outcomes before processing begins. Image courtesy of Solukon.

    The company says there were customer parts that were simply too complex for the previous version of the software. Here, more accuracy and simulation were needed than they could provide. The firm says it previously had a limit of 2.4 million voxels for predictive capability but no longer does.

    Additionally, the company needed greater traceability for customer certification and has now implemented it. The company also said that it is now looking to let customers design for depowdering so that it can enable more structures and customers can design parts that are easier to depowder reliably.

    Solukon CEO Andreas Hartmann said,

    “At Solukon, we have always believed that reliable and intelligent automated depowdering can be achieved when machine, process, and software are aligned. The parts our customers print today are more complex than ever and we have grown alongside that ambition. SPR-Pathfinder® PRO reflects years of listening to the market and advancing our software in step with the most demanding AM applications: parts with sub-millimeter channels, densely packed internal surfaces, and geometries previously inaccessible.”

    Improvements in prediction will also make life easier for schedulers and other staff, especially in high-mix environments. The new software can measure over 1,000,000 particles and an unlimited amount of voxels. This could be used for very complex channels measuring under 1mm.

    According to the company,

    “The software now enables cross-sectional views of the component in all planes (X, Y, and Z), giving operators full visibility inside the part at any point and from any direction. Also, the part’s transparency can be adjusted very granularly. This makes it straightforward to identify powder traps and bottlenecks before a single layer is printed.”

    Hemank Raj, Product Owner of SPR-Pathfinder, says,

    “SPR-Pathfinder PRO is the result of working closely with operators who push LPBF to its limits every day. The standard version already removes the guesswork from depowdering program creation. With PRO, we go further: users can now look inside the most complex geometries, predict process time with confidence, and validate depowderability before the first layer is printed. That changes how engineers think about postprocessing from the very start of a project.”

    A Siemens component analyzed in SPR-Pathfinder PRO, showing how the software identifies internal powder traps and evaluates depowderability before post-processing. Image courtesy of Solukon.

    Both software versions work with the SFM-AT350, SFM-AT350-E, SFM-AT800-S, SFM-AT1000-S, and SFM-AT1500-S units.

    Comparison of SPR-Pathfinder BASIC and SPR-Pathfinder PRO, highlighting additional simulation, validation, and process-planning capabilities available in the PRO version. Image courtesy of Solukon.

    This seems to be excellent business sense. The differentiation seems fair to all involved and useful as well. It’s also easy to understand. And yet the company is adding more capabilities, ease of use, and utility to previously sold Solukon units (although not all of them) through a software upgrade that should see their owners save time and money.

    This seems like a very sensible approach to creating and adding value for yourself and your customers. Other machine tool companies, not only in Additive, should look at what Solukon is doing here, as it may very well help them make more money while demonstrating greater utility and keeping them ahead of the competition.

  • DREAMing in Dayton: DREAM Symposium Covers AM, AI, Supply Chain, & More

    This month, I attended a manufacturing industry event, like I often do. But instead of getting on a plane to New York City, or driving four hours to Youngstown, I only had to drive ten minutes for the inaugural Dayton Regional Ecosystem for Advanced Manufacturing, or DREAM, Symposium.

    Spearheaded by Dayton area-based companies Hyphen Innovations, Dayton Photonics, Skuld LLC, and Laser Fusion Solutions, this small event in my Ohio hometown was conversational and relationship-driven, focused on the people working to build, test, fund, and deploy advanced manufacturing, many of whom are right here in Dayton. DREAM welcomed academia, industry, and government to discuss how emerging technologies make it to real-world deployment.

    There’s a lot of manufacturing innovation going on in Ohio; it’s a core state of the Rust Belt, after all. In Dayton specifically, we’ve got the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI); Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB), which houses the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL); and plenty of manufacturing companies. This is where the Wright Brothers invented flight, and where Charles F. Kettering worked on the electrical starting motor and the “Bug” aerial torpedo!

    DREAM kicked off the night before the symposium with a pre-networking party at a local brewery. In the morning, we all gathered at The Hub, a co-working space in downtown Dayton’s historic Arcade. The Arcade Innovation Hub is a formal joint venture between the University of Dayton and the Entrepreneurs’ Center, and is actually the largest university-anchored innovation center in the country.

    Supply Chain

    After opening remarks from Dayton City Commissioner Darius Beckham, who said that “our future is heavily tied to this room, to defense and aerospace and all the technologies that will define the next century,” Skuld CEO Sarah Jordan moderated a panel on supply chains between Hyphen’s Founder and CEO Dr. Onome Scott-Emuakpor and Skuld CTO Mark DeBruin. She first asked them about the concrete ways they’ve used advanced manufacturing technology to improve the supply chain.

    “When it comes to manufacturing and supporting the supply chain, cost and time are always first and foremost,” Dr. Scott-Emuakpor said. “I look at basic equipment and figure out how to use it to make complex, high-level components. You can get plastic 3D printers for $1,000, while metal printers cost much, much more. We’re attempting to use plastic printers to print metal; all we’d need is an affordable furnace.”

    The idea is to majorly lower the cost of the equipment in order to create a part that’s close to the same integrity as one that can be made with more expensive machines.

    DeBruin talked about Skuld’s hybrid additive-enabled evaporative casting, or AMEC, technology. They print a polymer or foam pattern of the part, then place the pattern in a mold. The pattern disappears during casting, and leaves behind a metal part with the same shape. It has the same microstructure as casting, but it’s a much faster process than straight metal printing.

    “We also have a lot of benchtop printers that we’re modifying for higher resolution,” DeBruin said.

    Skuld parts at DREAM Symposium

    The panelists also discussed how they’re working to speed things up for the supply chain, like cutting down the manufacturing steps, as Dr. Scott-Emuakpor suggested. For instance, Hyphen’s iDAMP software enables them to print parts that don’t need a lot of post-fabrication steps.

    “We can significantly impact the parts’ exposure to vibration, shock, or impact. Many parts that fail do so because of those issues,” he explained. “With our software, parts don’t have to be as strong, and it can reduce the time by 50%.”

    DeBruin said sometimes, a conversation with the customer can be the most helpful.

    “If there are very tight tolerances for machining, we can ask the customer, why do they need to be so tight? If you can eliminate some of those machining steps, like extra coatings, this can save time. Don’t push back on the customer, but just ask, does this make sense?”

    Both Hyphen’s iDAMP software and Skuld’s AMEC process can be licensed out to other companies.

    L-R: Sarah Jordan, Skuld; Dr. Onome Scott-Emuakpor, Hyphen Innovations; and Mark DeBruin, Skuld

    Focusing specifically on Ohio, Jordan asked about the benefits of founding tech companies here, as opposed to larger, more well-known tech hubs like San Francisco and Boston. DeBruin noted that a large percentage of the U.S. is within a one-day drive of Columbus, and that there are plenty of military bases nearby that offer funding opportunities. Dr. Scott-Emuakpor also cited proximity, as well as affordability.

    “Known tech hubs are expensive, first of all,” Dr. Scott-Emuakpor said. “Second, Ohio is saturated with high-quality tech companies. Just in this room, there are six different entities that I have collaborated with. I don’t think, in a different area, a newer company like ours would have six different collaborators in one room.”

    When asked about their five-year predictions, Dr. Scott-Emuakpor said that he sees additive being more highly implemented into mainstream manufacturing, and also sees Hyphen “growing at the same rate as the implementation and usage of advanced manufacturing.”

    “We’re developing a lot of our process to fit in shipping containers,” DeBruin said. “In five years, I’d like us to be the McDonald’s of advanced manufacturing, where we can train people to make the exact same pieces over and over.”

    Technology Showcases & Fireside Chats

    Peppered throughout the day were several brief Technology Showcases from participating Ohio-based companies. Vixiv offers AI-enabled, predictive engineering design software: users define the requirements and parameters, while the company handles all of the analysis and predictions. CEO and founder Aaron Chow said the software is able to compress the design cycle down from 4-6 months to just 2-3 minutes.

    LeapFast Manufacturing offers a solid-state additive process called Bobbin-Friction Stir Deposition (B-FSD). Instead of melting, it uses friction to soften high-strength aluminum alloys, and deposit the material before it gets to the liquid state. CTO and co-founder Kranthi Balusu said B-FSD can cut lead times by up to 98%.

    In a fireside chat, Emily Fehrman Cory, PhD, the CEO of Dayton Photonics, discussed the startup’s solid-state laser beam steering technology, as well as their fiberless optical communication system THEIA.

    Emily Fehrman Cory, PhD, Dayton Photonics, at DREAM Symposium

    Dr. Scott-Emuakpor spoke about Hyphen, which he said is “highly focused on physics-based models.” One of the company’s key technologies is an accelerated fatigue test machine, and another is their previously mentioned i-DAMP software.

    Mile 2, a custom software development company, works primarily with the DoW on “mission-ready decision intelligence,” as Principal Machine Learning Engineer Patrick Hester, PhD, explained. He said that the company developed the first DoW-approved Google Cloud Platform environment that met Zero Trust (ZT) cybersecurity requirements.

    Meysam Haghshenas, an Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Toledo, is the director of the university’s Fatigue, Fracture, and Failure Laboratory (F3L). He explained that the durability of 3D printed parts is a major qualification challenge, because AM materials are internally defective, and discussed his lab’s research on long vs. ultralong fatigue of AM materials.

    Jordan talked about Skuld, and she even brought some additive casting examples. She discussed some of the materials the company is working on, like new aluminum, iron, and steel options, as well as some of its government-funded projects, like DARPA’s Rubble to Rockets (R2R).

    Automation & AI

    After a lunch break, we re-convened for a panel about automation and artificial intelligence (AI), moderated by Hyphen’s Lead Research Engineer Troy Krizak. He first wanted to know the state of the technology the panelists are seeing in the industry. Chris Barrett, the CEO of Laser Fusion Solutions, said a lot of the AI they see in machine shops “comes in on the software side, not at the machine level,” while automation is used for quality control and inspections.

    Rajesh Naik, CEO of Mined XAI, said that because automation and AI are both such buzz words, they don’t always even explicitly say that they’re an AI company.

    “But getting some data that’s well-structured is important,” he explained. “Start small, determine your key pain points, and build from there. We’ve talked to many clients who’ve shelved AI projects after 6 months because the return on investment isn’t immediate.”

    Hester said on the automation side, someone is ultimately responsible for the system, and the decisions it makes. With AI, cognitive effort is redistributed, not removed.

    “The burden is still on you to make the decision – do we continue to observe, collect more intel, quit? These [automation and AI] help us become more effective if deployed correctly, but they’re not taking anyone’s job.”

    L-R: Troy Krizak, Hyphen Innovations; Patrick Hester, Mile 2; Rajesh Naik, Mined XAI; and Chris Barrett, Laser Fusion Solutions

    Krizak wanted to know where they saw AI having the biggest impact in the manufacturing community, and Hester said it was the idea that you can wrangle huge amounts of data, make sense of it, and quickly get the relevant information out.

    “The amount of data we’re generating in organizations is beyond the comprehension of what one person can understand. So AI helps.”

    Naik thinks of these “massive amounts of data” in terms of the supply chain, with “hundreds of thousands of SKUs, supplied by multiple vendors, shipped to 600-700 businesses across the nation, then to distribution centers.” AI can help build resiliency in the system, so instead of multiple dashboards, all of that important information is in one place.

    Materials & Manufacturing for Aerospace & Energy Resilience

    The final panel was moderated by Hyphen’s Strategic Growth Lead, Jamaal Linson. With panelists Fred Herman, Principal Consultant with Advanced Additive Manufacturing, LLC; LeapFast’s Balusu; and Mike Brody of The Brody Group, Linson discussed how expensive manufacturing equipment is, and how they’re able to get funding. Herman noted that during COVID, many called on Defense Production Act Title III, which provides economic incentives to modernize, expand, and protect the domestic industrial base.

    “When it comes to CapEx, in realistic terms, you can fund it yourself or through investment partners, and you’ll likely get an immediate loss due to the Big Beautiful Bill,” Brody said, then suggested that manufacturing companies could use NASA’s Internal Research and Development (IRAD) program, which funds cutting-edge scientific and engineering concepts.

    From the audience, Jordan said Skuld purchases a lot of equipment at auctions, or builds their own. Kimberly Gibson, Industrial Base Integration Director at America Makes, asked if there could ever be a way to collateralize data as an asset, because banks working with manufacturers don’t typically cover something that’s not a hard and fast machine. A banker in the audience didn’t have an answer for that specific question, but did suggest the possibility of leasing equipment, or using a specialized bank; Gibson said that “we need to help the banks help us collateralize data.”

    L-R: Jamaal Linson, Hyphen Innovations; Fred Herman, Advanced AM LLC; Kranthi Balusu, LeapFast Manufacturing; and Mike Brody, the Brody Group

    Moving on, Linson asked how we can get the future generation excited about manufacturing careers. Balusu said he believes that kids are pushed away from this work, because they’ve “seen their grandparents lose their jobs in dark factories. But it’s not like that anymore.” Brody said companies need to donate printers and software to schools, and help them create learning labs, and that we need to tell kids it’s okay to get a manufacturing trade degree or go to a two-year school.

    A younger audience member said that most graduating college students just want job security, while a public school teacher said that often, educators don’t even see 3D printers or CNC machines, “so there’s no spark, we can’t teach it.” Another member of the audience, who works with IACMI – The Composites Institute in Tennessee, shared that they are rolling out free STEM kits for students in grades K-5, making videos to show teachers how to use the technology, and showing kids footage from manufacturing industries so they can see how the technology is used in real life.

    Linson also asked the panelists about manufacturing capabilities that our competitors understand better than we do. Brody’s answer was rare earth minerals and mining. Herman said that it’s not necessarily the capability, but “the mental, long-term perspective.” From the audience, Skuld’s DeBruin agreed, noting that “China and Vietnam look in generations, and the U.S. looks in months and years.” Balusu said that China has a long roadmap, “and they plan for resilient supply chains to manufacture at scale.”

    Final Thoughts

    Overall, the first DREAM Symposium was a worthwhile event. I thought the panel discussions, and the audience feedback throughout, were very interesting, and I kept thinking about some of the things people had said long after I’d gone home for the day. It was also great to connect with people and companies in my area, and I plan on having follow-up conversations with many of them.

    “Our goal was to create a small, intimate room to encourage bonding,” Linson said. “We’ve laid a great foundation for the future.”

    I can’t wait for the next one!

    Images courtesy of Sarah Saunders for 3DPrint.com