Southeastern Researchers Demo Support-Free Five-Axis Robotic FFF
Southeastern Louisiana University researchers demonstrated a six‑axis robotic fused filament fabrication (FFF) system that employs non‑planar slicing and five‑axis toolpaths to print support‑free parts. By integrating a UFACTORY xArm 850 robot with a custom Rhino‑Grasshopper slicer, the workflow generates point‑to‑point motions that keep the nozzle tangent to curved surfaces. Early tests showed reduced support material, shorter build times and smoother finishes compared with conventional planar slicing. The approach remains manual and research‑grade, highlighting the need for automated collision checking and integrated extrusion control before industrial adoption.
Sovol 3D Printer Teaser Suggests Large-Format Multi-Color Printing System
Sovol teased its first multi‑filament desktop 3D printer, unveiling a silhouette with six external spools and a seventh filament inlet, suggesting a six‑color system with possible TPU support. The design hints at a large build volume of roughly 300‑350 mm per...
STLGears Can Generate Parameter-Based Accurate 3D Printable Gear Models
STLGears, a free web‑based generator, lets users create precise STL models of a wide range of gears by entering design parameters. It supports double‑helical, spur, helical, internal, rack and bevel gears, each with tailored inputs such as module, helix angle...
INNOSPACE Develops Support-Free Titanium LPBF Process
South Korean aerospace firm INNOSPACE announced a laser powder‑bed fusion (LPBF) process that prints titanium parts without any support structures. By applying advanced process‑control techniques on existing Eplus3D metal printers, the company claims a 2.5‑times reduction in build time and...
Red Cat Wants 3D Printed Drone Boats for On-Demand Delivery
Red Cat, a U.S. startup, plans to mass‑produce autonomous drone boats using large‑format 3D‑printed hulls. The company will adapt Ukraine’s naval drone technology for on‑demand logistics, partnering with 3D‑print service Haddy to fabricate near‑net‑shape hulls. While 3D‑printed boats have existed...
DTU 3D Prints Ceramic Gyroid Fuel Cells For Lightweight Power
Researchers at the Technical University of Denmark have 3D‑printed a monolithic solid‑oxide fuel cell using a gyroid lattice, achieving roughly 1 W per gram—about five times the power‑to‑weight of conventional planar SOFCs. The device is built from yttria‑stabilized zirconia (8YSZ) on...
IIT Guwahati Targets Earthquake-Resistant Construction With Integrated 3DCP Approach
Researchers at IIT Guwahati demonstrated that 3D‑printed concrete walls can achieve far greater earthquake resistance by pairing a strain‑hardening ductile mix with a modular steel‑cage reinforcement system. Three full‑scale wall prototypes were tested under quasi‑static cyclic loading, showing up to...
Open-Source 6-DoF Robot Accelerates Curved FFF
Researchers have released an open‑source six‑degree‑of‑freedom (6‑DoF) robotic system that integrates FFF 3D‑printing with advanced kinematics and a low‑cost control stack. The robot achieved a deposition speed of 128 mm/s—44% faster than a conventional three‑axis printer—while cutting idle travel by up...
New Review Clarifies FFF Parameters And Performance
A new review by Saveetha Institute and partners dissects the core FFF parameters that dictate part strength, accuracy, and consistency. It highlights infill density, layer height, raster angle, speed, extrusion temperature and build orientation as the dominant factors, linking porosity...
How Israel-Based 3D Printing Businesses Navigate the Middle East Conflict
Israel’s 3D‑printing sector remains largely operational despite the ongoing Middle East conflict. Companies report record sales to defense and aerospace customers while adapting to remote work and travel restrictions. Robust civil‑defense infrastructure—reinforced shelters and real‑time warning apps—allows staff to pause...
New Site Warns Of Sweeping 3D Printer Laws
A new advocacy site, Stop the 3D Printing Ban 2026, warns that several U.S. states are drafting anti‑gun legislation that could unintentionally criminalize ordinary 3D printers and related software. The bills use broad definitions of "additive manufacturing," potentially imposing record‑keeping,...
Trayd Construction Tech Firm Raises US$17 Million
Trayd, a construction‑tech startup, raised US$17 million from investors including Y Combinator, Suffolk Technologies, and RXR. Its platform automates complex union payroll, HR, and compliance for specialty contractors across union‑heavy states. By reducing a 14‑hour manual process to under 30 minutes, the...
Vitamin E Enhanced PLA Filaments For 3D Printing
Researchers have developed PLA filament infused with vitamin E (α‑tocopherol) and evaluated its performance in fused‑filament fabrication (FFF). The antioxidant and mild plasticizer properties of vitamin E aim to reduce melt viscosity, lower printing temperatures, and improve ductility while potentially providing bioactive...
Hands On with Prompt2CAD
Prompt2CAD is a web‑based AI tool that generates furniture designs as native STEP CAD files rather than simple meshes. In a hands‑on test, the system produced a basic swivel chair that lacked the requested Star Trek‑style features, and even with...
Snapmaker Publishes U1 Firmware Forks On GitHub
Snapmaker has released the firmware forks for its upcoming U1 3‑D printer on GitHub, covering customized versions of Klipper, Moonraker and Fluidd. The company says roughly 20% of the Klipper code and 15% of Moonraker were altered to support a...
Nano Dimension Sells AME and Fabrica Lines, Streamlining Focus to Markforged
Nano Dimension announced the sale of its Additively Manufactured Electronics (AME) and Fabrica product lines to Israeli med‑tech company Inspira Technologies OXY B.H.N. Ltd. The transaction removes about $10 million of annual operating loss and leaves Nano Dimension with only the...
Patent Proposes Recycling Thermoset Polymers Into 3D Printing Filaments
Proterial has filed a Japanese patent (JP‑2026054806‑A) outlining a method to recycle hard‑to‑recycle thermoset waste by grinding it into filler and blending it with thermoplastic polymer to create FFF 3D‑printing filament. The proposed composite filament must contain at least 50 %...
X2D or P2 Evolution? Analyzing Bambu Lab’s Likely Direction After Retiring the X1 Series
Bambu Lab has retired its flagship X1 series, replacing it with the P2S model that offers comparable performance at a lower price point. Speculation about an X2D dual‑extruder printer is growing, but the author argues the market is shifting toward...
Is the NoClogger Really Effective for Desktop 3D Printers?
The NoClogger is a metal rod tool marketed to clear nozzle clogs in desktop FFF 3D printers by pushing material through the hot end. Traditional methods include the cold‑pull technique, which melts debris and retracts filament, and thin metal probes...
Design of the Week: Hands-Free Hand Visor
The Hands‑Free Hand Visor is a whimsical 3‑D‑printed accessory that turns a plastic hand into a functional sunshade. Designed by MakerWorld contributor Emin, it clips onto the head and positions the palm over the eyes, freeing the real hands for...
Personalized Without Compromise: AI Keeps Custom 3D Prints Durable
Artificial intelligence is reshaping additive manufacturing by coupling large language models with real‑time vision to monitor and correct 3D prints, delivering up to a five‑fold boost in peak load strength. At Carnegie Mellon, a multi‑agent framework adjusts printer parameters layer‑by‑layer,...
Centrifugal Resin Printer Patent Targets Post Processing
A Chinese patent proposes a single‑material photopolymer 3D printer that integrates washing and curing steps by adding a high‑speed rotating platform and interchangeable tanks. The system centrifuges uncured resin back into the vat, then dips the part into a cleaning...
Oil’s New Arms Race: Efficiency, Geopolitics, and the Rise of Industrial 3D Printing
Oil and gas firms are turning to industrial 3D printing to cut lead times, lower inventories, and boost resilience amid price pressure, geopolitical shifts, and supply‑chain bottlenecks. Companies such as Petrobras, SLB, and Baker Hughes have built dedicated additive‑manufacturing labs...
Admixtures Tune Geopolymer Concrete For 3DCP
Researchers evaluated four chemical admixtures—barium chloride, tartaric acid, sucrose, and sodium tripolyphosphate—to expand the printability window of geopolymer concrete used in extrusion‑based 3D construction printing. The study measured impacts on static and dynamic yield stress, thixotropic rebuild, setting time, and...
A Long-Needed Database For Filament Management
3D Filament Profiles launched a massive online database cataloguing nearly 24,000 filament options from over 900 manufacturers, positioning it as the largest collection globally. The platform lets users add filaments to personal portfolios, search by RGB hex code, and generate...
Creality’s Compact Filament Cutter Patent Targets Smaller Toolheads
Creality has filed a patent for a compact filament cutter integrated directly into a 3D printer's printhead, aiming to streamline material swaps. The blade pivots around a shaft parallel to the filament path and uses the printer's existing gantry motion...
Gallium, Supply Chain Security, and the Next Frontier of 3D Printing
The United States is pouring federal money into domestic gallium production to curb reliance on China, which supplies roughly 98% of the global market. The Pentagon allocated $150 million to Atlantic Alumina and $29.9 million to ElementUS Minerals for gallium extraction and...
Mobile AM Robots to Roam Factory Floors
Researchers introduced a closed‑loop control framework that enables mobile additive manufacturing robots to print while navigating dynamic factory floors. The system tightly couples real‑time motion planning, obstacle avoidance, and material deposition, allowing the robot to adjust its path without stopping....
Sparkling Water Support Filament Has A Surprising Catch
Effervex Materials unveiled AquaLux S, a support filament that only dissolves in carbonated water with a precise CO₂ concentration. The material targets high‑detail desktop AM prints, promising less residue and faster post‑processing than traditional water‑soluble supports. Priced at $79 per 500 g...
Climate Specific PLA Might Fix Your Bad Prints
PrintShift Materials, a Rotterdam‑based startup, has launched three seasonally tuned PLA filaments—WinterDry, CoastFlow and SummerStable—designed to counteract the effects of cold, humid and hot workshop environments. The formulations adjust plasticizers, nucleating agents and moisture‑buffering packages to improve layer adhesion and...
Silence Mode Claims To Fix Weak Layer Bonds
Researchers at the University of West Bohemia’s Acoustic Process Control Lab introduced Quiet Phase Fabrication, an acoustic‑controlled workflow that encloses FFF printers in sound‑absorbing material and isolates vibrations. Their experiments showed up to an 18% increase in tensile strength for...
MoistureMax Unveils Climate Adaptive Filament System
MoistureMax launched the ONE Climate Adaptive Filament, a PLA‑based material that embeds microscopic hygroscopic capsules to buffer moisture during storage. The system operates between 20%‑55% relative humidity, releasing water to keep the filament pliable and reduce edge fractures. Pricing is...
Bambu Lab Discontinues Flagship X1 Series
Bambu Lab announced the retirement of its flagship X1 series, ending production effective immediately. The company will maintain feature updates through June 2027, security patches until June 2029, and spare‑part support until April 2031. Existing owners can still find X1, X1C, or X1E...
Snapmaker U1 Expands Availability, Software, And Materials
Snapmaker announced that its U1 desktop 3‑D printer will be stocked in all global warehouses by April 10, 2026, shifting the pre‑order price of $849 (≈ €849) to a regular $899 (≈ €899). A software update on March 24 adds performance tweaks and a library...
Dose by Design: Pharmaceutical 3D Printing and the Future of Pediatric Compounding
The article charts the transition of pharmaceutical 3D printing from research pilots to routine pharmacy practice, focusing on pediatric compounding. Companies such as FabRx and CurifyLabs have built platforms that let pharmacists print chewable tablets, gels, and mini‑tablets tailored to...
Thin-Film DLP Achieves Sealed Voids, Multi-Material Parts
Researchers at CUHK, MIT and Manchester introduced a vat‑free thin‑film DLP printer that creates a uniform resin film on a PET release sheet, enabling the production of sealed internal cavities and clean multi‑material parts. The approach reduces entrapped resin to...
What Happens When Desktop 3D Printer Companies Get Much Larger?
Desktop 3D printer firms are entering a rapid scaling phase, especially in Asia, where user bases have reached a "hockey stick" growth point. As platforms like Bambu Lab's MakerWorld become commercially significant, right‑sholders are suing over copyrighted models, prompting formal...
Creality IPO Filing Reveals Financial Growth, Manufacturing Scale, and Other Secrets
Creality, the China‑based 3D printer maker, filed a 492‑page draft IPO application with Hong Kong’s exchange, revealing rapid revenue growth and expansive manufacturing capacity. Revenue rose from $272 million in 2023 to an estimated $453 million in 2025, while profit margins slipped...
Design of the Week: AI Chair
Ross Lovegrove partnered with Google DeepMind to create an AI‑human designed metal chair using 3D printing. The process began with feeding the AI a library of Lovegrove’s sketch concepts, fine‑tuning a text‑to‑image model to learn his aesthetic language. Lovegrove then...
Beretta and Sturm Ruger’s Shotgun Wedding and 3D Printing
Beretta Holding announced a near‑9% equity stake in Sturm, Ruger & Co., sparking a board‑approved poison‑pill defense to deter hostile moves. While Beretta says it does not seek control, it plans to discuss operational and strategic collaborations with Ruger’s management....
Safety Concerns Grow Over Consumer Resin 3D Printing, Raising Risk of Future Liability
Consumer resin 3D printers expose users to toxic photopolymer chemicals. A new Ameralabs 23‑point guide highlights widespread unsafe practices, such as handling resin without gloves or respirators. Experts warn that sensitization can develop silently, leading to irreversible health issues and...
Hitem3D Integration with OpenClaw Enables Automated AI-Driven 3D Model Generation
Hitem3D has announced a native integration with OpenClaw, enabling fully automated, AI‑driven 3D model creation. The partnership merges Hitem3D’s generative design engine with OpenClaw’s workflow orchestration, allowing users to produce printable models from simple prompts. Early tests show design cycles...
Hyperion Patent Splits Extrusion From Motion System
Australian firm Hyperion Systems has filed a patent for a large‑format extrusion architecture that decouples the hot end from the moving print head. The design places a centralized extruder that melts and pressurizes material, delivering it through heated conduits to...
Predictive Low Power DED Nails 316L Repeatability
Researchers at Tecnológico de Monterrey and Mexico’s MADIT lab demonstrated a data‑driven, low‑power Directed Energy Deposition (DED) process for 316L stainless steel that consistently achieves sub‑5 % porosity and forged‑level microhardness. By fixing specific energy (E = 21–27) and mass‑per‑unit‑length (MUL = 0.019–0.022 g/mm), they identified...
Prusa Firmware Update Speeds MMU3 Filament Swaps
Prusa Research released firmware version 3.0.4 for the Original MMU3, trimming the average filament‑swap cycle from 52 seconds to roughly 42 seconds – a 20% speed gain. The update can shave up to nine seconds off each swap, translating into hours...
Formlabs’ Form Now In-House 3D Printing Service
Formlabs has launched Form Now, an in‑house 3D printing service that handles model upload, material selection and shipping for customers. The service promises professional‑grade, low‑cost resin parts delivered in three to five days, with turnaround as fast as three days...
IBM Patents Smarter Hollow Fill 3D Printing
IBM has filed a patent for a dual‑nozzle 3D‑printing system that deposits engineered particles into hollow cavities while the part is being built. The approach combines a primary extrusion nozzle with a secondary dispenser that follows a computed fill plan,...
LPBF Prints Zinc–Silver–Copper Alloys For Biodegradable Implants
Researchers used laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) to 3D‑print zinc‑silver‑copper alloys and demonstrated in‑vitro cytocompatibility, indicating the material could serve as a biodegradable implant. Zinc offers a middle‑ground degradation rate between magnesium and iron, while silver and copper add antimicrobial...
Creality Patent Targets Cleaner FFF Material Changes
Creality has filed a patent for a compact waste‑cleaning mechanism that automatically clears purge material after filament changes in desktop FFF printers. The device uses a nozzle‑pressured arm to sweep waste from a narrow chamber without additional motors or sensors....
PiGRAND Brings Physics Informed Graph Diffusion To AM
Researchers introduced PiGRAD—Physics‑informed Graph Neural Diffusion—a model that encodes additive‑manufacturing builds as graphs and uses a diffusion process constrained by heat‑transfer physics to predict temperature fields, melt‑pool geometry, and defect probabilities. By merging graph neural networks with physics‑based loss functions,...
