Muscle-Inspired Magnetic Actuators For 3D Printed Soft Robots
Researchers have created 3D‑printed, magnetic soft actuators that mimic muscle behavior, converting external magnetic fields into push, pull, crawl, and grasp motions. The devices are printed from elastomeric inks loaded with magnetic particles and later magnetized to embed programmable motion patterns. This wire‑free actuation eliminates the need for pumps, tubing, or high‑voltage wiring, opening new possibilities for sealed, lightweight robotics in wearables, automation, and medical tools. The approach offers a modular toolkit that can be rapidly iterated using standard additive‑manufacturing workflows.
Elegoo Raises Additional $70M in B+ Round
Elegoo, a leading Chinese desktop 3D‑printer maker, announced a B+ financing round of about US$70 million, bringing its total raised capital to roughly US$100 million. The round was led by several Chinese investment firms, with DJI notably absent this time. The influx...
3D Print Recycling Firm RecyclingFabrik Pauses Intake to Develop Next-Generation Process
RecyclingFabrik, the German 3‑D‑print scrap recycler, is temporarily halting new material intake to build a next‑generation "cycle 2.0" recycling line. The firm currently processes about 1,200 packages of waste each month and holds roughly 80 tonnes of filament inventory. Rapid growth...
Rotational 3D Printing Can Create Programmable Shape Morphing Lattices
Researchers unveiled a rotational 3D‑printing technique that embeds active‑passive ink pairs within each filament, creating programmable shape‑morphing lattices. By spinning the nozzle during extrusion, the internal interface follows a helical path, enabling controlled bending and twisting when triggered by heat...
JetZero and Airplane Manufacturing Disruption
JetZero, a new aerospace venture, secured $1 billion in funding—including $235 million from the U.S. Department of Defense—to develop its Z4 blended‑wing‑body commercial aircraft. The company will build the Z4 at a $4.7 billion, 15,000‑job plant at Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro,...
Prusa Opens Orders for INDX Waste-Free 3D Printing Upgrade
Prusa Research has opened orders for an INDX upgrade kit that converts a stock CORE One or CORE One+ printer into a waste‑free, multi‑color system with up to eight independent toolheads. The kit is offered in a four‑nozzle version for...
Global Oil Supply Issues May Lead to Higher Prices for 3D Printing Materials
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz by the US and Iran has halted about 25% of global oil shipments, tightening supplies of oil‑derived chemicals. Those chemicals feed Chinese resin producers, who make the plastic pellets that become 3D‑printer filament...
Polymaker’s Centralized Preset Library Simplifies Filament Tuning
Polymaker has launched an official preset library for its filament range, covering BambuStudio, Elegoo Slicer and Orca Slicer. The company tracks progress on a public page, showing 22 of 51 presets for the new Bambu Lab X2D printer completed and...
The BIQU Panda Shelter Is a Low-Cost Enclosure Solution
BIQU has launched the Panda Shelter, a $95 pop‑up enclosure for Bambu Lab’s A1 and A1 mini printers and their AMS Lite spool hub. The tent stabilizes chamber temperature, reducing warping, while also cutting noise, protecting against dust and water, and...
Wavelength-Dependent SLA: 3D Printed Action Plots
Researchers have unveiled “3D printed action plots,” a physical artifact that maps a resin’s cure efficiency across different illumination wavelengths. By exposing a standardized geometry to controlled doses at wavelengths such as 385 nm, 405 nm and visible light, the surviving features...
Growing Military Demand Drives Strategic Pivot Across 3D Printing Companies
The 3D‑printing sector is undergoing a strategic pivot as military demand surges, prompting manufacturers to form dedicated defense units and sign lucrative contracts. This mirrors a previous industry shift a decade ago when consumer‑focused printers faltered, driving firms toward education...
UK Launches Inquiry Into Security Risks of Chinese-Made 3D Printing Equipment
Britain’s Defence Secretary has launched an investigation into the British Army’s use of Chinese‑manufactured Bambu Lab 3D printers, which were deployed during a training exercise in Kenya. The inquiry focuses on potential security risks stemming from the printers’ default cloud...
DIANA Initiative Aims to Transform Naval Logistics With On-Demand 3D Printing
Italian printer maker ROBOZE is spearheading the DIANA initiative to overhaul naval logistics with on‑demand, high‑temperature 3D printing. The project will create a full‑stack system that detects damaged components, reverse‑engineers replacements, validates designs, and produces parts in decentralized, containerized hubs...
America’s Submarine Surge: How Additive Manufacturing Is Powering the Golden Fleet
In March 2026 the U.S. Navy announced a $15.38 billion contract modification for General Dynamics Electric Boat’s Columbia‑class submarine program and a $1.27 billion Virginia‑class engineering support award, underscoring a massive procurement surge. At the same time, advanced‑manufacturing startup Hadrian opened its $2.4 billion...
Hybrid Inkjet Electrodes On 3D Printed Parts
A recent ACS Omega study demonstrates a hybrid workflow that inkjet‑prints conductive electrodes directly onto polymer 3D‑printed parts. By merging rapid additive manufacturing with maskless digital deposition, the method can turn a plain plastic print into a functional electrochemical sensor in...
New AI Platform From Euler Analyzes Sensor Data to Improve Metal Print Quality
Euler, an Icelandic startup spun out of the Danish Technical University, has launched an AI platform that analyzes sensor images from laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) metal 3D printers. The tool provides real‑time defect detection and predictive alerts by training...
Lincoln Electric at AM Strategies Conference: Turning Talk Into Industrial Reality
At the February 2026 AM Strategies Conference, Lincoln Electric demonstrated that its 130‑year‑old welding expertise now powers large‑scale metal additive manufacturing. By showcasing wire‑arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) integrated with robotics and in‑house finishing, the company proved a fully industrialized workflow from...
Hollow Spiral Lattice Design Marries Thermal And Mechanical Performance
Researchers have introduced a hollow spiral lattice architecture that simultaneously boosts mechanical stiffness and heat transfer in additively manufactured parts. The design uses helical walls to create continuous internal channels, offering a high surface‑area‑to‑volume ratio while maintaining load‑bearing capacity. Tunable...
Bambu Lab Patent Points to New Filament Handling System for Flexible TPU Materials
Bambu Lab filed a WIPO patent (CN‑224130580‑U) describing a dual‑port material hopper designed to separately feed rigid and flexible filaments such as TPU. The system uses distinct discharge ports and pressure settings to prevent blockages that plague current AMS units...
Slant 3D Redefines 3D Printing Services With Slant Box Concept
Slant 3D has introduced “Slant Box,” a subscription‑style 3D‑printing service that ships parts in a small, QR‑coded box. Customers receive a pre‑filled box, scan a code each time a part is removed, and Slant 3D automatically replenishes the inventory when...
DyeMansion Teases Compact Powershot Post-Processing System
DyeMansion announced a compact version of its Powershot post‑processing system, slated for a full launch at Formnext 2026. The new unit will combine depowdering and surface‑treatment functions for smaller powder‑bed printers, complementing the company’s VX1 vapor‑smoothing machine. By packaging industrial‑grade...
Forging the Future: USFR’s US$875 Million Bet on American Steel
US Forged Rings (USFR) announced an up‑to $875 million investment in Hertford County, North Carolina, to build a vertically integrated forging and fabrication complex. The three‑phase project will eventually employ more than 700 workers, with average salaries above $80,000, and is...
Researchers Automate Calibration For 3D Printer Swarms
Researchers have introduced an automated calibration workflow that synchronizes multiple robotic FFF 3D printers into a shared coordinate system. The method replaces manual probing and external rigs with onboard sensing and iterative error minimization, achieving sub‑millimeter alignment before and during...
Which Desktop 3D Printing Features Are on the Way Out?
The article maps the rapid maturation of desktop 3D printers, highlighting features that have already become relics—glass beds, manual leveling, clip‑on plates, LCD panels, and slow‑printing architectures. It then spotlights a second wave of technologies poised to fade, such as...
3D Systems Launches SLA 825 Dual With Dual-Laser Technology
3D Systems unveiled the SLA 825 Dual, a large-format resin printer that incorporates two 4 W lasers to accelerate curing. The machine offers an 830 × 830 × 550 mm build volume, roughly 22% larger than the company’s prior SLA offerings. 3D Systems claims the dual‑laser architecture delivers...
Photocentric Expands Jeni System to Enable High-Volume Resin 3D Printing at Industrial Scale
Photocentric has launched the Super Jeni, a modular resin 3D‑printing system that integrates 124 printers across seven automated modules for washing, rinsing and curing. The expanded platform can output over 1.2 million small parts every eight hours, equating to roughly 3.6 million...
LPBF Aluminum Alloy Adds Heat Resistance And Ductility
Researchers have introduced a laser‑powder‑bed‑fusion (LPBF) aluminum alloy that maintains high strength and creep resistance up to 400 °C without any post‑build heat treatment. The alloy forms a nanometer‑scale intermetallic network at cell boundaries during solidification, using common elements like silicon...
The Beginning of Prompt-Based Manufacturing? A Look at Wonder 3D
Autodesk launched Wonder 3D in early 2026 as part of its Flow Studio suite, offering text‑to‑3D and image‑to‑3D generation with editable outputs. The tool creates base meshes that can be retextured, remeshed, and exported, emphasizing interoperability over black‑box generation. By accelerating...
CONTEXT Report Shows Decline in Professional 3D Printers as Entry-Level Segment Surges
The CONTEXT forecast shows a sharp contraction in the professional 3D‑printer market, with sales down more than 30% over the past year, while entry‑level units surged over 50%. Total system revenue continued to climb, crossing the $1 billion mark in Q4‑25,...
3D Construction Printing Sees Growth, But Also Project Setbacks
The 3D construction printing (3DCP) sector is gaining traction as equipment maker Alquist launched its A1 series, selling 14 units—including 12 rail‑mounted A1X models—while Texas‑based ICON announced ICON Prime to serve defense, intelligence and lunar construction. In Colorado, Azure Printed...
Amazon Returns Incident Reveals New 3D Print Application
Amazon’s returns warehouse sold a 3D‑printed replica of an AMD Ryzen CPU after a fraudster removed the genuine chip and returned the fake. The buyer received a plastic shell that cannot process data, exposing a loophole in Amazon’s “as‑is” liquidation...
Hybrid Filler Composites Boost 3D Print Heat Flow
A recent research paper demonstrates that hybrid‑filler polymer composites can significantly raise thermal conductivity while staying printable on standard FFF and resin 3D printers. By mixing ceramic and carbon‑based fillers, the composites create efficient heat pathways at lower filler loadings,...
Bambu Lab X2D Signals Potential Shift Toward Consumer-Focused 3D Printing Market
Bambu Lab unveiled the X2D, a desktop 3D printer that upgrades the X1 line with a dual‑nozzle head and consumer‑oriented features. The company markets the machine as quiet, filtered, and plug‑and‑play, targeting home users rather than traditional professional buyers. By...
Used Industrial FFF Printers May Be Hitting a Brutal New Reality: Near-Zero Resale Value
A recent auction‑style listing shows two Stratasys Fortus industrial FFF printers—once priced in the tens of thousands—now attracting bids around $100, essentially zero resale value. The rapid depreciation reflects a broader market shift where newer, lower‑cost 3‑D printers outpace older...
A 3D Printer Mod That Changes Simplifies Prime Lines
A Reddit user called TheDarkHood introduced a gantry‑mounted nozzle primer for open‑gantry FFF 3D printers. The device redirects extruded filament onto a rotating wheel attached to the gantry, eliminating the need for a prime line on the build plate. The...
Protracted Wars and Delayed Reconstruction
Prolonged wars in Gaza and Ukraine are unintentionally accelerating 3D‑printing technology, especially in defense, aerospace, and medical applications. Heightened NATO defense spending has funneled additive‑manufacturing into drones and advanced weaponry, while companies such as Rheinmetall, Ottobock and Hanger are scaling...
AM And AI For Wind Turbine Blades At Scale
A new review in Frontiers in Mechanical Engineering evaluates how additive manufacturing (AM) and artificial intelligence (AI) could transform wind turbine blade production. It finds that large‑format AM excels at printing near‑net‑shape tooling—molds, fixtures, and jigs—cutting lead times from months...
Elegoo Announces Jupiter 2 Featuring Massive Build Size
Elegoo unveiled the Jupiter 2, a resin 3‑D printer that combines a massive 302 × 162 × 300 mm build volume with a 14‑inch 16K LCD panel. The machine delivers ultra‑fine detail, offering 0.01 mm layer thickness and 0.020 × 0.026 mm XY resolution, while a COB light source and...
HP Introduces Multi Jet Fusion 1200 With Compact Design with 12-Hour Builds
HP unveiled the Multi Jet Fusion 1200, a compact industrial 3D printer that offers a 12‑liter build volume and can complete a full build in just twelve hours. The system includes an automated material‑management unit that recycles up to 80% of...
Fort Liberty Washing Machines and 3D Printing
At Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg), a soldier solved a laundry‑machine outage by 3D‑printing a replacement door latch. The printed part cost roughly $0.80 compared with a $10 commercial latch, restoring dozens of machines for a base of 52,000 troops....
Researchers Embed Working Strain Sensors In LPBF Titanium
Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory, UCL and the University of Sheffield have demonstrated a viable method to embed multilayer strain sensors directly into Ti‑6Al‑4V parts produced by laser powder‑bed fusion (LPBF). The approach combines direct‑ink‑writing of silver nanoparticle traces on...
Raise3D Expands SLS Portfolio With New B520 Sandblaster and Advanced PA Materials
Raise3D announced the B520 SLS sandblaster and two next‑generation PA powders, completing its RMS220 end‑to‑end SLS solution. The sandblaster clears loose powder from prints, while PA Next Powder delivers higher toughness and isotropy, and PA Next GB adds glass‑bead reinforcement...
Cadillac’s Formula 1 Fight and 3D Printing
Cadillac secured Formula 1 entry in March 2025 after a $450 million payment and a 1,000‑page submission, marking the first U.S.‑approved team in the sport. GM’s lobbying, backed by sponsor TWG Motorsports, opened 595 job openings that drew 143,000 applicants. The luxury brand...
Microgravity System Recycles SLA Resin And Enables Casting
A research team has unveiled a closed‑loop system that recycles unreacted SLA photopolymer resin and enables injection casting in microgravity. The design replaces gravity‑based settling with capillary‑driven fluid handling, membrane filtration, and inline sensors to recondition resin streams for reuse....
AMSupplyCheck Compares 3D Printing Service Prices Across Global Providers
AMSupplyCheck is a free, web‑based platform that lets users upload an STL file and instantly receive price quotes from a network of 97 3D‑printing service providers worldwide. The tool automates the traditionally time‑consuming request‑for‑quote process, displaying results on an interactive...
Stratasys Adds Trinckle Additive App Suite to GrabCAD for Streamlined Factory Workflows
Stratasys has deepened its partnership with Trinckle by embedding the Additive App Suite into GrabCAD Print and Print Pro. The integration lets factory floor workers design and print custom jigs, fixtures, and other aids directly from the same software that...
Design of the Week: X Bench
The New Raw, a Rotterdam‑based studio, unveiled the X Bench—a two‑person rocking bench created with robotic 3D‑printing. The piece merges two symmetrical volumes into a single, undulating form that works indoors or outdoors. Made from recycled plastic, the bench is...
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...
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...