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  • Creality’s Listing: A Sign That China’s Consumer 3D Printing Has Entered a New Phase of Global Competition

    Just days ago, the bell rang at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX) for Creality. The company opened at HK$33.80 per share, up from the IPO price of HK$18.8, giving it a market capitalization approaching HK$16 billion. Demand was remarkable. The Hong Kong public offering was oversubscribed 3,829 times, the international offering nearly 27 times, and cornerstone investors subscribed to nearly half of the shares offered.

    Many people interpret this as “just another 3D printing company going public.” But after reviewing the prospectus, industry data, and global market trends, it becomes clear that the real significance of Creality’s IPO is not the listing itself, but that China’s consumer 3D printing industry has entered a new phase of global competition.

    From Creality, I see a clear strategic vision — but also some critical concerns that cannot be ignored.

    Creality IPO on the HKSE. Image courtesy of Li Haixiong/Nanjixiong 3D Printing.

    A “Platform Empire” Taking Shape

    Creality has an undisputed dominant position in the global consumer 3D printing market. In 2025, its printer gross merchandise value (GMV) ranked second globally (11.2% share), its scanner GMV ranked first (45.3%), and its laser engraver business also placed among the top four categories.

    Beyond hardware sales, Creality is increasingly positioning itself as a platform company. And this may be the most important part of Creality’s long-term strategy. Creality doesn’t just want to sell machines; it aims to build an ecosystem. Creality Cloud has over 5.7 million registered users and 2.7 million 3D models, numbers that are highly competitive in the industry. This is the core asset that enables its transition from “selling hardware” to “building a platform” and explains the higher valuation the capital market is willing to give.

    The company’s reach is also remarkably global. Its business now operates in more than 140 countries and regions. The US market alone contributes nearly 30% of revenue (28.4%), with North America and Europe together accounting for over 57%. This was not built through OEM manufacturing alone. It represents a genuine global presence under the Creality brand. Very few Chinese consumer 3D printing brands have achieved this depth of penetration.

    The supply chain serves as the ballast stone behind Creality’s growth. The company operates three major production bases in Wuhan, Huizhou, and Shenzhen, totaling more than 260,000 square meters. This is a classic example of the “Shenzhen model” dividend: extreme cost control, rapid iteration, and remarkable speed of distribution. This manufacturing muscle is something many competitors cannot replicate.

    AI is not a gimmick — it is becoming embedded in the DNA of the company’s product lineup. From AI-assisted modeling (text-to-image, image-to-3D) to in-print AI leveling, flow calibration, fault detection, and AI-driven path planning for laser engraving, AI has permeated the entire product workflow. This gives Creality a strong position in the “AI + manufacturing” narrative.

    Deeper Signals Hidden in Creality’s Data

    Beneath the glossy numbers lie several signals worth examining more closely. The “revenue without profit” scissors gap. Revenue grew strongly from RMB 1.88 billion in 2023 to RMB 3.13 billion in 2025. However, operating profit fell from RMB 177 million in 2023 to an operating loss of RMB 198 million in 2025. Although the net loss in 2025 was largely due to a one‑time payment of RMB 240 million to pre‑IPO investors, even excluding that, adjusted net profit dropped from RMB 130 million in 2023 to RMB 92 million in 2025.

    So, where did the money go? Two places: sales and marketing, and R&D. The sales expense ratio jumped from 16.0% to 18.2%, with absolute spending rising from RMB 300 million to RMB 570 million. The extra spending went mostly toward platform promotions, such as Amazon and overseas KOLs. Competition is so fierce that without paying for traffic, orders become harder and harder to secure.

    The R&D expense ratio rose from 5.1% to 7.1%, nearly doubling in absolute terms. This is necessary spending to avoid falling behind in a rapidly evolving market, but it also squeezes profits.

    The competitive picture becomes clearer in the prospectus itself. The filing states that the largest market participant holds more than 40% market share, while the remaining top five each hold about 10%. That “largest participant” is widely understood to be Bambu Lab.

    Creality’s own global printer GMV share fell from 15.4% in 2023 to 11.2% in 2025. Who has taken that share is obvious. Industry observers would likely point to Bambu Lab as one of the major beneficiaries of that shift. Creality’s response strategy appears clear: first, product premiumization through higher-end systems such as the K2 Plus, which helped raise the average printer selling price from RMB 1,612 to RMB 2,404; and second, expansion of direct sales channels, with online sales rising from 35.7% to 48.5% of total sales. This is a head-on confrontation rather than a passive defense.

    Despite the impressive number of users, the ecosystem still contributes very little revenue. Creality Cloud’s user and model numbers look impressive, but the revenue contribution is negligible. In 2025, revenue from “3D printing products and services” (mainly platform subscriptions, model transaction commissions, and related services) totaled just RMB 6.28 million, representing only 0.2% of total revenue.

    The “ecosystem” is currently more of a powerful user-engagement and brand moat than a mature revenue source. The newly launched Nexbie platform is still in its early days and essentially functions primarily as a self-operated e-commerce site.

    Another figure worth watching is operating cash flow. In 2025, operating cash flow was negative RMB 63.98 million. This is one of the figures that stands out most in the company’s filing. The explanation is straightforward. To prepare for US tariffs and intensifying competition, the company built up overseas warehouse inventory levels, causing inventory to surge from RMB 438 million to RMB 634 million and tying up huge amounts of working capital.

    Behind this is a typical aggressive strategy of “exchanging cash flow for market share.” Whether that approach remains sustainable under the more rigorous financial scrutiny that comes with being a public company is a major unknown.

    Creality’s IPO. Image courtesy of Creality via LinkedIn.

    Four Challenges Ahead

    Based on all publicly available information, I believe Creality’s future is bright, but it must overcome four deep challenges.

    An asymmetric war with Bambu Lab

    This is not just a battle for market share — it’s a clash of two business models. Bambu Lab follows what could be described as an “Apple‑style play,” defining the industry ceiling with one or two exceptional products, locking in core users through the MakerWorld ecosystem, and building high barriers around the user experience. It attacks from the top down.

    Creality, by contrast, follows more of an “Android‑style play.” It relies on a broad product matrix and a deep distribution network to cover every price segment and serve different types of users. It attacks from the wide base upward.

    The question is whether “width” can withstand “sharpness.” As more users are drawn to Bambu Lab’s “foolproof” user experience, how much of Creality’s large mid- to low-end installed base could be eroded? And can the K2 series truly compete with Bambu Lab’s flagship systems in technology, reliability, and user experience while establishing a genuine premium brand position?

    Squeeze on profitability and cash flow from both ends

    The company also faces what could be described as a “sandwich” dilemma. Moving upmarket needs sustained investment in R&D, while defending market share needs sustained heavy marketing spending. At the same time, managing tariff-related risks has forced the company to maintain higher overseas inventory levels, tying up cash flow.

    The result is that revenue continues to grow, but profitability and cash generation face increasing pressure and could turn negative. If revenue growth slows while expenses remain elevated, profitability will be severely challenged. Sustained negative operating cash flow is not an attractive signal for a newly public company.

    The long wait for ecosystem monetization

    The platform and ecosystem are the core story behind Creality’s high valuation, but they won’t contribute meaningful revenue in the short term. Platform development, content incentives, and AI R&D all require continuous “cash burning.”

    The question is whether investors will remain patient enough to wait for that strategy to mature. If market conditions weaken over the next several years and investors shift their focus toward profitability and cash flow, the ecosystem narrative could become harder to sustain and may weigh on the stock price.

    Over‑reliance on the US market

    Nearly 30% of Creality’s revenue comes from the United States, a market that currently faces several challenges. Combined tariffs now range from roughly 40% to 50%, significantly eroding price competitiveness. The future direction of U.S.-China trade relations remains uncertain, while local competition continues to intensify, with Bambu Lab maintaining a strong position in the market.

    This creates a high‑reward, high‑risk gamble. Any major volatility in the US market (whether due to additional tariffs, trade restrictions, or an anti‑dumping investigation) could affect Creality’s revenue and profitability. While the company is exploring manufacturing in Vietnam, it is unlikely to provide an immediate solution.

    Creality’s IPO. Image courtesy of Creality via LinkedIn.

    Creality is an excellent company with strong partners. It has successfully navigated the journey from 0 to 1 in consumer 3D printing, building impressive supply chain, distribution, and execution capabilities along the way. Its listing on the HKSE is a well-deserved milestone.

    But standing at this 2026 juncture, the challenges ahead may be even greater than those it has already overcome. Transitioning from a successful hardware company to a successful platform company requires crossing a vast chasm. The competition with Bambu Lab, the test of profitability models, the long cycle of ecosystem monetization, and over-reliance on a single market represent the four major risks that could shape the company’s future.

    In the short term, the key question is competition. In the medium term, it is profitability. In the long term, it is the ecosystem. Creality’s future depends not only on how good its products are or how wide its distribution network becomes, but also on whether it can find a breakthrough in this “battle of the century” that may help determine the future shape of the consumer 3D printing industry landscape. Ultimately, the goal is not simply to sell more machines, but to convert a massive global user base into sustainable long-term commercial value. The road ahead will certainly not be smooth, but I must extend my congratulations to Creality for its successful listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange!

    Xu Fanglei

    About the Author

    Xu Fanglei is an industrial designer, entrepreneur, and industry commentator focused on additive manufacturing and digital fabrication. He is the founder of SCRAT3D and 3D Printing Technology, one of China’s emerging media platforms covering the global 3D printing industry. Over the past decade, Xu has worked across industrial design, product innovation, and advanced manufacturing, while building connections between designers, manufacturers, researchers, and technology companies. His work explores the impact of 3D printing on manufacturing, education, consumer products, and entrepreneurship. Xu regularly publishes industry analysis and interviews, with a particular focus on developments within China’s rapidly growing additive manufacturing sector.

  • Disney Gives Muppet Favorite Scooter a 3D Printed Comeback on Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster

    For many Disney fans, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith was a rite of passage. The attraction opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 1999 and quickly became one of the park’s most popular rides, mainly because it was the only one with inversions and a pretty unforgettable soundtrack from Aerosmith. For decades, it was one of the biggest attractions at the Orlando theme park. In fact, a 75-minute wait was just part of the experience. Guests happily stood in line for the chance to blast from 0 to 57 mph in just a few seconds. But time catches up with everything.

    I got to ride Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster when it first opened and again just a few weeks before its final run (with many rides in between over the years). The launch was still thrilling, but by the end, the attraction felt tied to a different era of music and pop culture. In fact, many of the kids getting on the ride didn’t recognize the songs or the band, making the upcoming refresh feel like the right move at the right time.

    The change is also important for another reason. A year ago, Disney closed Muppet*Vision 3D, leaving fans worried that The Muppets were disappearing from the parks. The theater attraction had been entertaining guests since 1991 and was one of the last projects Muppets creator Jim Henson worked on before his death. By bringing the characters to Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Disney is ensuring that Kermit, Miss Piggy, Scooter, and the rest of the gang have a major place in the park’s future. And we also learned that 3D printing is playing a role in bringing at least one of those Muppet characters into the future.

    Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets. Image courtesy of Walt Disney World Resort.

    During a preview of the attraction, CNET’s Bridget Carey spoke with Todd Richins, Executive Producer at Walt Disney Imagineering, who confirmed that Scooter’s new Audio-Animatronics figure includes a 3D printed shell, in a rare look at how Disney is using additive manufacturing (AM) as part of its attraction-development pipeline.

    Disney said Imagineers used motion-capture technology to create the figure.

    According to the company, “Guests will be fully immersed in the story with the first-ever Audio-Animatronics figure of Scooter, brought to life using motion-capture technology of Scooter the Muppet. By recording and tracking Scooter’s performance, Walt Disney Imagineering was able to build and program a figure that looks, moves, and emotes exactly like Scooter should, right down to the small details.”

    By recording and tracking Scooter’s performance, Walt Disney Imagineering was able to build and program a figure that looks, moves, and emotes exactly like Scooter should. Image courtesy of Walt Disney World Resort.

    According to Disney, 3D printing now plays a role in the creation of many of its Audio-Animatronics figures. The company has discussed how technologies such as digital modeling, advanced fabrication methods, and 3D printing help Imagineers develop increasingly sophisticated figures for attractions around the world. Earlier this year, Walt Disney Imagineering also revealed that it had worked with 3D printing company Haddy to create a large-scale 3D printed outrigger canoe for the Jungle Cruise attraction at Disneyland. Disney described it as the first permanently installed attraction prop produced using large-scale 3D printing. For Disney, 3D printing can help designers create complex shapes, refine character details, and manufacture parts more quickly than many traditional methods.

    For Muppet fans, however, the bigger story may simply be that the franchise continues to have a place inside Disney’s parks. Scooter has been part of The Muppets since the late 1970s, when he appeared as the show’s stage manager. Nearly 50 years later, the character is still going strong. Now, thanks to Disney’s reimagined Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster, Scooter is getting a high-tech update of his own.

    Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring The Muppets. Image courtesy of Walt Disney World Resort.

    The timing is especially interesting because Walt Disney Imagineering is gearing up for another major animatronic project. Disney recently announced plans to update Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress, one of the most historic attractions in its theme parks. The reimagining will include a new Audio-Animatronics figure of Walt Disney himself, along with updates throughout the attraction.

    Disney has not said whether the upcoming Carousel of Progress figures will include 3D printed components. But after revealing a 3D printed shell for Scooter, it would hardly be surprising to see the same technology show up in future Audio-Animatronics projects.

    Whether it’s a Jungle Cruise prop, a Muppet animatronic, or something still to come, Disney’s growing use of 3D printing is worth watching. What starts inside Imagineering often ends up in front of millions of guests around the world.

  • 3D Printing News Briefs, June 6, 2026: Expansions, New 3D Printers, & More

    We’re starting with business in this weekend’s 3D Printing News Briefs. Axtra3D just opened its expanded facility in Italy, and Austal USA expanded its leadership team. Then we’ll move on to 3D printers, with Mastrex and Sinterit each launching a new system. Finally, ExxonMobil used Meltio’s industrial DED technology to redesign an important component.

    Axtra3D Opens Expanded EU Facility in Italy

    This past week, Axtra3D announced a major expansion of its European operations, coinciding with the company’s recent fifth anniversary. As part of its EU growth strategy, Axtra3D acquired a much larger facility in Vicenza, Italy, and opened the doors just a few days ago. The 17,000 square foot facility, which was designed to support increased global demand for Axtra3D’s production-grade solutions, will become the main hub for the company’s European operations. In addition to hosting live demonstrations, validation programs, and technical workshops, the site will also integrate advanced application development, customer support operations, manufacturing, material validation, and product engineering. The facility emphasizes long-term operational efficiency and sustainable growth, and will also support cross-functional collaboration between the company’s materials, software, engineering, and customer application teams. Since it was founded in 2021, Axtra3D says it’s achieved more than 55% repeat customer growth and year-over-year increase in installed systems around the globe. So this expansion is reflective of its growing customer adoption, global momentum, and investment in scalable manufacturing infrastructure.

    “The move to this new facility marks a significant milestone in Axtra3D’s evolution. This expansion is not simply about adding space. It is about building the operational and innovation infrastructure required to support the next generation of additive manufacturing applications at industrial scale,” said Gianni Zitelli, CEO and Founder of Axtra3D.

    “Over the last several years, we have seen a meaningful shift in how manufacturers approach additive manufacturing, from prototyping toward validated end-use production. Customers increasingly require deeper collaboration, faster validation cycles, and integrated production support. This new facility enables us to strengthen those capabilities while scaling the infrastructure behind Axtra.Workflow, our fully connected manufacturing ecosystem.”

    Austal USA Announces New President & Additions to Senior Leadership Team

    Gene Miller, President of Austal USA

    After a three-month search by its Board of Managers, ship manufacturer Austal USA recently announced that Gene Miller will be the company’s new president, effective immediately. Miller has served as interim president since February of 2026, after former president Michelle Kruger retired. Miller will lead more than 3,500 shipbuilding professionals across the company’s operations in San Diego, Mobile, Washington D.C., and several locations across Virginia. Inheriting a portfolio that has majorly grown in the past few years, he will oversee all aspects of Austal USA’s ship and submarine module manufacturing, and development of autonomous, sea-ready technologies. Miller certainly has the background for this position, having spent more than three decades in naval architecture and shipbuilding. He spent over 20 years in various leadership roles at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, served as director for amphibious ship programs at Ingalls Shipbuilding, held senior leadership roles across the industry, and joined Austal USA as COO in 2024.

    Austal USA also welcomed three other members to its senior leadership team. Each has, as Miller said, “broad defense backgrounds that will contribute unique perspectives to their Austal USA leadership roles.” Michael Pruit, Vice President of Surface Ship Programs, managed multi-billion-dollar Navy surface ship portfolios at Northrup Grumman Shipbuilding and Huntington Ingalls Industries. He has a proven track record of fostering compliance, operational excellence, safety, and risk mitigation in all stages of ship building and delivery. Retired Captain Michael Oberdorf, Vice President of Submarine Programs, spent over 30 years in the Navy, bringing with him expertise in Navy program funding and nuclear submarine operations. Most recently, he was senior director of operations at Bath Iron Works. Finally, Andrew Hinkebein, Director of State and Local Government Relations, will lead Austal USA’s engagement efforts with local and state governments, strategic partners, community stakeholders, and economic development organizations. He’s a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, previously served as State Director for U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and was on the staff of Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker of Mississippi.

    Mastrex Launches Affordable Metal LPBF 3D Printer

    Advanced AM solutions provider Mastrex, headquartered in New Jersey, has launched the industrial and affordable MX300, a metal laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) 3D printer priced at $185,000. With a 300 x 300 x 350 mm build volume, dual 500W lasers, and compatible with industrial alloys like aluminum, Inconel, and stainless steel, the new MX300 is meant for users who need dependable performance, scalability, and precision for demanding applications like aerospace, defense, and medical. It was developed to build a bridge between prototyping and full metal parts production, with a streamlined workflow, high-throughput architecture, and ability to repeatably handle large industrial applications as well as detailed geometries. Mastrex says the new MX300 is meant to make production environments simpler and reduce downtime, so manufacturers can more easily integrate metal LPBF into their existing operations.

    “Launching the MX300 is an important milestone for Mastrex, as we continue our mission to enable the current and next generation with technologies that are robust, reliable, and accessible. Combined with our legacy in laser excellence, the MX300 is the pinnacle of precision and performance,” said Mastrex Co-Founder Ilay Fridland.

    Sinterit Introduces Compact BIANCO2 CO₂ SLS 3D Printer

    Sinterit introduced the new BIANCO2 in response to growing demand for more advanced process control and material freedom. It’s a compact SLS 3D printer, powered by RF CO₂ laser technology, that pairs an open material ecosystem with industrial-grade SLS capabilities. It features print volumes up to 130 x 180 x 330 mm, 4-zone heating architecture and 19 independent heating elements, print speeds up to 30 mm/h, a dedicated high-performance laser water chiller, and more. The BIANCO2 supports a wide range of application areas, including automotive and mobility parts, industrial and engineering, consumer products and wearables, flexible end-use products, and medical, dental, and orthotics components. Paired with Sinterit Studio Ultimate, the printer enables Full Open Parameters, with access to over 130 adjustable print settings, which allows users to experiment, optimize applications, and develop custom print profiles. The BIANCO2 Preorder Program is also open, so participants can test applications, validate materials and workflows with Sinterit experts, order sample prints from their own CAD models, and get a 15% discount with 50% pre-payment; standard price is €47,000.

    “BIANCO2 – our new SLS printer with a CO₂ laser – is the essence of Sinterit’s mission: giving engineers, R&D teams, and manufacturers access to technology that previously required significantly greater investment, infrastructure, and compromise. The new printer isn’t designed to compete on technical specifications alone. We’re introducing a complete, practical tool for solving real-world problems: from faster material validation and more flexible prototyping to the production of short-run parts,” said Łukasz Adach, CFO at Sinterit.

    “The CO₂ laser opens up new application possibilities for our customers while remaining true to what has defined Sinterit for years – professional, accessible, compact, and user-friendly SLS.”

    ExxonMobil Lowers Costs & Lead Times with Meltio’s Wire-Laser Metal Deposition

    Meltio shared how the ExxonMobil Baton Rouge refinery transitioned from subtractive manufacturing to its wire-laser metal deposition (LMD) technology. ExxonMobil’s anti-wicking device, which prevents oil from wicking up thermocouple wires into the instrument cabinet and contaminating system panels, had a lot of design and operational limitations. Meltio redesigned the component, including adding a 75° overhang limit, so it could achieve a solid, leak-proof barrier, and printed it on the industrial M600 DED system. They used Titanium 64, which is more lightweight and inexpensive than the previous material, and as an added bonus, it had already been “parameterized” to work with Meltio’s technology. The team chose non-planar printing, using the M600’s probing functions to deposit features right onto the curved surface so support structures weren’t needed. In the end, ExxonMobil achieved major operational advantages with this method, reducing the unit cost for the complete assembly by 42% and the production lead time by an astonishing 90%.

    “This successful industrial use case highlights something very significant for the industry: metal additive manufacturing is no longer a laboratory technology, but a real industrial tool for critical sectors such as energy, petrochemicals, and defense. The ability to manufacture complex titanium components while reducing costs, lead times, and logistical dependence is a complete game-changer,” said José Luis Sánchez, the Managing Director at Meltio.

    “Oil & Gas is one of the sectors where our technology adds the most value, especially given the need for parts resistant to corrosion, high temperatures, and extreme environments. Being able to produce or repair titanium components quickly and locally represents a huge strategic advantage for operators and major energy companies.”

  • University of Arkansas Researchers Test Metal 3D Printing in a Mars-Like Atmosphere

    If humans eventually establish a long-term presence on Mars, they will face a major manufacturing challenge almost immediately. Tools will break. Parts will wear out. Equipment will need repairs. But unlike on Earth, there will be no nearby supply chain, no replacement parts arriving overnight, and no warehouse stocked with backup components.

    That is one reason researchers continue exploring how additive manufacturing (AM) could support future space missions. Now, a new study from the University of Arkansas looks at one small but important piece of that puzzle: whether metal 3D printing could work in an atmosphere similar to the one found on Mars.

    The research was led by Zane Mebruer, who completed the work as an undergraduate mechanical engineering student at the university under the supervision of assistant professor Wan Shou. The findings were published in a study titled “Exploring Metal Additive Manufacturing in Martian Atmospheric Environments” in the Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing.

    Mebruer’s research explains that one of the challenges is that most metal AM systems rely on argon gas during production. The gas protects molten metal from oxidation as parts are built layer by layer. Without that protection, defects can form inside the component that weaken the final part. But the problem is that people settling in Mars would not have access to large supplies of argon, and bringing it from Earth would be expensive. Also, producing it on Mars would require additional equipment and resources.

    Mars’ atmosphere is made up of more than 95% carbon dioxide. Instead of shipping large quantities of specialized gas from Earth, researchers wanted to see whether metal printing could be performed directly in a carbon dioxide environment. If that was possible, future settlers might be able to use resources already available on the planet.

    For the task, the team used a custom laser powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) system developed at the University of Arkansas to print simple 316L stainless steel test samples. Equipped with a 500-watt IPG fiber laser and a sealed chamber that could be filled with different gases, the system allowed researchers to compare printing under argon, carbon dioxide, and normal air conditions. The samples were then examined for surface quality, oxidation, and structural cohesion. 

    Overview of experimental setup for PBF-LB with an artificial environment. Image courtesy of University of Arkansas.

    Argon still delivered the strongest overall performance, which was not surprising. But what caught the researchers’ attention was that the carbon dioxide environment performed much better than ordinary air. The parts did not perform as well as those made with argon, but they performed well enough to encourage more research.

    “It’s a proof of concept,” said Shou, who helped Mebruer conceptualize the work and oversaw the research in his lab. 

    The research is still at a very early stage. The team was not printing finished tools or functional parts, but simple stainless steel test samples, including individual laser-melted lines and small flat structures, to see how the material behaved in a carbon dioxide atmosphere similar to Mars’. After all, there is quite a long list of challenges left to solve before going to Mars, because it is a tough place to manufacture anything. Aside from the atmosphere itself, future systems would have to operate in lower gravity, and deal with dust, radiation, and some of the most extreme temperature changes in the solar system.

    Laser power effect on fabricated 2D samples. Image courtesy of University of Arkansas.

    Even so, the study points to a question that space agencies have been thinking about for years: how do you make what you need when Earth is millions of miles away? 

    That question is becoming more important as governments and private companies push toward longer missions beyond Earth orbit. NASA’s Artemis program, for example, wants to return astronauts to the Moon and establish a more sustainable presence there before future missions head to Mars. A key part of that effort is what NASA calls in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), the idea of using local resources whenever possible instead of shipping everything from Earth. That idea applies to fuel production, habitat construction, life-support systems, and manufacturing. After all, the farther humans travel from Earth, the more important local production becomes.

    A trip to Mars would be very different from a mission in Earth orbit. Crews could be away from home for years, and there is no easy way to send replacement parts when something breaks. That is why researchers are looking at 3D printing. Instead of packing every spare part they could need, future astronauts could potentially bring raw materials and manufacture some tools and components on demand. In fact, researchers have already explored several Mars-related 3D printing concepts over the past few years.

    Scientists at Washington State University previously demonstrated that simulated Martian regolith could be mixed with titanium alloys to create strong printed materials that may one day be used for tools, structural components, or protective coatings.

    What makes this study interesting is that the researchers are not looking at what can be printed on Mars. They are looking at what can be printed in Mars’ atmosphere. And that could be super important, because if future missions could use gases that are already available on Mars, instead of argon, it could make manufacturing there much easier.

    The idea may even have applications on Earth. The researchers point out that carbon dioxide is generally more available and less expensive than argon. Much more testing would be needed, but the findings suggest there may be situations where carbon dioxide could serve as an alternative.

    Of course, nobody is setting up metal 3D printers on Mars anytime soon. In fact, space agencies are still working toward a human presence on the Moon. NASA still officially talks about sending humans to Mars in the 2030s, but that has started to sound more like a long-term goal. In fact, analysts have suggested the early 2040s might be a more realistic window for a crewed Mars mission. But if humans do make it to Mars one day, they’ll need ways to make and repair things once they get there.

  • UT Researchers Use 3D Printing to Develop “Tabletop EUV Lithography” Process

    Photolithography, the semiconductor manufacturing process whereby lasers transfer patterns onto chemical layers coating a substrate, is one of the most amazing industrial processes humanity has ever created. It is also by far one of the most expensive, with the most sophisticated machines (High-NA EUV) only produced by a single company (ASML) and carrying a price tag of around $400 million.

    Researchers at the University of Texas (UT) are attempting to upend the barriers-to-entry standing in the way of broad access to EUV lithography by developing a low-cost, “tabletop” machine that leverages volumetric 3D printing. This process typically involves spinning vats of photopolymers exposed to light from every angle, allowing users to print entire objects all at once. The method the UT researchers utilized instead relies on a single source of light that passes through stationary, self-assembling nanospheres — still creating objects all at once, but on a much smaller scale.

    Traditional EUV lithography can only create 3D structures by building them from a large number of 2D layers, patterned one layer at a time. The method the UT researchers have created, documented in a recent article in the journal Nano Letters, prints entire 3D nanostructures all at once, drastically shrinking the time from design to output.

    A new 3D printing device and technique could speed up semiconductor research.

    In addition to the machine they developed, the team at UT’s Cockrell School of Engineering also benefited from access to EUV materials developed by collaborators at UT Dallas and Johns Hopkins. The work was funded in part by a 2024 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), awarded to winners of the Future of Semiconductors (FuSe2) competition.

    In a press release about UT researchers’ development of a low-cost EUV process centered around volumetric 3D printing, UT professor Chin-Hao Chang (one of the lead authors for the associated research paper) contrasted the novel method, which reportedly works on a scale of minutes, against conventional EUV lithography: “The actual printing [in conventional EUV] might not take very long. But the processing can take days.

    Saurav Mohanty, a recent Ph.D. graduate student in the group and the first author of the study, said, “Beyond semiconductor manufacturing, the ability to pattern 3D nanostructures can find applications in medicine for nanodrugs, quantum computing or synthesizing novel materials.”

    I’ve noted many times that the additive manufacturing (AM) industry needs to continue to pay just as much attention as it always has to R&D applications, even as companies simultaneously pivot towards focusing on a growing number of production-level use cases. It’s perfectly logical that the AM industry would want to move past being relegated almost exclusively to the world of prototyping, but AM’s evolution is far more nuanced than a simple binary choice between prototyping and production.

    For one thing, in practical terms, prototyping and production are not mutually exclusive phases. The industries in which AM has achieved the greatest penetration when it comes to end-use parts tend to be precisely those industries where AM had already reached some significant degree of adoption first in the R&D stage.

    Additionally, now would be the worst time to stop targeting the R&D market, which is booming and should continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The semiconductor industry is the best example of this, but it is far from the only one. And even in the case of semiconductors, if projects like the one at UT can ultimately yield broadly accessible research tools, it will vastly expand the number of industries that can afford to fund their own semiconductor research.

    Among the most profound consequences of the long-term accumulation of greater AM adoption is that the traditional lines between R&D and production have been blurred. The successful companies will be the ones that view prototyping and production not in terms of an either/or, but rather in terms of a deliberately strategized pathway from the former to the latter.

    Images courtesy of the University of Texas

  • CEO Yoav Zeif on Why Stratasys’ Markforged Acquisition Is Really a Bet on Industrialization

    When Stratasys announced plans to acquire Markforged, the immediate focus was on the deal. Markforged is one of the most recognizable names in additive manufacturing (AM), known for its continuous carbon fiber technology and metal printing systems. The acquisition also comes after a turbulent few years for the company, which was valued at more than $2 billion during the SPAC boom before being acquired by Nano Dimension and then sold again.

    But according to Stratasys CEO Yoav Zeif, the bigger story is not the transaction. Instead, he believes the AM industry is moving into a new phase, one where reliability, workflow integration, and scalability matter just as much as new hardware. That doesn’t mean innovation is no longer important. Rather, Zeif argues that manufacturers increasingly want reliable workflows, repeatable results, manufacturing standards, and systems that can be integrated into existing production environments.

    In fact, Zeif believes that Markforged’s technology fits directly into that strategy.

    “We have been following them for a long time and have a lot of appreciation and respect for their technologies,” Zeif told 3DPrint.com. “Markforged is by far the leader in continuous carbon fiber.”

    For Stratasys, acquiring those capabilities was not simply about adding another machine platform. Zeif said the company sees an opportunity to combine Markforged’s technology with Stratasys’ established position in industrial FDM.

    “The combination is practically a huge contribution to our customers. We are bringing together the unmatched reliability and FDM knowledge that Stratasys has. No one has better, stronger industrial parts in FDM. Now that we put them together, we can really transform the value proposition of FDM in industrial applications.”

    Stratasys booth at MILAM 2026. Image courtesy of 3DPrint.com.

    More Than a Consolidation Play

    The timing of the acquisition is also interesting. Just a few years ago, Markforged was one of the hottest companies in AM, reaching a valuation of more than $2 billion. Today, Stratasys is acquiring the company for a fraction of that amount. Zeif sees that “not as a reflection of the technology itself and more as a sign of a market finding its balance.”

    “The $2.5 billion valuation was an overshooting, and today’s valuation is also an overshooting,” he said. “There is value because customers ask for it. There is demand, there is growth, there is need in the market. It’s not two and a half billion dollars, and it’s probably not the lower valuation we see now. So it’s somewhere in the middle.”

    The deal has also drawn attention because of what it says about the broader AM market. In his analysis of the transaction, 3DPrint.com’s Matt Kremenetsky described it as a potentially best-case outcome for Markforged after years of industry consolidation. He reported that Stratasys gains a leading continuous carbon fiber platform and installed customer base, while Markforged gains access to the scale, customer network, and global reach of one of the industry’s largest AM companies.

    Markforged’s FX10. Image courtesy of Markforged.

    Rather than seeing the Markforged deal as another example of industry consolidation, Zeif describes it as a strategic move to add capabilities that fit Stratasys’ long-term plans.

    “As far as consolidation goes, I don’t perceive it as practical consolidation. This is what I call targeted capability acquisition, because we have a clear vision and strategy at Stratasys. That strategy is centered on building a portfolio of technologies, software, materials, and services that work together to strengthen end-to-end manufacturing workflows and help customers move additive manufacturing into production environments.”

    Zeif said many of those decisions are influenced by direct feedback from customers: “Over the last several years, Stratasys has assembled Customer Advisory Boards for both healthcare and industrial that include additive manufacturing leaders from companies such as Boeing, Airbus, Toyota, General Motors, Northrop Grumman, General Atomics, and others.”

    Interestingly, Zeif said many of those discussions have not centered on the next breakthrough technology.

    “One of the things that was really surprising was when I asked them what the main barrier to scale is,” he explained. “They told me, ‘Innovation is secondary. We need the workflow to work and the integration with our systems.’ In other words, if you bring a new machine that is innovative but not reliable or repeatable, and the overall equipment efficiency is not good enough, they cannot adopt it. They need standards.”

    Today, Zeif says the challenge for large manufacturers is often not whether a printer can produce a part but whether that technology can fit into existing production systems, deliver consistent results, and meet manufacturing requirements at scale.

    “A machine may offer impressive capabilities, but if it cannot be integrated into existing processes or consistently produce parts at the required quality level, adoption becomes much more difficult. Companies are no longer evaluating a printer on its specifications alone. For us, that is where Markforged complements Stratasys’ broader vision. They are focusing not on prototyping but on tooling and on end-use parts. And this is where we want to create this unique leading platform that we are building.”

    Why Defense Is Leading Adoption

    For Zeif, defense is one of the clearest examples of where additive manufacturing is gaining traction.

    “By far, number one is defense,” he said. “What wins wars is logistics. The fact that you have great aircraft, great weapons, innovation, and everything doesn’t do anything if you cannot deliver the right part in the right place. This is unfortunately an opportunity for additive because this is the industry that can deliver the right part in the right place. Only last year, Stratasys directly printed more than 100,000 parts for defense, and continuous carbon fiber reinforcement is becoming critical for aerospace components, sustainment, logistics, and drones. This is a signal that the demand is coming.”

    Zeif told me defense organizations are increasingly adopting AM to support logistics, sustainment, and distributed production. The ability to produce parts closer to where they are needed can reduce supply chain constraints and improve operational readiness, particularly in aerospace and defense applications. He also sees growing demand for carbon fiber-reinforced components used in drones, aircraft, and other mission-critical systems.

    AMS 2024 CEO Panel’s Yoav Zeif. Image courtesy of 3DPrint.com.

    In Zeif’s view, the deal is less about getting bigger and more about strengthening Stratasys’ ability to serve production applications. The acquisition adds technologies that the company believes can help customers move beyond prototyping and into production.

    As manufacturers increasingly focus on reliability, workflow integration, and scalability, Zeif believes the combination of Stratasys and Markforged can help address some of the biggest barriers to broader adoption of AM.

    Zeif is also scheduled to return to the stage at next year’s Additive Manufacturing Strategies (AMS) conference, taking place February 23-25, 2027, in New York City. After headlining AMS 2026, he is expected to once again share his perspective on the state of the AM industry and the challenges and opportunities facing manufacturers as additive technologies continue to mature.

  • 3D Printing & the Autonomous Era: Defense Tech’s Latest Mutation

    When we last checked in on the broad defense tech landscape and the role of the additive manufacturing (AM) industry in that environment, it became clear that the connecting thread amongst the latest developments in 3D printed weapons systems is self-disruption. Whether one looks at the government budgets that are largely responsible for funding military technology, or the private enterprises competing for said funding, the central process taking place is a story of status quo leaders trying to adapt before they die.

    Autonomous weapons systems — military drones — aren’t the explanation for why this change is happening, but they are probably the most immediate single catalyst enabling the change. At 3DPrint.com and AM Research, we’re taking great efforts to make sure we stay on top of this constantly unfolding story, with a primary example of that being the UAS Additive Strategies: The Present and Future of Drone Manufacturing webinar taking place on June 30 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Eastern, which you should register for now if you haven’t already done so.

    Drones for All Occasions

    One thing to point out about the webinar is that, given the need to balance time constraints with the objective of delivering the most valuable available information, the content will focus, more or less exclusively, on aerial drones. This is the first time we’ve done this webinar, so who knows if it’s just a one-off or the beginning of a regularly occurring event, but I would guarantee that, in any possible future versions of UAS Strategies, the ‘A’ will stand for ‘Autonomous’ rather than ‘Aerial’.

    That is, drones on land and at sea are already on their way to becoming just as significant as the drones we’re all most familiar with, the ones that fly. Indeed, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) recently asked for proposals (due midnight June 13) from companies capable of supplying uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) (drone boats) for the Indo-Pacific region. This is a perfectly logical result of the fact that Iran is relying in no small part on USVs in its gambit to control the Strait of Hormuz, although it’s worth pointing out that the DIU has been periodically asking for such proposals for years.

    There isn’t one single factor that’s pushing militaries more and more in the direction of drones: it is, perhaps, precisely that they simultaneously solve many different challenges involved in the logistics of contemporary combat, which accounts for the widespread shift towards autonomous systems. Ukraine, for instance, has shown that a nation can hold its own against a much larger, much more populous adversary by offsetting manpower disadvantages with drones. In a nation like the US, that same dynamic suggests that drones make far more sense than conventional weapons when facing a future where recruitment numbers will likely never be what they once were.

    From a production standpoint, meanwhile, the newfound credibility for low-cost systems validates the processes of companies with much smaller operational footprints than those maintained by traditional contractors. And, because this new class of smaller companies disproportionately leverages digital manufacturing techniques that facilitate profitability at a much lower scale of output than is historically the norm in the defense sector — at the same time as those techniques also imply the ability to pivot more seamlessly from one product mix to another — such companies allow governments to commit to readiness while taking on less financial risk than has previously been the case.

    Hyperion Systems CEO Joshua Wigley shows TitanCell. Image courtesy of Hyperion Systems

    This is why a company like Australia’s Hyperion Systems, which both makes and uses robotic arm 3D printing cells, can plausibly serve both the construction and maritime markets, among others. Hyperion just launched a USV called the Astra 460, made with recycled polymer. Another company in the Indo-Pacific, Voltage Materials of Hawaii, also just launched its own USV made from recycled polymer, specifically a material that has been validated by the Advanced Structures and Composites Center at the University of Maine — an institution that also possesses similar amounts of expertise in both maritime and construction.

    Construction and shipbuilding are two of the most capital-intensive industries, but now, with enough expertise, a robotic system that costs less than a supercar and a skeleton crew of engineers is a reasonable starting point for launching a single company that can supply both houses and military vessels. So ‘autonomy’ may, most concretely, refer to the weapons systems themselves. But, interestingly enough, that implies autonomy in another, equally important sense, as well: supply chain autonomy.

    3D printed boat. Image courtesy of Voltage

    Hormuz Today, Malacca Tomorrow

    In the post linked to in this post’s first sentence, I mentioned that, in April, Singapore’s foreign minister said what all global strategists had already been thinking, that Hormuz is “a dry run” for the Pacific, i.e., for potential conflict between the US and China over the South China Sea and the Malacca Strait. Obviously, this is why the US military is so concerned with the Indo-Pacific, even as the Pentagon is so rapidly depleting its hardware in Southwest Asia.

    Here, it’s important to remind everyone that the US weapons supply chain is still unable to exist without Chinese suppliers. Two striking figures in this regard are: 41 percent of semiconductors in US weapons systems come from China, and China is responsible for supplying 91 percent of critical minerals in the US Navy weapons supply chain. In terms of the topics most important to shaping US-Chinese relations, I would imagine that China’s position is something along the lines of, “You can buy Chinese hardware for your weapons, or you can support Taiwanese independence, but you can’t do both.”

    That’s probably somewhat of an oversimplification, but Pete Hegseth did sing a completely different tune on Taiwan at this year’s Shangri-La Conference than he did at last year’s. However, concerning the US position, I don’t think the idea is to just acquiesce to China, once and for all, but rather to tread lightly and maintain the status quo for as long as possible while the Pentagon builds up as many contingency plans as it can, with both US suppliers and those of American allies.

    Returning to Australia, this is why the southernmost locale in the Anglosphere is more important to the US than ever, and why it has to build up its own autonomy, both in the sense of its weapons systems, as well as in the sense of the production processes that churn out those weapons systems. Aurora Labs, another Australian company that is both a supplier and user of digital manufacturing hardware, just received a A$1,000,000 grant of matching funds from Australia’s Department of Defence, which will facilitate the company’s purchase of a metal 3D printer, part of the Australian government’s Sovereign Industrial Priorities Stream.

    AU2 Turbojet Engine. Image courtesy of Aurora Labs

    Aurora will use the printer for micro gas propulsion systems for interceptor drones, at the same time that the company has just entered into an agreement with MBDA, a joint venture between three of Europe’s largest aerospace contractors, Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo. Fascinatingly, even though Aurora also makes its own metal 3D printer, it notes that it will use its own 3D printers for R&D and off-the-shelf systems for commercial production. The primary rationale is that this will allow Aurora to ensure complete IP protection, demonstrating the extent to which protection of industrial autonomy is being embedded into the next generation of defense tech.

    Minerals are Critical

    Finally, the obscure reality that all industrial autonomy ultimately rests on materials-processing capabilities looks poised to become less and less obscure as the emerging new world order continues to assert itself. That theme rose to the forefront once again in the last week or so with the announcement from US critical minerals supplier IperionX that fasteners made from the company’s titanium powders exceeded the strength of steel counterparts tested by US Army GVSC DEVCOM, the Pentagon’s primary hub for ground vehicle research.

    Earlier this year, I wrote about how American Rheinmetall ordered 700 prototypes from IperionX for US Army ground vehicle systems. It’s possible these aren’t the same components that were tested, but assuming they are, IperionX has demonstrated how you can actually make money off of having third parties validate your technology.

    In any case, the truly significant point is that the US Army appears to be making headway in securing domestic sources for critical minerals, sources that specifically design their products in alignment with circular economics. This is important not just for the US, but for allies like Japan, India, and, yes, Australia, the three other countries that, with the US, form the Quad Partnership, which at the end of May signed an agreement to cooperate on critical minerals supply chain development.

    Recycling is a central pillar of that agreement, which pledges to invest $20 billion in critical mineral security across the four nations over an undisclosed period. Eventually, I think we can expect that other nations will join in, too, specifically the EU nations, assuming the US and the EU are finally able to seal the deal on the trade agreement that’s been in the works for nearly a year now.

    Thus, the facts on the ground reveal that autonomy doesn’t mean every nation goes it alone, but rather that every nation needs to cultivate some sort of equilibrium between domestic resilience and reliable partnerships with other, domestically resilient nations. Automation as a force multiplier is the nucleus of this new governing philosophy, which stems from the need of all nations other than China to figure out how to work with China without being overly beholden to it. It’s not at all clear how all this will work out. One result I think we can anticipate, though, is that investors will be incentivized to throw as many things at the wall as they can to see what sticks, which tends to be a tailwind for the AM industry.

  • 3D Printing News Briefs, June 4, 2026: Anniversary, Maritime, Marine Organisms, & More

    In today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, Snapmaker is celebrating 10 years with a series of updates. XJet is collaborating with eqops for sales and support across the UK and Ireland, Interspectral expanded its strategic collaboration with Pankl Racing, and Airtech is collaborating with Evergreen Additive. We’ll end with a story out of Princeton University about a multimaterial 3D printing approach for cement-based composites.

    Snapmaker Celebrating 10th Anniversary with Multiple Updates

    This month, Chinese desktop 3D printer OEM Snapmaker is celebrating its tenth anniversary. The company launched back in 2016 with a focus on making powerful manufacturing tools more accessible. To go along with its anniversary slogan of “Always Making,” Snapmaker announced a series of updates, covering software, community, materials, and new products. Last month, Radu, or “Ratdoux,” the developer behind the Full Spectrum color-mixing slicer for the Snapmaker U1 ecosystem, joined the company to help lead a multicolor 3D printing initiative. Building on this, Snapmaker Orca V2.3.3 Beta has introduced native Full Spectrum support, which will enable intermediate colors by alternating filament layers and visual blending. This is the first release to include this community-developed virtual color mixing technology, and the technology is now available directly in the slicer, which is available for download.

    Snapmaker’s User Model Design Contest and Video Contest, with the theme of “Make Something Colorful,” are now taking submissions through June 16th. Creators are asked to show what multi-color 3D printing is truly capable of, from artistic expression to functional design. Winners will be announced June 23rd. Next, the Snapmaker Model Library is under construction, but there will be a public launch later this year. Once it’s done, the repository will have high-quality models optimized for multi-color 3D printing. The company is also adding three new Hotend size to its accessories lineup—the Hardened Steel Hotend, in 0.2mm, 0.6mm, and 0.8mm, will give users more control over speed, throughput, and detail. Finally, Snapmaker is also offering four new filament options. TPU 95A HF is great for shock absorbers and phone cases, while PETG HF (High Flow) is a variant optimized for speed, while still offering strong layer adhesion and chemical resistance. Silk PLA and Silk Dual-Color PLA both feature a luminous finish for display and decorative prints. You can purchase these new offerings here.

    XJet & eqops Elevating Advanced AM in the UK & Ireland

    L-R: Mark Caseley and Alwyn Pryse from eqops, and Riccardo Tosi, Business Director at XJet

    As part of its broader international growth strategy, Israel-based XJet is collaborating with UK-based engineering consultancy eqops, which will represent XJet as a sales and support partner in the UK and Ireland. This will combine XJet’s NanoParticle Jetting (NPJ) technology with the deep AM expertise and well-established operational infrastructure that eqops has in Ireland and the UK. The eqops team is experienced in supporting AM operations across a multitude of high-performance industries, like electronics, aerospace and defense, energy, and medical devices. This makes eqops a great partner for XJet as it works to bring NPJ to a wider range of advanced manufacturers. The companies will work together to support manufacturing customers over the full lifecycle, from choosing a system and installing it all the way to process optimization, compliance, and long-term performance.

    “The UK and Ireland represent important and growing markets for XJet, and finding the right partner to represent our technology in those markets has been a priority. In eqops, we have found exactly that. Their combination of technical knowledge, hands-on additive manufacturing experience across hundreds of systems, and structured approach to customer support – spanning installation, optimisation, compliance, and long-term service – is precisely what our customers in the region need to succeed with NanoParticle Jetting,” said XJet’s Chief Business Officer Gilad Gans. “We are confident that eqops will be outstanding ambassadors for XJet, and we are very pleased to welcome them as our partner for the UK and Ireland.”

    Interspectral & Pankl Racing Systems Expanding Strategic Collaboration

    AM Explorer in action at Pankl facility

    In more collaboration news, Swedish tech company Interspectral AB and Pankl Racing Systems AG have expanded their existing strategic collaboration. Their multi-year partnership focuses on speeding up industrialization of metal AM through improved process monitoring, data-driven production workflows, and quality assurance (QA). Now, Pankl will act as a strategic development partner for Interspectral’s flagship AM Explorer software platform, as well as a reference customer. Pankl is a top supplier of high-performance systems and components for the aerospace, automotive, and motorsport industries, and will deploy AM Explorer further across its AM operations to support data integration, real-time monitoring, anomaly detection, and qualification workflows. It will also work with Interspectral to explore new capabilities in AI-driven defect detection, multi-source data correlation, and optical tomography analysis. The end goal is to make QA more production-ready, scalable, and reliable.

    “This collaboration is about helping make additive manufacturing a more reliable and scalable production technology,” said Isabelle Hachette, CEO at Interspectral. “As the industry moves from experimentation to industrial deployment, manufacturers need better ways to build trust into production. Working closely with Pankl allows us to develop those capabilities in a real manufacturing environment.”

    Airtech & Evergreen Collaborating in LFAM Supply Agreement for Maritime

    For our final collaboration announcement, Airtech Advanced Materials Group and Evergreen Additive have entered into an exclusive supply agreement. Family-owned and operated Airtech is a leader in specialty formulated AM materials, and actually acquired KIMYA’s filament portfolio last year. It works with a wide range of sectors, including aerospace, automotive, general composites, solar, and wind energy. Evergreen, based in Maine and officially founded last year, specializes in large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM) for maritime applications in the commercial marine tooling and defense unmanned systems markets. The formal supply agreement between Airtech and Evergreen builds on several years of collaboration, and will focus on materials development for new and emerging marine and defense applications. Airtech will provide support to Evergreen in AM business opportunities and technical areas, while Evergreen will exclusively use Airtech products in its LFAM projects.

    “Airtech is excited to be able to support Evergreen from the very beginning and be a part of their journey taking what they learned in the lab and help them scale it to full commercial application solutions for use in everything from parts, tooling, or direct use structures and vehicles,” said Gregory Haye, Director of Additive Manufacturing at Airtech Advanced Materials Group. “We can’t wait to see what innovative materials combined with Evergreen’s experience and ingenuity will bring to the market over the coming years.”

    Researchers Inspired by Glass Sponge for Multimaterial 3D Printing Approach

    Alternating layers of concrete and thin polymer allow the new composite material to absorb energy without failure. Image by the researchers

    The problem with 3D printed cement-based materials like concrete is that they’re mostly brittle; if cracks form, they spread fast. A team of engineers at Princeton University developed a multimaterial 3D printing approach to fabricate cement-based composites that are more resistant to deformation and cracking. The researchers took their inspiration from Euplectella aspergillum, a deep-sea glass sponge, often called Venus’s flower basket. Its skeleton contains alternating hard and soft layers, and the soft ones will arrest and deflect any cracks that occur before they spread. Most concrete structures incorporate steel bars for reinforcement. The Princeton team took this a step further by using multimaterial 3D printing to engineer how concrete cracks; this new class of concrete is called Architected Cementitious Composites (ACC). Polymer layers in ACC structures act as thin, soft interlayers that stop, redirect, and redistribute the cracks, thus improving the ultimate load bearing capacity. The team programmed a custom 3D printer to place thin polymer layers within printed mortar. As they describe in a published paper, their 3D printed concrete-polymer composite can achieve up to 187-fold higher fracture toughness and 22.6-fold greater ductility than other cement-based materials.

    “This work broadens the design space for concrete 3D-printing technology as well. It shows that multi-material additive manufacturing can be used not only to shape better cementitious materials and how they fracture, deform, and resist damage, but also to engineer new functions such as thermal regulation and insulation that we could not easily attain otherwise,” explained team leader Reza Moini, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Princeton.

  • 3Dnatives to Present ADDITIV Metals 2026: Resolving Key Barriers to Scaling Metal Additive Manufacturing

    As the metal additive manufacturing sector prepares for a massive leap—with market valuations expected to climb from $6.02 billion to $7.02 billion this year—the industry is shifting its focus from basic feasibility to large-scale industrialization. Following a robust 2025 where metal AM revenues grew by 15.3% year-over-year (Wohlers Report), the upcoming ADDITIV Metals 2026 summit arrives at a critical juncture. Designed to address the primary bottlenecks preventing widespread adoption, the virtual event will feature high-level insights from pioneers at NASA, General Motors, MIT, and the U.S. Department of War.

    Scheduled for Wednesday, June 10th, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 12:40 PM EDT (4:00 PM to 6:40 PM CEST), this free-to-attend digital summit offers a concentrated program of three expert-led panels and interactive audience Q&As. To further accelerate industry collaboration, the event integrates AI-powered networking tools, allowing attendees to connect with peers facing similar scaling challenges in the metal AM ecosystem.

    “Metal AM has been ‘almost there’ for a decade. What’s changed in the last few years is that the conversation has shifted from ‘can it be done?’ to ‘why is it taking so long?’ ADDITIV Metals exists to accelerate that second conversation.” — Filippos Voulpiotis, Managing Director of 3Dnatives

    “We are at the point that we can now scale metal additive, but we need to understand the entire ecosystem. For users who are aiming to understand how metal additive technologies can be implemented as part of an entire ecosystem, ADDITIV Metals is a great opportunity.” — Gil Lavi, CEO and Founder of 3D Alliances, who is moderating Panel 2.

    What the Panels Cover

    Panel 1: Diverse Metal Roadmaps – When to Push LPBF and When to Pivot to Alternatives (4:10 PM to 4:55 PM CEST)

    As laser powder bed fusion matures into a production standard, a new generation of challenger technologies is reshaping the cost-per-part equation. This session addresses the strategic process selection decisions that engineering teams are facing right now. Speakers include Tim Smith (NASA), John Hart (MIT), and Ben Arnold (Tritone Technologies). The discussion will be moderated by Brent Stucker of Wohlers Associates.

    Panel 2: The Certification Trap – Can AI Kill the 2-Year Testing Cycle in Metal AM? (5:00 PM to 5:45 PM CEST)

    One of the greatest bottlenecks in metal AM in 2026 is not printing speed: it is the time required to prove a part will not fail in the field. This panel examines the move toward digital qualification frameworks and whether AI-driven approaches can accelerate certification cycles into something operationally viable. Gil Lavi of 3D Alliances will moderate the discussion, joined by speakers Sneha Prabha Narra (Carnegie Mellon University), Matthew Sermon (DRPM Submarines/DoW), and Sainyam Amarora (Johnson Matthey).

    Panel 3: The Hidden Majority – Is Post-Processing Still the Single Greatest Barrier to Metal AM ROI? (5:50 PM to 6:35 PM CEST)

    Despite the promise of push-button fabrication, the path from build plate to finished part remains a labor-intensive journey through support removal, heat treatment, and surface finishing. This panel examines whether post-processing is the last major unsolved problem in metal AM economics. Sherri Monroe of AMGTA will be the moderator, and Ante Lausic (General Motors), Manuel Delgado (ValCUN), and Matthew Bailey (Aerospace Technology Institute) are speakers.

    3D metal printer produces a steel part. Revolutionary additive technology for sintering metal parts. Soft focus.

    Who Should Attend: ADDITIV Metals 2026 is designed for process engineers, AM program managers, R&D directors, and manufacturing executives who are actively working with or evaluating metal additive manufacturing for production applications. If your organization is weighing LPBF against alternatives, managing qualification timelines, or trying to close the gap on post-processing costs, this program delivers expert-level insight in under three hours.

    Networking Built for the Industry: Beyond the panels, attendees gain access to AI-powered peer matching through the Swapcard platform, with the ability to schedule one-on-one meetings before and after sessions. The event is expected to draw over 800 registered attendees from across the global metal AM ecosystem.

    Partners and Sponsors: ADDITIV Metals 2026 is proudly supported by Tritone Technologies and ValCUN. Media partners include ASTM International, AMGTA, SPE, 3D Alliances, Wevolver, Metal AM Magazine, Manufacturing in Focus, Tooling and Production, Modern Applications News, IAM3DHUB, Manufacturing.net, Manufacturing Engineering and Technology, and 3DPrint.com.

    Registration: ADDITIV Metals 2026 is free to attend. Register now to secure your place.

    About 3Dnatives: 3Dnatives is the leading global media platform for additive manufacturing, delivering cutting-edge coverage of 3D printing technologies, applications, and market trends. With over 1.3 million monthly unique visitors, it serves as a critical resource for professionals across the industry. Published in English, French, Spanish, German, and Italian, 3Dnatives partners with major players in the ecosystem to provide high-value content, data-driven insights, and strategic visibility through multimedia, branded content, and virtual events.

    About ADDITIV: ADDITIV is a series of global virtual events dedicated to additive manufacturing, offering panel discussions, workshops and networking with AM experts from leading industrial companies & the most innovative firms in the field.

  • The Stories nScrypt Can’t Tell; and Why That Matters

    There’s an interesting dynamic inside nScrypt’s Orlando headquarters. The company is clearly working on advanced electronics systems for aerospace, defense, and other high-performance industries, but some of the most interesting work happening there is also the hardest to discuss publicly. There is simply too much that can’t be said.

    During 3DPrint.com’s visit to the facility, CEO Ken Church walked through the company’s technology, its history in additive electronics, and the challenge of talking publicly about work that often happens behind NDAs.

    “We have some customers out there — some really big names,” Church said. “The more relevant electronic things that we’ve done, we don’t get to talk about.”

    That level of secrecy is not uncommon in the industry. But in a field where so much attention is built around case studies, demonstrations, and public announcements, it can make it harder to see where the technology is actually gaining traction. Still, when advanced manufacturing methods provide a strategic advantage, the details often stay behind closed doors. Church explained that many of nScrypt’s customers operate in industries where even small manufacturing advantages matter. In some cases, simply revealing how a system is built, repaired, or integrated could expose capabilities that competitors are not supposed to see yet.

    “Our best stories, we don’t get to talk about,” Church said.

    A Different Kind of Visibility Problem

    One question keeps coming up around additive manufacturing: if the technology is moving forward so quickly, why does so much of it still feel hidden? Why do some areas still seem stuck in early adoption?

    At least in nScrypt’s case, part of the answer is that the work is definitely happening, but a lot of it is happening behind closed doors. In fact, much of the company’s work is in aerospace, defense, and other high-performance industries, where even small manufacturing advantages can matter.

    Church explained that many customers prefer to keep their use of the technology quiet, especially when it may provide an advantage over competitors. In industries like aerospace and defense, even small manufacturing or integration gains can be strategically important, making companies cautious about how much they publicly share.

    So the same factors that make additive electronics valuable, such as design flexibility, integration, and speed, also make it something companies would prefer not to advertise too early.

    3DPrint.com’s Vanesa Listek at nScrypt headquarters. Image courtesy of 3DPrint.com.

    Printing What You Can’t Replace

    Some of those projects are much bigger than small electronics. One of nScrypt’s largest systems can print electronics directly onto existing structures, Church explained.

    “The largest system we sell is 8 feet by 10 feet by 12 feet and weighs about 25,000 pounds,” he said. “At that scale, you’re obviously putting something large inside it, and we’re printing electronics directly onto that structure.”

    It’s a much bigger use of additive manufacturing than most people probably imagine, with electronics added directly to larger systems. But again, many of the specifics stay behind closed doors. For companies working on advanced aerospace or defense systems, even acknowledging how something is made can reveal too much.

    For nScrypt, that creates a tradeoff between secrecy and visibility. The company wants to protect its customers and keep sensitive projects private, but at the same time, it also has to show people what the technology is capable of.

    “We are very committed to our customers… we’re very dedicated to keeping what they want confidential. But while we’re doing that, we’re also trying to figure out how to tell our story.”

    It’s not an easy balance. In industries where visibility helps drive adoption, not being able to share real-world projects can make it harder to demonstrate progress. At the same time, the fact that companies are keeping so much of this work private says a lot. It suggests that additive electronics is moving beyond experimentation and becoming more important commercially and strategically.

    Where Real Demand Is Starting to Appear

    Church explains that despite decades of development, additive electronics is still in the early stages of broader adoption.

    “We’ve been pushing for 20 years,” he said. “We’re just now on the very front end of this pull. And that distinction [between pushing technology into the market and responding to real demand] is important. For much of its history, additive electronics has been driven by what it could do. Now, it is starting to be shaped by what customers actually need.”

    Luckily, some of that demand is already visible. The work nScrypt is doing with repair systems for the U.S. Army, for example, is one clear use case. Instead of waiting weeks or months for replacement parts or electronics, systems can be repaired much closer to where they are being used. Church also pointed to areas like conformal electronics, integrated systems, and rugged, field-deployable platforms, where “additive approaches can solve problems traditional manufacturing struggles with.”

    But beyond those examples, much of the company’s work remains hard to talk about publicly, especially in aerospace and defense environments where the stakes are higher. However, most major defense contractors have nScrypt equipment. And that, in itself, hints at a level of adoption that isn’t always shown in the public media.

    The Problem With Being Early

    Church describes the additive electronics market as something that has taken years to develop, “with long periods of limited traction followed by gradual progress.”

    “We are on the very front end of this pull,” he said. “That slow build has shaped how companies like ours operate. Early on, the challenge was simply getting customers to try the technology. Now, the challenge is different; it’s managing demand while continuing to refine the systems and processes behind it.”

    At the same time, the company has had to learn how to navigate industries that operate very differently from traditional manufacturing. Large customers, especially in aerospace and defense, bring their own high expectations for reliability, consistency, and performance, and Church recognized that working with those companies has pushed nScrypt to continuously improve its systems.

    “Those interactions,” he explained, “have helped shape the company’s technology into something better suited for high-consequence applications, where even small failures are not acceptable.”

    If there is one area Church seems especially focused on, it is advanced electronics packaging, particularly involving glass. The topic connects closely to the growing demands of AI and high-performance computing, where more processing power also means more heat, density, and complexity.

    “We are in the glass business here,” Church said. “We want people to know that, but right now we’re having a hard time telling that story.”

    Even this, though, is still only being discussed in broad terms. But, Church hinted that more may become visible soon.

    “2026 is going to be a glass-telling story,” he said.

    nScrypt headquarters. Image courtesy of 3DPrint.com.

    After visiting nScrypt, it becomes easier to understand why additive electronics can still feel somewhat hidden, even as the technology continues to advance and, in some cases, is already being used in demanding applications. But a lot of that work happens in industries where companies are careful about what they share publicly.

    For nScrypt, that is simply part of working in aerospace, defense, and other high-performance sectors, where reliability and performance matter more than publicity.

    What is clear from my conversations with Church is that much of the progress in additive electronics is happening gradually, often behind the scenes, and long before it becomes widely visible.