![AMA: Energy 2026: [INTERVIEW] How Large-Scale Metal AM Is Helping Energy OEMs Break Free From Forging and Casting Delays](/cdn-cgi/image/width=1200,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://3dprintingindustry.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/4.png)
AMA: Energy 2026: [INTERVIEW] How Large-Scale Metal AM Is Helping Energy OEMs Break Free From Forging and Casting Delays
Fastech is leveraging large‑scale wire‑based additive manufacturing (WAAM and LW‑DED) to help energy OEMs overcome long lead times, supply‑chain constraints, and limited flexibility of forging and casting. WAAM delivers material at 1‑5 kg/h for bulky parts, while LW‑DED offers finer finishes at 0.4‑0.6 kg/h, both followed by in‑house CNC machining and inspection. The technology proves most economical for high‑value, low‑volume nickel‑based components, delivering $10,000‑$50,000 savings versus traditional methods, and is reshaping spare‑parts strategies through on‑demand digital manufacturing. Adoption hinges on material qualification and certification, especially for alloys such as Inconel 625, 718, and Haynes 282.
Skoltech Finds a Viable Path for 3D Printing Aluminum Bronze
Researchers at Skoltech, in collaboration with Russian and Indian partners, have demonstrated that laser powder bed fusion can reliably print aluminum bronze (Cu‑9.5Al‑1Fe) with mechanical and thermal properties comparable to cast material. By fine‑tuning laser power (90‑150 W) and scan speed...
Blue Ops Partners with HADDY to 3D Print Military Unmanned Surface Vessels at Scale
Red Cat Holdings’ maritime unit Blue Ops has teamed with robotic‑fabrication firm HADDY to embed large‑scale 3D printing into its Georgia plant. The partnership will double production of its 5‑meter and 7‑meter unmanned surface vessels (USVs) by using AI‑driven printers...
AMA: Energy 2026: Additive Manufacturing in Energy Is Moving Beyond Pilots Here’s What’s Actually Being Deployed
Additive manufacturing (AM) is moving from pilot projects to repeatable production in the energy sector. Siemens Energy now prints titanium impellers for integrally geared compressors, while Equinor is deploying on‑demand spare‑part strategies to boost uptime. Certification bodies such as DNV...
Sinterit’s 3D Printing Academy Makes Serious Manufacturing Education Free and Accessible
Polish 3D printer maker Sinterit has launched a free online 3D Printing Academy that delivers daily lessons across three dedicated tracks—Fundamentals, Business, and Engineers—focused on Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). The curriculum blends e‑books, videos, calculators, case studies and podcasts, culminating...
AMA: Energy: Ivaldi Group: Turning Supply Chain Risk Into a Strategic Advantage
Ivaldi Group’s CEO Espen Siversten argues that additive manufacturing is technically ready for the energy sector, but the surrounding business‑case infrastructure lags. After analyzing 2.3 million parts and $1.6 billion in annual spare‑parts spend, Ivaldi found only 3‑11% of components are suitable...
MIT’s VisiPrint Uses AI to Show Exactly How a 3D Print Will Look Before It’s Made
MIT researchers unveiled VisiPrint, an AI‑driven preview tool that renders a 3‑D printed object’s exact color, gloss and translucency before any material is extruded. By feeding a slicer screenshot and a single material image, two neural models generate a photorealistic...
Meshy Closes the 3D Printing Loop With AI-to-Physical Manufacturing
Meshy.ai has integrated its generative‑AI model‑creation platform with Formlabs’ Form Now on‑demand printing service, creating the first end‑to‑end AI‑to‑physical manufacturing loop. Users can input a text prompt or image and receive a print‑ready, textured 3D model in seconds, with Meshy handling...
Georgetown Engineers Pectin-Based Bone Grafts to Replace Metal Implants
Georgetown University researchers have engineered a 3D‑printed bone graft that combines pectin—a food‑grade polysaccharide—with hydroxyapatite layers to mimic natural bone architecture. The pectin matrix can be printed at room temperature, creating a porous scaffold that promotes nutrient flow and cell...
Why GE Aerospace Is Pouring €110M Into European Factories Right Now
GE Aerospace announced a €110 million (≈$120 million) investment in its European manufacturing footprint, with Italy receiving the bulk €77 million (≈$84 million) and the remainder spread across Poland, the UK, the Czech Republic and Romania. The capital will fund new test cells, advanced...
Hyperion Robotics Opens New Factory to Scale UK Infrastructure
Hyperion Robotics, the Finnish specialist in 3D‑printed concrete, is opening its first UK factory – Forge I – in Flixborough, North Lincolnshire, in partnership with LKAB Minerals. The plant will use robotic, automated systems to produce more than 50 pre‑cast concrete...
HOOPS AI Reaches General Availability with New Features to Tackle the CAD-ML Gap
Tech Soft 3D has moved its HOOPS AI framework from preview to general availability, adding Linux support and a new CAD‑embeddings capability. The platform translates complex CAD geometry into machine‑readable formats, enabling engineers to run thousands of model variations without manual labeling....
FABULOUS and AMT Certify a Complete SLS Workflow for Food-Contact 3D Printed Parts
FABULOUS and Additive Manufacturing Technologies (AMT) have jointly validated a complete SLS workflow for food‑contact parts, pairing FABULOUS’s bio‑based DETECT PA11 polyamide with AMT’s PostPro Pure vapor‑smoothing consumable. Independent testing confirmed compliance with U.S. FDA 21 CFR §177.1500 and EU Regulation No 10/2011, with extractable‑substance levels...
New Bioengineered Patch Makes Its Own Oxygen to Heal Wounds and Grow Tissue
Researchers at UC Riverside and Rowan University unveiled a self‑oxygenating tissue patch, the Smart Self‑Oxygenating Tissue (SSOT) system, that creates oxygen on‑demand via low‑voltage electrolysis in a conductive hydrogel called BioGel. The BioGel incorporates a choline‑based ionic liquid, boosting stiffness...
NASA STTR Award Backs Cold Spray Research for GRX-810
NASA’s Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I award funds a 13‑month collaboration between the University of Utah, Pennsylvania State University and Elementum 3D to study cold‑spray additive manufacturing of GRX‑810, NASA’s award‑winning high‑temperature alloy. The research will map particle‑level bonding dynamics...
Stratasys Broadens Its Additive Manufacturing Portfolio with New Materials and Software
At RAPID+TCT 2026, Stratasys unveiled a suite of new high‑performance filaments, resins, and a software upgrade to broaden its additive‑manufacturing portfolio. The lineup adds ULTEM 1010 for FDM, two industry‑specific photopolymers, PolyJet ToughONE in white and black, and Somos WaterShed White...
6K Additive Wins $2M Defense Contract to Localize Critical Metal Powders
6K Additive has secured an approximately $2 million Phase II contract from the Department of Defense to transform scrap metal from U.S. military depots into high‑purity powders of nickel, titanium, tungsten and niobium. The 18‑month effort leverages the company’s UniMelt microwave‑plasma refining...
GKN Aerospace and AFRL Launch $8.4M TITAN-AM Titanium Programme
GKN Aerospace and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory have pledged $8.4 million to launch TITAN‑AM, a program aimed at industrializing wire‑based laser metal deposition (LMD‑w) for large titanium aerospace structures. The initiative will be run from GKN’s Global Technology Centre...
America Makes and NCDMM Launch $14.5M Defense AM Qualification Push
America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining have launched two new project calls—Delta Qual 2.0 and GOTHAAM—totaling $14.5 million, funded by the DoD’s Manufacturing Technology Office. Delta Qual 2.0 receives $9 million to streamline qualification for laser powder‑bed‑fusion systems, while...
EOS Takes Full Ownership of Metal Powder Specialist Metalpine
EOS has completed the acquisition of Austrian metal‑powder specialist Metalpine, moving from a minority shareholder to sole owner. The deal gives EOS direct access to Metalpine’s patented atomisation technology, strengthening its titanium‑powder portfolio. By integrating the powder supplier, EOS aims...
Eurobearings Integrates Meltio’s Wire Laser Technology to Cut Bearing Production Lead Times by Up to 50%
Eurobearings has integrated Meltio’s wire‑laser directed energy deposition (DED) system, cutting bearing production lead times by 30‑50 percent. The technology deposits babbitt and other alloys directly onto large components, slashing material waste from roughly 80 percent to under 20 percent....
Alquist Moves From Pilot to Production With A1 Series Launch
Alquist has launched its A1 Series robotic arm platform, shifting from pilot projects to full‑scale production. Fourteen units—twelve A1X models for contractors and two compact A1 units for education—were sold through a joint deal with equipment dealer Hugg & Hall...
Stratasys Joins DoW Program as Defense Embraces Industrial 3D Printing
Stratasys Direct has been chosen for the U.S. Department of War’s JAMA IV Pilot Parts Program, a multimillion‑dollar effort to fast‑track 3D‑printed components on military platforms. The company already supports the Air Force’s C‑17 fleet, saving roughly $14 million in fuel each...
Western University Uses AI to Predict Ear Growth and 3D Print Earmolds
The ALLEars project, a partnership between Western University and Boys Town National Research Hospital, is using artificial intelligence to forecast how a child's ear will grow and then 3D‑printing earmolds in advance. Backed by a $4.4 million Oberkotter Foundation grant, the...
Studio RAP to 3D Print Ceramic Columns for Student Housing
Studio RAP has been hired to design and 3D‑print hundreds of custom ceramic tiles that will clad three monumental columns at the Ginkgo Complex, a new student‑housing project in Utrecht. The leaf‑inspired tiles will be glazed in a warm gold...
Loughborough University Targets the UK’s Critical Materials Sovereignty Gap
Loughborough University has partnered with Freemelt to deploy electron‑beam additive manufacturing (EBM) for processing refractory metals such as tungsten, niobium and tantalum, which are essential to next‑generation energy and defence systems. The vacuum‑based EBM platform overcomes laser‑related reflectivity and oxidation...
Polysaccharide Microneedles and 3D Printing Explored for Cancer Immunotherapy Applications
Researchers reviewed polysaccharide‑based microneedles as a platform for cancer immunotherapy, emphasizing how additive manufacturing—particularly high‑resolution 3D printing—can create customizable transdermal delivery arrays. Natural polymers such as hyaluronic acid, chitosan and alginate provide biocompatibility and enable dissolvable or hydrogel‑based needles with...
China’s 15th Five-Year Plan: What It Means for Additive Manufacturing in China and What Has Changed Since 2021
China’s 15th Five‑Year Plan (2026‑2030) puts advanced manufacturing, AI and advanced materials at the core of its industrial agenda, but it does not name additive manufacturing (AM) outright. The omission is strategic: AM is treated as a systemic layer that...
A New Aluminum Alloy Is Pushing the Limits of 3D Metal Printing
Researchers at UCL and Brunel University have created a custom aluminum alloy, PA1, that outperforms the industry‑standard AlSi10Mg in directed energy deposition (DED) 3D printing. By engineering a narrow solidification window and adding nickel, cerium, manganese and controlled iron, the...
Tethon 3D Acquires Materials IP Portfolio to Broaden Advanced Ceramics Capabilities
Tethon 3D, a U.S. advanced ceramics firm, announced the acquisition of a portfolio of patents and technologies from 3DFortify. The IP focuses on anisotropic composite structures and dielectric processing for high‑performance RF, microwave and mmWave components used in radar, satellite communications...
AMufacture Appoints CFO as 3D Print Manufacturer Expands Capacity
AMufacture, a Portsmouth‑based 3D‑print contract manufacturer, has hired Andrew Jameson as its new chief financial officer. The appointment comes as the firm has expanded its manufacturing capacity sevenfold over the past two years, backed by investors Maven Capital and Turner....
Häfner & Krullmann Engineers Precision Spools for Bambu Lab and Multi-Material 3D Printing
Häfner & Krullmann has launched a precision‑engineered 1 kg filament spool (model 3D 200/52‑68) designed for Bambu Lab’s Automatic Material System and other multi‑material systems. The spool features a 200 mm outer diameter, 60 mm winding width, and a 52 mm bore, with both polystyrene and polycarbonate material...
Farsoon Unveils Its Two New Large-Format Metal 3D Printers: Technical Specifications and Pricing
Farsoon Technologies introduced two large‑format metal powder‑bed‑fusion printers at TCT Asia 2026: the FS812M‑U and the FS1311M‑U. The FS812M‑U retains an 810 × 810 mm footprint while extending build height to 1.7 m and reducing its overall footprint by 41 %. The FS1311M‑U scales up...
Rapid Fusion Targets €1M Italian Expansion Through Exclusive Aivox Partnership
Rapid Fusion, a UK large‑format 3D printing firm, announced a €1 million (≈$1.09 million) expansion into Italy after signing an exclusive partnership with Aivox. The agreement gives Aivox rights to market and integrate Rapid Fusion’s LFAM platforms—including Zeus, Apollo, Medusa and the...
ART Wins DLA JAMA Contract for 3D Printed Defense Parts
Virginia‑based Applied Rapid Technologies (ART), a division of Obsidian Solutions Group, has been named the prime contractor for the Defense Logistics Agency’s Joint Additive Manufacturing Acceptance (JAMA) Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity pilot program. The award positions ART to supply 3D‑printed, flight‑safety‑critical...
Aconity3D Launches Multi-Material Welding Head for AconityWIRE Metal 3D Printing System
Aconity3D unveiled a multi-material welding head for its AconityWIRE metal 3D printer, allowing up to three different wire materials to be switched during a single build. The powder‑free system, with a 400 mm diameter and 780 mm height build volume, targets medium‑to‑large...
AML3D Secures $9.9M ARCEMY X Order From HII for U.S. Navy Shipbuilding
AML3D Limited secured a ~AU$9.9 million (≈$6.5 million) order from Huntington Ingalls Industries for four ARCEMY X large‑scale metal 3D printers to be installed at Newport News Shipbuilding. The machines, based on the company’s Wire Additive Manufacturing (WAM) process, will raise the shipyard’s ARCEMY X...
Agnikul Tests New Agnite Rocket Engine, Claims It Can Be 3D Printed in Just 7 Days
Agnikul Cosmos successfully hot‑fired its Agnite booster engine, a one‑metre, single‑piece Inconel rocket engine printed in just seven days. The monolithic design eliminates welding, machining and assembly, cutting manufacturing cost to roughly one‑tenth of conventional methods. The engine uses electric‑motor‑driven...
CRAFT Method Gives 3D Printed Thermoplastics Spatial Control over Crystallinity
Researchers from Sandia, UT Austin, Oregon State, Arizona State, Lawrence Livermore and Savannah River labs unveiled a lithographic 3D‑printing technique, dubbed CRAFT, that uses 365 nm light to regulate crystallinity in poly(cyclooctene) at the voxel level. By varying LED intensity from...
BASF Starts up First Production Plant for 3D Printed Catalysts in Ludwigshafen
BASF has commissioned the world’s first production plant dedicated to 3D‑printed catalysts at its Ludwigshafen complex, using its X3D additive‑manufacturing technology. The X3D process creates catalyst structures with high mechanical strength and open porosity, reducing pressure drop, increasing active surface...
How Far Has AM in Healthcare Really Come? Find Out at RAPID + TCT 2026
The RAPID + TCT 2026 Healthcare Conference track highlighted how additive manufacturing (AM) is moving from theoretical potential to concrete production in medicine. Speakers covered scaling custom orthotics through standardized workflows, navigating FDA‑driven documentation via OEM collaborations, and using bioprinting to create...
Polymaker Expands Consumer Webshop to Six European Markets
Polymaker has extended its direct‑to‑consumer webshop to six additional European markets—the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Poland, Czechia and Spain—offering faster shipping and localized support. The rollout also introduces a dedicated EU wholesale portal for VAT‑registered businesses, streamlining bulk orders across...
Can Computer Simulations Make Metal AM Certification in Aviation Faster and More Affordable?
NASA and the FAA released a 195‑page strategy that proposes using validated computer simulations to streamline certification of metal‑additive‑manufactured aviation parts. Developed by the CM4QC steering group of industry leaders and universities, the roadmap outlines a Simulation Maturity Level framework...
DiY MANPADS? Low-Cost Launcher and Guided Rocket Prototype Built with Consumer Electronics and 3D Printed Parts
Los Angeles Valley College student Alisher Khojayev unveiled a proof‑of‑concept low‑cost rocket launcher and guided rocket built from consumer electronics and 3D‑printed PLA parts, costing roughly $96 in hardware. The system uses dual ESP32 microcontrollers, an MPU6050 IMU, GPS, compass,...
New Research on 3D Printed Heart Attack Sensing Platform With 17 Cents Electrodes
Researchers at the University of Brighton and the University of Strathclyde have created a fully 3D‑printed electrochemical sensor that detects the heart‑attack biomarker cardiac troponin I at 7.4 pg/mL in undiluted human serum. The electrodes, printed on a desktop FlashForge Creator Pro 2 using...
KRICT Researchers Develop 4D Printed Polymers Redefining Soft Robotics
Researchers at Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT) have created a sulfur‑based polymer that can be 4D‑printed into soft‑robotic components. The material, derived from abundant industrial sulfur waste, can change shape in response to heat, near‑infrared light, or magnetic...
UCSF and Biohub Scientists Develop New Material to Grow More Consistent Lab Organs
Scientists at UCSF and the Biohub have engineered a seaweed‑derived alginate‑Matrigel composite that behaves like wet sand, enabling precise 3D bioprinting of stem cells. The material’s stress‑relaxation properties allow printed cells to stay positioned while the tissue self‑organizes, producing organoids...
Liqcreate Launches Dental Resin Designed to Eliminate Separating Agents in Orthodontic and Prosthetic Acrylic Workflows
Netherlands‑based Liqcreate has launched Separation Model, a dental photopolymer that embeds a non‑adhesive agent, removing the need for separate separating media in acrylic orthodontic and prosthetic workflows. The resin is compatible with most DLP, MSLA and laser 3‑D printers operating...
AFM Capital Acquires Incodema3D
AFM Capital Partners Inc., an Indianapolis‑based private investment firm, has purchased a majority ownership stake in Incodema3D Holdings, a leading North American metal additive manufacturing company. The financial terms were not disclosed, but founder Sean Whittaker and the senior leadership...
3Deus Dynamics Obtains EN 9100, Entering Aerospace and Defense Supply Chain
3Deus Dynamics, a deep‑tech firm founded in 2020, has earned ISO 9001 and the demanding EN 9100 aerospace certification, complementing its 2023 ISO 13485 medical accreditation. The company’s high‑performance silicone portfolio includes fire‑resistant seals that survive 1,200 °C kerosene flames and EMI‑shielding components attenuating...