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  • 3D Printing News Briefs, June 20, 2026: Holograms, Insoles, & Prosthetics

    We’re focused on volumetric 3D printing, 3D printed insoles, and 3D printed prosthetics in this weekend’s 3D Printing News Briefs. Read on for all the details!

    Researchers Using Holograms to Guide Laser Light for Volumetric 3D Printing

    Holographic projection of a human ear model on a sample vial. 2026 Adrien Buttier/EPFL CC BY SA

    Tomographic volumetric additive manufacturing (TVAM) uses laser light to harden a rotating vial of photosensitive resin into a specific shape. Last year, scientists from the Swiss Federal Technology Institute of Lausanne (EPFL) published a paper on their work using holograms to encode 3D forms; instead of modulating the brightness of light waves, they modulated the alignment, which preservers more laser power. Now, a team from EPFL’s  Laboratory of Applied Photonic Devices (LAPD) has developed a new, more efficient platform for this holographic TVAM approach, using a device that can directly control a light beam’s phase in a volumetric 3D printing system. They used the system to solidify millimeter-scale objects within a few seconds, and centimeter-scale objects in minutes. The team says they’re able to produce higher-fidelity objects in light-scattering media because their method’s phase control makes it possible to use self-healing beams in the holographic 3D printing. The result is high-resolution, cell-compatible 3D printing at a scale that works for biomedical applications.

    “Our method’s demonstrated efficiency and precision finally makes it possible to bioprint tissue-like structures at near-clinical scale. We have printed structures substantially larger than those achieved with previous holographic approaches, despite increased light scattering caused by the embedded cells,” said Christophe Moser, the head of LAPD.

    Superfeet Unveils Mobile Enhancement to ME3D Platform for Insoles

    Superfeet has been making 3D printed insoles for many years, and recently unveiled a major technology enhancement to its propriety ME3D platform that will improve access to its personalized insoles. Customers can now generate high-precision insoles through an iPhone scan on the company’s website. You can put together and order your insoles at home, but a select number of specialty running retailers around the U.S. are also offering this option, so you can get help from an associate during the scan process. A proprietary algorithm, based in podiatric data and biomechanical research, powers the process. After completing the guided scan on your mobile device, you’ll get access to an interactive experience, which allows you to analyze your foot profile (including arch height and shoe size), see a 3D rendering of your insoles, and choose from one of two specialized, high-performance foam options. The mobile experience also offers custom engraving on the back heel of the insoles. Once you complete your order, the biometric data is sent to Superfeet’s 3D printing facility in Washington, where your custom insoles are custom-engineered to your specifications.

    “This evolution allows us to deliver a level of individualized engineering that was once only possible through specialized in-person experiences, unlocking access to our most advanced one-of-one custom technology. By putting this power into the hands of consumers, we ensure that whether you are at home or on the go, the highest standard of personalized support is just a few clicks away,” said Trip Randall, CEO of Superfeet.

    There is no standalone app download for iPhones, but you will need an iPhone 13 or newer, that runs iOS 26, to scan at home.

    Open Bionics Introduces First Above-Elbow Hero FLEX Prosthetic System

    UK-based Open Bionics launched the world’s first medically certified 3D printed bionic arm, the HERO Arm, in 2018. Now, the company is introducing something that it’s spent years working on: its first 3D printed HERO Flex prosthetic for above-elbow amputees. These types of limb differences have long been overlooked by typical prosthetic technology, with too much weight and not enough ventilation. This 3D printed system is lightweight, modular, and, according to an Open Bionics Instagram post, “built to switch between bionic power and activity attachments for work, hobbies, and everyday life.” The company recently had its first fitting of the above-elbow HERO Flex with Praveen, a 43-year-old experimental physicist from New York who had his right arm amputated when he was less than two weeks old. Growing up, he used hooks and myoelectric arms, but found these so lacking that he has long gone without any kind of prosthetic. This came with its own set of issues, as some things are very hard to do without an arm, especially in his profession. But, Open Bionics reports that within an hour of being fitted with the HERO Flex, Praveen was easily gripping tools, opening a soda can, and holding his dog’s leash.

    “With a bit of creativity and adaptation I was able to do quite a few things without prosthetics. Building little tools and contraptions, clamps to hold things while working on them. But there’s a limit to what you can do ultimately. And sometimes it is really nice to not have to be creative about the simpler everyday things,” Praveen said.

    “This [Hero Flex] system is the lightest option I have ever worn. I love that it’s modular. You can attach an activity-specific attachment for hobbies or chores, then clip in a bionic hand for two-handed activities. I’m so excited to use this daily.”

    Researchers Restore User Autonomy with 3D Printed Modular Prosthesis

    Participatory workshop conducted with end users of the prosthesis.

    The Biomedical Design and Manufacturing Joint Research Unit, or BioFAB, is made up of researchers from the University of Alicante and the the Alicante Health and Biomedical Research Institute (ISABIAL). The team, in collaboration with the Artefactos university association, developed a 3D printed customizable, multifunctional prosthesis for individuals with upper-limb differences—specifically those without a full arm or elbow joint. The major issues with current prostheses are their complexity, and how expensive they are, with specific motors, sensors, and software raising the price and needing to be charged often. The BioFAB device uses a simple, functional, and lightweight mechanical system, with modules that are supposedly easy to switch. The custom-fitted socket is made with a biocompatible, flexible, and washable material, and the main body is 3D printed using whatever material best fits the user’s desired functionality. For instance, a rigid, impact-resistant material is used for a cooking prosthesis, with a high heat tolerance for cleaning. The device’s modular design improves autonomy and quality of life for people with upper-limb differences, and the patent-pending design has already been validated by users.

    Javier Esclapés, the Scientific Director of BioFAB and a University of Alicante engineer, explained, “Our goal is to offer a more versatile, adaptable and affordable prosthesis that truly facilitates daily autonomy and prioritises the real needs of users.”

  • Foundation Alloy Raises $22M in Series A for Solid State Molybdenum

    Foundation Alloy has just raised $22 million in Series A financing. The alloy company is trying to create a platform that will enable the solid state manufacturing of alloys. In the UK, the Fray-Farthing-Chen (FFC) Cambridge process has led to a revolutionary new approach to alloy manufacturing. That process is used by Metalysis to make alloys. Now, Foundation wants to do a similar process in the US, but for molybdenum, which I hope never becomes popular since I still can’t pronounce it properly (the secret is to say it like a bored teenager, “moh-lib-den-um,” but steer away from emphasizing the “lib-den” part for fear of confusing the British). Molybdenum may seem very niche but…and this is going to shock you…the high-temperature refractory has potential for defense applications. Molybdenum is an alloying agent, and can be used in missiles, space, armor, hypersonics, and nuclear engineering. In Refractory Complex Concentrated Alloys (RCCAs), molybdenum is a key material. RCCAs are key to the rapid development of specific high alloy families, and you can read more about this here in our Goldilocks Flywheel article. The material is potentially scarce, but it is mined in the US, though the country will have to export it from places like Mexico, Peru, and Chile if it wants a lot of it.

    So Foundation’s fundraising and its focus on this material is very well timed indeed. At the same time, Foundation can have high performance in powder and quick iteration into new materials if it masters its variant of the FFC process. Foundation calls its process MetalsFIRST. The company says that it is a “solid-state platform encompassing composition design, mechanical alloying, shape forming, and sintering, that produces engineered alloys without ever entering the molten state.”

    So far investors, are interested with the $22 million in Series A being raised through Trust Ventures, Yamaha Motor Ventures, America’s Frontier Fund, Overlap Holdings, Material Impact, Engine Ventures, and El Cap. The company has also gotten Kanematsu Corporation to distribute its materials in Asia. Foundation is manufacturing in the US, and hopes to use its platform to sell material worldwide. For now, it has a 36,000 sq ft plant in Massachusetts, and an additional location in New Hampshire at Re:Build Manufacturing.

    Foundation CEO Jake Guglin said,

    “Metals made through our platform are being used by customers today in commercial pilots with Japanese industrials, in production trials across North America and Europe, and in forging demonstrations with LIFT in Detroit.This Series A funds the factory, not the lab. Our new Massachusetts facility and modular production cell are set to grow capacity from pilot-scale today to tons per week by 2027—a 100x increase, built on a modular equipment platform that deploys and scales 10x faster than traditional metals manufacturing. We’re hiring across production, engineering, and commercial teams to help meet surging demand in defense, advanced manufacturing, and energy where legacy materials and supply chains are failing. Our team is uniquely positioned to solve these challenges right now.”

    The firm thinks that it can offer a cheaper way to make alloys and powders at scale through more efficient energy use and less investment. One of their first materials is called Molyclast MC1200, which the firm says is three times stronger than other molybdenum alloys. It’s unclear in which way; it may just be more emotionally resilient or mature? The alloy is kind of insane, and is said to be “ductile at room temperature, stable at heat, as-sintered.” With a yield strength of between 950–1,250 MPa, it can be 98% dense, with a Young’ s Modulus of 300 GPa, and retains nearly 97% of strength at 1000°C. It is isotropic, has a fully recrystallized microstructure, and should be 3D printable.

    Kenyu Okawara, General Manager, Kanematsu Corporation said,

    “Foundation Alloy’s platform addresses the most persistent challenges our customers face—productivity, equipment utilization, and supply-chain reliability—through a fundamentally different production approach. Client companies across our network are already evaluating Foundation Alloy’s materials for high-demand applications, and we look forward to delivering these next-generation alloys to manufacturers across Japan and Asia as part of our solution-oriented approach to the metals business. We see the potential for hundreds of millions of dollars of demand for these materials across Japan and Southeast Asia in the coming years.”

    The company is also working on iron-based alloys, tool steels, and other products, including cutting tools, blades, and perhaps high pressure die casting. Foundation doesn’t specifically mention the latter, but they do compare it with TZM a lot, so I’m guessing that is what has gotten the Japanese all excited. TZM is used widely in high pressure die casting, and Ryobi stuck to that business when it sold its tool division. High pressure die casting was an important technology for Japan in its rebirth. Since then, the country has built industries on top of this technology, which, in some sectors, firms like Uber, Toyo, and Shibaura still lead. So that could explain this interest.

    Foundation also has another material, MC700, which is a finer grain structure ductile material. Anyone want to make like a NiobiumFactory or something before it’s too late? Investments in defense-oriented spending are increasing in the US. Not only is additive pivoting increasingly towards defense, but the entire supply chain of “idea to part” is also being funded by tech startups that want to localize production of the highest performance materials and parts in the US. With Japanese industry also waking up to this opportunity, Foundation could really shake things up in the refractories market.

  • AM Asia Watch: China’s 3D Printing Boom Is Creating a New Class of Micro-Manufacturers

    China’s additive manufacturing (AM) industry has spent years trying to reduce its reliance on foreign technology. In polymer 3D printing, domestic companies have already become major players. In metal AM, however, Western companies have historically dominated some of the most advanced industrial systems. But that may be changing.

    A recent funding announcement from Chinese wire-fed metal AM company Rongsu Technology offers a glimpse into a broader trend taking place across China’s manufacturing sector. The company secured nearly RMB 100 million ($14 million) in Series A funding earlier this year from the government-backed Zhongyuan Yuzi Group and the Suzhou High-tech Venture Capital Group to accelerate domestic, large-scale industrial AM. While the investment itself is amazing, the bigger story may be what companies like Rongsu represent: China’s effort to build a fully domestic metal AM ecosystem.

    Rongsu stand at TCT Asia. Image courtesy of Rongsu Technology.

    Founded in 2020, Rongsu focuses on wire-fed metal AM, including wire arc AM (WAAM) and wire-laser AM (WLAM) technologies. The funding will be used to establish a RMB 500 million ($74 million) global service headquarters in Suzhou, expand production of the STAR series machinery, and drive commercial adoption within major Chinese state-owned heavy industrial enterprises.

    According to Rongsu, it has developed a multi-laser coaxial wire-fed system designed to improve process stability, part quality, and production efficiency. In fact, one of the company’s most interesting points is that its technology can achieve deposition rates of up to 4 kilograms per hour.

    HyperCoax laser heads systems can achieve precision levels down to ≈ 5 μm. Image courtesy of Rongsu Technology.

    The faster a machine can deposit metal, the quicker it can produce large industrial parts. A system capable of 4 kg/hour is ideal for manufacturing large aerospace, shipbuilding, energy, and industrial components rather than smaller, high-precision parts.

    While that figure is not unusual in the broader wire-fed metal AM market, it is competitive with many industrial systems. For example, systems using wire-laser technology, such as those from Meltio, “trade raw throughput for fine-feature precision,” typically operating at a lower deposition baseline of 0.5 to 1 kg/hour. Moving into the broader WAAM segment, Gefertec has stated that its WAAM deposition rates typically range from 2 to 5 kg/hour. Similar to Gefertec, WAAM3D operates at a standard baseline of 3 kg/hour for typical high-quality geometries. However, its large-format RoboWAAM XP and RoboWAAM PLUS platforms have reported rates of up to 15 kg/hour. While still wire-fed, Sciaky, at the extreme upper end of the market, boasts even higher deposition rates, having demonstrated peak rates exceeding 18 kg/hour with its electron beam AM (EBAM) technology. If Rongsu’s results hold up in production, they suggest that Chinese manufacturers are beginning to compete directly in a high-growth market long led by these established Western players.

    In fact, this is happening across much of China’s AM market. Over the last few years, Chinese manufacturers have expanded well beyond low-cost desktop printers. Companies such as BLT, Farsoon, Eplus3D, HBD, UnionTech, and Kings 3D now compete with Western suppliers across a range of industrial applications.

    BLT and Eplus3D, for example, have emerged as major suppliers of metal powder bed fusion systems. Farsoon has developed both polymer and metal platforms and has expanded internationally. HBD has established itself as another significant player in industrial metal AM. Together, they have helped China build a strong domestic AM ecosystem.

    Rongsu Laser Mini desktop metal printer. Image courtesy of Rongsu Technology.

    What’s more, government support has also helped. Through programs such as Made in China 2025 and other industrial initiatives, China has encouraged the development of domestic manufacturing technologies, including 3D printing.

    Trade tensions and export controls have made those goals more important. Many Chinese manufacturers are now looking to domestic suppliers instead of relying on foreign technology. They also have more choices than ever before. Today, manufacturers can turn to a growing number of domestic machine builders rather than relying solely on Western suppliers.

    Rongsu may not be as well known as many of the industry’s largest companies, but it is part of a growing group of Chinese machine builders. Together, those companies are giving manufacturers more domestic options and helping China build its own AM supply chain.

  • Excellent Desktop Injection Molding, Made in Italy by Robot Factory

    I was captivated when I saw my first Robot Factory 3D printer. The robust, precise machine was built to last. And this was in an era of very flimsy, disposable, non-working 3D printers. Here was a well-made, Italian-made, 3D printer that was beautiful and built like a machine tool. I’ve always loved their stereolithography (SLA) and material extrusion systems. Founded by Andrea Martini in 2006, the Mirano, Venice-based company makes bench-top injection molding equipment and 3D printers.

    The company got started making fun robotics learning tools for kids, then made CNC machines before expanding into 3D printers and injection molding. We asked Andrea about Robot Factory and how the company has evolved. First, it’s rather surprising to find that now the company has a product line in injection molding. So, why the focus on injection molding?

    It stems from customers’ requests for very small parts with very high resolution and very fast lead times. This was not possible with any type of 3D printing, only with injection molding.

    “Although 3D printing has revolutionized prototyping and low-volume production, it becomes less efficient when producing large quantities of small parts with precise, uniform details. Printing each component individually is time-consuming, and production speed quickly becomes a limiting factor as volumes increase. Injection Molding offers a practical solution to this challenge. Once a mold is available, it allows for the rapid production of thousands of identical parts, with excellent surface quality and repeatable precision. This makes it particularly suitable for small components, where consistency and efficiency are essential,” says Andrea.

    Yes, we sometimes get caught up in our 3D printing world. And in many cases, injection molding is far away in China, and it’s easy to see it as low-cost but inefficient. Robot Factory, however, has a bench-top pneumatic injection molding unit that lets you turn 3D printed inserts into quick series in a small space.

    Andrea goes on to tell us, “Injection Molding is one of the most widespread and scalable manufacturing processes in modern industry. For a company like Robot Factory, which operates in the field of robotics and automation, Injection Molding represents an ideal environment in which robots, automated handling systems, and intelligent production cells can significantly improve productivity, quality, and repeatability. The first approach was to develop a very simple, easy-to-use system accessible to any laboratory, wherever a simple desk was available to house the system, with a small, simple, and inexpensive air compressor.”

    I really like this approach to building a system that could be very compact yet reliable to use.

    Oleodynamic Injection Molding.

    “This pneumatic system represented the first step towards democratizing Injection Molding. Powered by compressed air, it can handle volumes up to 32 cm³ with an injection force generated by a 63 mm diameter cylinder,” he explained. “Subsequently, as a natural evolution of pneumatic 3D printing Injection Molding technology and in response to the growing demand for larger and larger volume Injection Molding of materials, we developed the new Oleodynamic Injection Molding 3D printing system.”

    That system now has a manual and an automated version. These systems now have a “hydraulic pump that delivers up to 1,900 kg of extrusion force and a clamping force of up to 4 tons with a 100 cm³ injection chamber.”

    “The new systems address the growing need to produce larger objects with greater process control.With this new offering, Robot Factory confirms its commitment to making industrial technologies accessible, bringing them closer to the world of 3D printing, design, and digital manufacturing.”

    Some small injection-printed objects.

    Robot Factory’s injection molding machines are used for training, small series production, materials testing, iterations of production runs, improving mold designs for final production, and production runs themselves. With the small units, you can get precise control and quick iterations, which is perfect for students, researchers, small runs, and quick turnaround. The machines are now used in consumer electronics, medical devices, packaging, and industrial components. The company also makes handling and automation tools that can make a line produce tens of thousands of parts.

    Customers use the systems up to 350C, usually with PP, PE, PC, PA, and PET, as well as engineering plastics and GF-reinforced materials. Customers also use regrind. The company has also made a shredder that can have you recycle materials in-house.

    I really like Robot Factory’s belt, regular FDM, and SLA systems. There’s a built-tough, built-to-last quality about them that I find absent from the rest of our industry. Now, with a pivot to injection molding, the company is again making well-crafted, industrial bench-top equipment that can be used intensively in production but also in R&D. I think we, as an industry, need to look more closely at Robot Factory and do more with injection molding, while also making higher-quality machines.

    Images courtesy of Robot Factory

  • Bambu Lab Wants Home 3D Printing to Feel Less Like a Workshop with PLA Pure

    As desktop 3D printers become increasingly common in homes, Bambu Lab is focusing attention on something beyond print speed and hardware features. This week, the company launched a new filament, PLA Pure, but that’s only part of the story. What’s more interesting is that the launch isn’t really about filament at all. It’s about what happens when 3D printers become household appliances.

    Bambu Lab’s PLA Pure.

    As people begin printing in living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, playrooms, and other areas of the home, questions about materials, emissions, and safety become harder to ignore.

    The market is already crowded with PLA products promising better strength, smoother finishes, or easier printing. Bambu Lab’s latest announcement points to a different shift taking place in consumer 3D printing.

    Cat treat toy by @JamesThePrinter.

    The Home Is Becoming the New Workshop

    Desktop 3D printers were once mostly used by hobbyists willing to accept noise, smells, failed prints, and constant tweaking. Today, that audience is growing, and many Bambu Lab printers end up in homes where families use them to make toys, school projects, and plenty of fun household items. So, as 3D printing moves into everyday living spaces, materials are becoming more important. Users want to know what is actually in the filament. What is released into the air while printing? Is it safe around children? Can it be used for toys?

    Those questions were usually not part of the conversation, especially when desktop 3D printing was still a niche hobby. But with the technology becoming more mainstream, they are becoming much harder to ignore.

    Most filament announcements sound the same, pointing to stronger, faster, smoother products. But Bambu Lab is taking a different route. With PLA Pure, the company is putting the spotlight on ingredients, emissions, and safety certifications. The filament contains just five ingredients: PLA derived from corn and sugarcane, an acrylic copolymer, color pigments, EBS (ethylene bis-stearamide), and talc. According to Bambu Lab, every ingredient complies with EU 10/2011, the European regulation governing plastics intended for food contact, and appears on the regulation’s positive list of approved substances.

    Bambu Lab prints with PLA Pure.

    All of these raw materials can be traced back to major global suppliers TotalEnergies, Corbion, Dow, Chemours, and BASF, making the ingredients fully traceable. PLA Pure has also been certified for low emissions and tested against European toy safety standards, underscoring Bambu Lab’s focus on home environments rather than industrial workshops.

    According to Bambu Lab, the material was designed to offer the same ease of use and performance users already expect from PLA, while providing greater transparency about what is actually on the spool. And while that may sound like an unusual selling point for a spool of plastic, the brand is sure that consumers are becoming just as interested in what’s inside the filament as they are in how well it prints.

    Interestingly, Bambu Lab is not charging a hefty premium for the material. PLA Pure costs $24.99 with a spool and $21.99 as a refill, roughly what users would expect to pay for a quality PLA filament today.

    Hand sculpture by @RJ Design.

    The Next Battle Is Not the Printer

    In many ways, PLA Pure feels like a sign that desktop 3D printing is growing up. And Bambu Lab played a major role in that transformation. Will the company now look beyond the printer itself? Will its next competitive battleground be materials?

    If desktop 3D printing is set to become a normal household activity, consumers will expect the same kinds of assurances they already receive from products used around food and children. If so, then the future of desktop 3D printing will be judged not only by what printers can make, but also by how comfortable people feel using them at home.

    Images courtesy of Bambu Lab

  • Pogačar & Fairlight Cycles Show Us Low Cost 3D Printed Components for Bikes

    There has been a lot going on in 3D printing for bicycles over the years. The most successful implementation so far is in bicycle seats. Carbon 3D printed seats are now being used by most of the major players and are a hit, giving riders comfort at a hefty premium. Besides this, companies have tried many things, such as wheel hubs, derailleur components, entire frames, and lugs, to help customize frames. Helmets, shoes, and other gear have also been tried.

    Especially small brands have been pushing innovation through 3D printing. Typically, light weighting is driving the adoption of 3D printing in cycling. But also, less heat buildup, sweat-wicking properties, unique topologies to increase comfort, aerodynamics, and custom fit are driving the adoption of 3D printing in cycling. It helps that Tour de France bikes now cost upwards of $25,000, while “regular” high-end models are pushing $ 6,000. Given the high cost per kilo that bikes can now command, 3D printing economics are totally doable. But recently, bike valuations have ebbed, more entry-level models are emerging, steel is back in fashion, and lofty expectations are returning to earth. Will 3D printing in bikes remain as hot as it once was? Will bikes become more affordable? We think that saddles and helmets are here to stay, but will 3D-printed bike wax or wane?

    Tadej Points the Way

    We pointed out Tadej Pogačar using 3D printed parts on his Tour bikes in 2023. In addition to high-end custom parts, there are also some small custom material extrusion parts. These small parts are holders, buttons, housings, clips, and more. They help Pogačar customize his bike’s cockpit, wiring, feel, and interfaces. Lightweight custom components are cheap and can be made on desktop 3D printers. By involving Pogačar and his mechanics in the design process, custom parts can be made to his exacting specifications. Now you could do this yourself and easily set up a service for it, but for many people, it is not yet accessible.

    Triathlon Success

    But, in the triathlon world, we can see several companies emerging that make custom parts for triathlon bikes. Triathletes are obsessed with weight and custom parts. 4 Frames has various products, including Garmin seat post mounts. You enter your bike’s brand and model, and it will direct you to the custom part for you. A Garmin mount is $36, and the firm has an AirTag mount for an extra $4, a GoPro mount for $6, and a number mount for $14. They also have a $120 hydration bladder that fits in a case beneath the steering wheel. They have a kind of portable snack cubby and more. 4 Frames uses Material Extrusion, and the products are affordable. They also seem to be made with the user in mind, with deep knowledge of what triathletes want and need.

    A custom 3D printed bike computer mount designed for aerodynamic integration. Image courtesy of Garmin.

    Hinloopen makes Rocket Mounts for bike computers. They say that Pro teams use their mounts. For bike models like the Y1Rs, you just tell them your popular bike computer, and they have a mount for it. They cost $179 and are made by an ex-BMC engineer using powder bed fusion from a service.

    A custom 3D printed rear-mounted bottle holder designed for triathlon applications.

    3DPari makes road and triathlon bike parts, and for $45, you can have a bottle cage mounted behind your back.

    Slipstream3D makes between the armrests and bottle holders for around $200. Both Slipstream and 3DPari do custom designs if you’d like to be like your hero Tadej Pogačar.

    Neat components make $26 holders for the Garmin.

    Most of the above firms are small shops run by engineers, 3D printer enthusiasts, and triathletes. An uncommon trio of abilities and interests leads to a rare ability to make the perfect components for the user.

    Silca’s 3D printed titanium cleats are designed for durability and weight savings. Image courtesy of Silca.

    Silca, on the other hand, was founded in 1917. That company makes 3D printed cleats, computer mounts, and derailleur hangers. I like their $99 derailleur hangers because they’re said to be stiffer and lighter than the OEM components. They are said to improve shifting. These are not cheap, but they show that metal 3D printing is possible in this market. Also, they show that, beyond housing, mount upgrade products are possible.

    A 3D printed derailleur hanger featuring a lattice structure for weight reduction. Image courtesy of Silca.

    The most encouraging example of 3D printed parts I’ve seen publicly, however, is from the British company Fairlight Cycles. The firm specializes in steel frames and craftsmanship, but is also innovative. On their Stael 4.0 bike, they say that they used tubes by the venerable Reynolds firm. That company has an in-house metal LPBF machine and uses it to make tools for bending their tubes correctly.

    Reynolds uses metal 3D printed tooling to support bicycle tube manufacturing. Image courtesy of Reynolds.

    Now that tool is much simpler than the ones we usually associate with 3D printed tools. But it’s super cost-effective for Reynolds to make. In addition to cost savings, it can help their tubes conform to custom geometry, thereby improving frame strength and comfort while reducing costs. This is a great example of a rather old process of welded tubing can use 3D printing cost effectively.

    But, the Fairlight, on the same bike, uses more 3D printing.

    The company specifies a “3D printed down tube cable guide..The brake hose now routes through the part for a more elegant aesthetic…All-new 3D-printed bottom bracket cable guide for mechanical gear set-ups. We have made one part do several jobs; as well as guiding the front and rear derailleur cables, it also acts as a guide for the brake hose and for the dynamo rear light wire,” and a “Specific 3D printed bottom bracket guide for Di2 and AXS set-ups. Guides the brake hose and dynamo rear light wire.”

    Now I love that because cable guides are a tried-and-true 3D printing application that we do very well. Custom, small, precise enough, and cheap, we can really fit in here. Especially if multiple versions of wiring and bikes are needed. And now, with the industry split a bit between hydraulics and regular brakes, and between electronic switching and mechanical switching, more wiring is prevalent. And the second example, for a specific setup, is a dream part for additive. Multiple functionalities in one complex assembly are what we do well.

    It is the helmets and seats that are grabbing the headlines. But as we can see, there is more going on with 3D printed bike parts. Custom parts could be something that some demanding consumers might aspire to, pointing the way to software- or engineering-based design services. And very specific bike parts made on low-cost machines are making their presence felt. With less expensive metal printing emerging, we could see more affordable metal parts as well. And in the regular production of bicycles, we can see small parts that could play a bigger role across many manufacturers.

  • US Continues to Transfer Expeditionary 3D Printing Know-How to the Pacific

    At this year’s Balikatan event, an annual joint exercise hosted by the Philippines military with participation from Western allies, the US military trained Filipino troops in expeditionary manufacturing enabled by 3D printing and other digital production processes. A group of advanced manufacturing specialists known as ‘The Forge’, representing the US Army’s Hawaii-based 25th Infantry Division, taught their partners in the Pacific how to manufacture in a warehouse in the jungle, a skill that the US service members themselves had only begun acquiring the previous year.

    As I noted in my story about that event, the geography of that instance of tech transfer is anything but accidental, with Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) prioritizing a buildup of deployable additive manufacturing (AM) capabilities in China’s neck of the woods. The primacy of that theme was just reinforced by the US military’s announcement that it recently supplied Marines stationed in Okinawa with a new production system called the Advanced Integrated Mobile Machine Shop (AIMMS).

    Developed by US Navy civil engineers from Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Carderock’s Advanced Manufacturing Branch, and only just completed in February 2026, AIMMS is a containerized unit that in photos appears to leverage a Phillips Additive Hybrid unit, comprised of a Haas CNC mill and laser metal deposition (LMD) from brands including Meltio. The Phillips Additive Hybrid has become a standard choice for the US Navy thanks to its deployability, validated by its installation on US Navy vessels.

    While that doesn’t mean that soldiers will be riding around in AIMMS — which can be transported via attachment to a tactical vehicle — and printing parts on-the-go, its mobility does mean that it can be taken from place to place far more quickly than would a fixed installation. In addition to enabling resupply of critical parts close to the point-of-need, that also suggests the possibility of moving the same unit around for training purposes.

    A built-in training curriculum is certainly part of the appeal of containerized manufacturing, with DVIDS noting that getting service members up to speed on the basics of AIMMS takes about a week and a half, which is becoming something of a standard timeframe for introducing US military personnel to digital manufacturing techniques. And the training sessions are just as valuable to the engineers responsible for producing the equipment: according to DVIDS, Carderock is using feedback from initial trials at both Okinawa and Camp Pendleton to shape future versions of the system.

    Notably, Phillips announced just last week that the company will be participating in the 2026 edition of RIMPAC, the world’s largest international maritime exercise, held in the Pacific. Phillips will specifically be demonstrating the Additive Hybrid system at the event, suggesting that the AIMMS delivery to Okinawa is part of that context.

    The relationship between the US and Japan surrounding industrial policy is a topic I keep coming back to for a variety of reasons, and it seems relevant here as well. Japan is the US’s major partner in RIMPAC, and it would appear that, just as US troops shared their expeditionary manufacturing know-how with their Filipino counterparts back in March, the US will be sharing that same knowledge base with its Japanese allies over the course of the next month.

    Now that AM-enabled distributed manufacturing is becoming a reality, rather than simply a theory, it will be particularly interesting to track the shift in the pace of development, above all since more and more users are gaining the capability over the range of a genuinely distributed geography. Japan, for instance, is precisely the economy that should be able to take the newfound technical skill and run with it.

    Images courtesy of DVIDS 

  • 3D Printing News Briefs, June 18, 2026: Reseller, Relocation, Metal Space Powder, & More

    We’ll start with business news in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, as XJet appointed a value-added reseller in Germany, BIO INX is expanding its presence in the Italian market, and DSH Technologies is relocating to join its sister company. Moving on, Sandvik introduced a copper alloy powder for applications in space manufacturing. Finally, scientists used 3D printing to make scaffolding trays for producing larger human gut organoids.

    XJet Appoints 3D-Werk as Value-Added Reseller in Germany

    3D-Werk’s Experience Center gives manufacturers a hands-on environment to evaluate additive manufacturing technologies, such as XJet’s NPJ solution.

    Israeli company XJet is strengthening its manufacturing ecosystem in Germany with the announcement of a strategic collaboration with 3D-Werk Black Forest GmbH, a leading German competence center for additive manufacturing (AM). XJet has already been active in the German market for years, and has an established network and customer base there. But now, by appointing 3D-Werk as a Value-Added Reseller (VAR) for its Carmel systems and ceramic and metal NanoParticle Jetting (NPJ) technology, XJet is taking a strategic step to make its presence there even greater. 3D-Werk has deep application expertise, and is uniquely qualified to help customers from demanding industry sectors, thanks to its business pillars of machine and material sales for metal and polymer AM technologies; parts production service with full post-processing capability; and its Experience Center, where customers can evaluate technologies before choosing one. 3D-Werk will introduce NPJ technology to its Experience Center, and will represent the full Carmel system lineup as part of an integrated solution.

    “3D-Werk has spent years building the expertise, the facilities, and the customer trust to help German industry make genuinely informed decisions about needed migration of production to additive manufacturing,” said Gerhard Duda, CEO of 3D-Werk Black Forest GmbH. “XJet’s NPJ technology represents something we have not been able to offer before – a path to manufacturing complex, high-performance parts that were simply out of reach previously. Adding the Carmel system family to our portfolio and to our Experience Center gives our customers access to a new category of manufacturing capability, and gives us the strongest possible argument for moving upmarket into the most technically demanding applications in Germany.”

    BIO INX Strengthens Presence in Italy with MP Strumenti Partnership

    Advanced biomaterials developer BIO INX announced a distribution partnership that will help its continued European expansion. Helping to strengthen its presence in one of the most dynamic biofabrication markets in Europe, MP Strumenti will now be the official distributor of BIO INX products in Italy. BIO INX is a spin-out from Ghent University and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, and is a leader in developing bioinks for high resolution bioprinting, while MP Strumenti is a leading distributor of scientific instruments in Italy that’s recently decided to strengthen its focus in healthcare. It will be distributing the full BIO INX portfolio of materials, covering a range of bioprinting methods, including extrusion-based printing, multiphoton lithography, Digital Light Processing (DLP), and volumetric bioprinting. Together, the two will work to support a new generation of biofabrication techniques.

    “This collaboration reinforces MP Strumenti’s broader strategy to expand beyond our well-established solutions and provide a fully integrated ecosystem for the biofabrication and advanced manufacturing sectors. By introducing a comprehensive catalogue of biomaterials – from standard 3D printing filaments to specialized bioinks – we are creating a strong synergy with our portfolio of additive manufacturing technologies,” said Mauro Petretta of MP Strumenti. “Our goal is to position ourselves a trusted partner for researchers, industry professionals, and clinical users throughout their whole process.”

    DSH Technologies Relocates to Join Elnik Systems Headquarters

    DSH Technologies, which is the international authority on debinding and sintering education and services, is relocating to Pineville, North Carolina, specifically to join its sister company, Elnik Systems, at its headquarters. Elnik is a provider of industrial debinding and sintering furnaces, and makes its flagship AM/MIM3000 batch furnace at the Pineville facility. Stefan Joens, who is the president of both companies, relocated Elnik to Pineville in 2023, while still holding on to about 75% of its New Jersey-based workforce. Both Elnik Systems and DSH Technologies support the metal injection molding (MIM) and metal AM industries, and will continue to do so. In fact, this “much-anticipated” move by DSH to join Elnik will strengthen its commitment to metal parts manufacturing. The relocation is reflective of their shared vision to help better support partners and clients, and streamline metal parts manufacturing operations.

    “This is another major milestone in our journey to make a greater impact on manufacturing at a global scale. By consolidating these two companies under one roof, we are better equipped to serve our customers and scale both businesses while continuing to deliver the high-quality sintering capabilities and innovative solutions our customers and partners expect from us,” Joens said.

    Sandvik Launches Copper Alloy for Applications in Space 3D Printing

    Sandvik, which was recently acquired by Swedish investment firm Mimir, has introduced Osprey GRCop-42, a metal powder originally designed by NASA for 3D printing space components operated under extreme mechanical and thermal loads; examples include regeneratively cooled rocket engine parts, combustion chamber linings, and fuel injector faces. The copper-chromium-niobium alloy powder offers both high strength and high thermal conductivity, and is able to retain its properties at elevated temperatures, which should help lower qualification risk for space manufacturing. GRCop42 is known to be one of the most difficult copper alloys to manufacture to specification, especially due to the major differences in melting temperature between niobium and copper. But Sandvik adapted its Vacuum Inert Gas Atomization (VIGA) process to achieve controlled, repeatable production of the alloy and consistent batch-to-batch characteristics. The company produces the traceable Osprey GRCop-42 within its AS9100-certified quality system, and is now fully integrated into the Sandvik product portfolio, available in volumes for ongoing production as well as qualification activities.

    “GRCop42 is a material where production control is just as important as alloy design. Customers in the space sector need powder that performs predictably during qualification, printing and in service. Our focus has been to make this demanding alloy available with the consistency, documentation and traceability required for space programs,” said Szymon Kubal, Director of Technology Business unit AM, Powder Solutions, Sandvik.

    3D Printed Scaffolding Trays Used in Production of Larger Human Gut Organoids

    A team of scientists and other experts at Cincinnati Children’s in Ohio and Nantes Université in France developed and tested a new system for scalable production of human gut organoids that can grow their own nerve cells. For nearly two decades, experts at Cincinnati Children’s Center for Stem Cell & Organoid Medicine (CuSTOM) have been making miniature versions of digestive system organs to improve the lab-grown tissues. Their most recent work has focused on developing methods to make customized, transplantable tissues that are large enough to help restore diminished organ functions and patch up damage. Here, they used a Form 2 and Formlabs’ Surgical Guide Resin to print tray-like scaffolding molds that will enable the production of larger functional gut organoids twice as fast. This isn’t about bioprinting organoids, but about using 3D printing to create specialized lab equipment. The molds have grooves that can confine several sphere-shaped organoids, or spheroids, in a row, which encourages them to fuse together and mature within a mix of nutrients and other ingredients that support growth. The team used their new confined culture system (CCS) to grow colon, small intestine, and stomach organoids that developed a nervous system on their own.

    “We are now able not only to generate complex gastrointestinal organoids at scale, but also to guide their differentiation into functional tissues with integrated enteric neuronal networks. By leveraging a defined growth environment, the intrinsic self-organization capacity of the cells drives the formation of tissue structures that closely resemble the human gastrointestinal tract,” explained Maxime Mahe, PhD, senior author of the team’s paper.

  • 3D Printed Chip Packaging Specialist XTPL Enters Japanese Market

    The additive manufacturing (AM) industry naturally wants to move beyond prototyping to production at scale, and the industry is certainly starting to demonstrate success with that objective, especially in Asia. Still, every vertical in the midst of adopting AM is in its own unique phase of technical maturity, and the path from prototyping to production looks slightly different for every application.

    Additionally, every vertical that the AM industry is targeting has its own approach to R&D, and nowhere is this more apparent than with the semiconductor sector. To put things in perspective, the semiconductor sector is currently spending an estimated $150-200 billion annually on R&D, which is around 9x the size of the entire AM industry. Additionally, the revolution in chip packaging that I’ve been writing about all year is one of the most significant current drivers of semiconductor sector R&D spend, which gives companies at the intersection of AM and semiconductors an outsized opportunity to benefit.

    Polish original equipment manufacturer (OEM) XTPL is seizing on this opportunity, and has just announced its first sale in the Japanese market, following sales earlier this year in Taiwan and Silicon Valley. Moreover, the company’s sale of an Ultra Precise Dispensing (UPD) module to its unnamed Japanese client represents entry into a new market, and deployment of a new material offering, as well as a first foothold in a new geography.

    Whereas XTPL’s previous sale in Taiwan involves the flat panel display production process, the Japanese client is proving out the tech for advanced printed circuit boards (PCBs) as well as advanced packaging applications. What’s more, it’s XTPL’s first time offering copper-based materials, the most important category for the advanced packaging market.

    XTPL plans to deliver the UPD module in Q4 2026, at which point the Japanese client — which, while undisclosed, is “a publicly listed…advanced automated industrial equipment manufacturer” — will install the printhead in a prototyping machine that’s currently under development. Perhaps the most notable detail is that the customer is purchasing the device specifically to test its potential for use at industrial scale.

    In a press release about XTPL’s first sale to the Japanese market, the company’s CFO, Jacek Olszański, said, “The order from Japan…[is] a completely new project that immediately enters the most advanced part of our industrial pipeline. This proves that the development of UPD technology is driven not only by progressing existing projects through subsequent stages, but also on securing new, advanced engagements with global partners.

    “Following the industrial implementation in the FPD segment in China, the Japanese project adds to a pool of five other XTPL projects currently at the fourth stage of evaluation, namely testing on a prototype industrial machine integrated with our UPD module. In this case, the specification is significantly more advanced, which translates into an approximately twofold higher unit value of the module compared to our Chinese deployment.”

    Thus, if one were to view what XTPL is doing through a simplistic “production vs. prototyping” lens, the takeaway would be that six of XTPL’s customers currently use the company’s technology for R&D. However, if you view the company’s activity through the lens of the vertical it’s targeting, the reality emerges that XTPL is on the brink of converting six customers from prototyping to production at scale.

    While the semiconductor sector is admittedly unique, the experience of the AM industry in other sectors, including defense and medical, similarly reflects the effectiveness of embedding a pathway from prototyping to production in one’s business strategy. Again, that pathway looks different for every vertical, but there are commonalities nonetheless, such as the need to execute digital transformation at an organizational level.

    To narrow the focus to the semiconductor sector again: especially in the West, I think the AM industry still doesn’t realize quite how large a market opportunity chip packaging is going to be. TDK’s acquisition of Fabric8Labs should change that to some extent.

    One angle explaining the deal is data center hardware, but TDK appears just as interested in Fabric8Labs due to chip packaging. Fabric8Labs may have a rather standalone manufacturing process, but there’s reason to think that, at least in China, manufacturers are exploring more widely used processes to see if they can translate to chip packaging workflow.

    Images courtesy of XTPL

  • Fabri Raises $13.5 Million to Create Digital Foundry

    Fabri is a startup that wants to create a “digital foundry,” and just raised some funds to help it reach this goal. There are far too few foundries in America. These legacy businesses are closing or find it difficult to recapitalize after founders retire. Money is elsewhere, chasing bytes not bits, and foundries are an ancient business. Even if firms invest in manufacturing, then CNC, precision manufacturing, or 3D printing will be at the forefront of their plans. Foundries are old world, a part of an America that made things. Now, with most products being made outside of the US, this is a decided problem for the defense industry in particular. Fabri is therefore part of a new cohort of firms that want to reinvent foundries.

    As far as I know, Skuld was the pioneer, reinventing foundry technology years ago. With a renewed focus on defense, independence, and a US military gap, many more firms are following it now. The US needs to build more submarines to shore up its nuclear triad, it needs to replenish its depleted (by half to two-thirds) precision missile arsenal, and will need to build many more autonomous vehicles in the future. This is a significant opportunity for additive, but also Fabri and firms like it. What Fabri wants to do is use the latest computational tools to advance foundries through automation. By reducing labor as a component of investment casting and speeding up lead times, the firm hopes to grow by shipping parts faster.

    Fabri is 3D printing wax molds to skip a few steps in the investment casting process. Furthermore, they hope to automate many steps and use data and software to optimize production. For now, the company is working in Aluminum, copper, bronze, C71500, and steels, and wants to expand into nickel (IN713C, Mar-M247). Casting sizes are limited to 7 x 13 x 15.75 inches. The company is ITAR registered and has the CMMC Level 2 cybersecurity validation, as well as JCP Enhanced Validation, which also looks into compliance and security. 

    In some cases, foundry lead times can exceed two years, so this is a real opportunity with real money behind it. Fabri will now have real money as well. The firm has raised $13.5 million from the likes of Lavrock Ventures, Balerion Space Ventures, RTX Ventures, Lockheed Martin Ventures, Marlinspike, Tenon Ventures, and SBXi. The latter is a club comprised of Accel, Polaris Partners, GETTYLAB, General Catalyst, Pillar, Danaher, Underscore VC, and Glasswing Ventures, all working together to back MIT founders. Balerion is a space VC that has stakes in Anduril, Vast, and Relativity. So their money means a lot, given their exposure to firms that need to build stuff. Marlinspike, which has the coolest name of any VC, invests in AI, robotics, aerospace, and cybersecurity, and is also in Anduril. So having Anduril as a prospective client should not be too much of a problem. And having both Lockheed and RTX on this is just awesome for Fabri. Fabri also received $5 million in 2024, and RTX and Lockheed were a part of that as well. 

    Fabri says on its site that people should “Join us and rebuild American manufacturing. The DoD named castings a top-four defense priority. The foundry is the front line of reindustrialization.” Boom, no ambiguity there, no talk about golf clubs or spinal cages. This is a company with focus. And to go out and be able to just focus so fully on the DoD opportunity is a real benefit for the firm.

    The firm, which is led by ex-Relativity staffer Steven Davis, ex-Velo3D software engineering manager Pieter Coulier, and ex-Inkbit VP of Operations Tom Cole, benefits from real experience in wanting to do something old completely new again. Hopefully, they’ll develop a tool to fit a purpose, become reliable, and stray away from complexity. Fabri also hopes to leverage “our exclusive high-throughput additive manufacturing process and AI-driven design software, we can deliver casting in days, saving our customers critical time and money.” It is working on FoundryOS, which “interprets part geometries, generates tooling-free patterns, and automates process control from shell building through pour and inspection, with full traceability from melt to delivery.” And the firm is very ambitious, saying that, “the plan is one new foundry a year until American casting capacity is back where it should be.”

    The really cool thing is that they’re not going to (as far as we know) sell the software. The intention is also not to sell the equipment. Instead, they’re going to, like Seurat and Vulcanforms, use their technology to build a service. So they’re actually in the business of buying, building, and retooling foundries. We would expect more firms like Fabri to emerge over the coming years. Given the critical needs of US defense and the vast amounts of money at play, this is a very lucrative space to invest in. What I also like is that in Precision Castparts, they have a natural predator in that $10 billion behemoth. Smaller defense-oriented foundries such as Waukesha Foundry, Barron, and Signicast will also be more than a little curious. So they have exit opportunities aplenty in large and huge firms. Fabri may very well quietly and in the background build a very competitive significant business that is defensible to boot.