Referring to a UAV demonstrator that GKN built without any parts subject to ITAR regulations, which the company unveiled over the summer, I noted that this was one example of how the technical maturation of AM across NATO is now sufficient to enable more opportunities for collaboration within the defense pact. If NATO does indeed begin to engage more actively in AM-relevant industrial cooperation, then GKN will be indispensable to any such initiative, for many reasons beyond that one use case.

There are three key factors here, with one simply being corporate geography and how that aligns with NATO’s needs: GKN is a British company with extensive US operations designed around serving the needs of American defense primes, and it also has a major aerospace presence in Sweden and Norway. Few companies with GKN’s technical capabilities also match its geographic profile, which matters not only for transport logistics but also for aligning the policies of different governments around a single objective.

GKN’s AM production facility in Trollhättan, Sweden.

Another factor is the diversity of GKN’s AM competence. In addition to what the company has showcased with the UAV demonstrator, GKN has also worked closely with US primes like Northrop Grumman on applications like solid rocket motor (SRM) technology, which, as I’ve argued, is the first major AM scaling challenge for the US defense sector. The work that GKN has done on that front benefits not just from the company’s know-how but also from its development of a proprietary DED production cell. And, over the summer, GKN announced it will work with Pratt & Whitney to deliver parts for the F135 engine by 2028.

Finally, getting back to GKN’s DED system: the company just announced this week that it’s the world’s first company to achieve Nadcap accreditation for its DED process. This should speed up GKN’s ability to use its technology to serve customers across the entire defense sector. In his post about the Pratt & Whitney collaboration, Joris Peels questioned why the contract didn’t go to Norsk Titanium, aptly noting, “One can only hope that there is some technical reason to go for GKN.” It would now appear that the expectation that GKN would soon be receiving Nadcap accreditation is at least one reason why the contract went to them.

This post isn’t meant to flatter a single company, but to flesh out what would need to happen in order for there to be greater collaboration on AM between NATO partners, and, more broadly, greater collaboration between international partners on distributed manufacturing networks. This is an especially complex objective because it involves public and private interests that are meant to both cooperate and compete. Given that there’s still such a small number of companies with the ability to deliver metal AM parts at scale in a production environment, once you add the caveat that those companies must also have realistic shots at being chosen to help initiate a NATO-wide distributed manufacturing network, the number of relevant companies dwindles down to a few for any given application.

However, the situation should also start to change very quickly once the ball does actually get rolling. That is, if NATO starts using AM as a team, this won’t be some private preserve that GKN will hoard for itself. The company’s position matters precisely because it’s the sort of partner that its own customers can trust to integrate other companies into the fold. Along these lines, GKN is a company that can help organize the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Europe into a new transatlantic production arrangement based on a distributed strategy.

GKN’s large-scale AM cell in Texas.

It should be emphasized again, as I mentioned in the first post, that all this is still very tenuous, based on the signals (or rather the noise) coming from the US government. Even in the week or so since I wrote that first post, it has come out that the Pentagon has allegedly been telling EU nations to tone down their rhetoric on Russia. I predicated the chance of increased NATO AM cooperation on the likelihood that, as soon as the US midterm elections are over, the US will begin a gradual pivot back toward a less chaotic relationship with NATO.

On the other hand, you’d lose a lot of money betting against chaos, so the hypothetical that I’ve laid out should be viewed as simply one possibility among many. And even if NATO ultimately unifies around a new joint manufacturing strategy, the change would still likely take at least a couple of years to get off the ground. It’s worth thinking about, though, because of how transformative it could be for AM adoption.

Images courtesy of GKN Aerospace

This episode of the 3DPOD is brought to you by ADDMAN, where advanced manufacturing meets mission-critical production. From additive manufacturing and advanced materials to precision machining and finishing, ADDMAN helps aerospace, defense, and space customers take complex designs into production-ready hardware, built to perform when failure is not an option.

China

Farsoon revises share placement ceiling

Farsoon outlined a RMB 1.754 billion ($263 million) share placement in its October 30 filing. The funds would support an AM service platform and a global operations center, with total project investment of RMB 2.835 billion ($426 million). The listed company plans to cover the remaining costs through other funding sources. The share placement remains subject to approval.

BLT approves millions for materials subsidiary

Bright Laser Technologies approved an RMB 117.98 million ($17.7 million) capital injection into its wholly owned subsidiary, Xi’an Bodian Materials, on October 27. The funding comes from proceeds raised in 2023 and will support a metal powder production project. The subsidiary will add RMB 17.86 million ($2.7 million) to its registered capital, with the remainder going into capital reserves.

BLT factory. Image courtesy of BLT.

Global Laser Box starts Changsha metal-AM base project

Global Laser Box began work on its Changsha production base on October 27. According to local reports, the project will occupy about 5,000 square meters of leased space and support metal printer development and manufacturing, printing services, and laser development. Production is targeted for the first quarter of 2027.

Tianhai introduces metal printers

Hunan Tianhai Intelligent Machinery introduced its TH-350 industrial metal printer and TH-115 precision model at an October 28 product launch in Xiangtan. The company says it developed the machine structures, controls, and slicing software internally. It also signed agreements covering vocational training and regional equipment distribution.

Researchers print meter-scale titanium single crystals

Beijing Institute of Technology and collaborators reported meter-tall Ti-6Al-4V single crystals in Nature on October 21. The researchers used alternating heat pulses to control crystal growth during wire-arc additive manufacturing. The team also produced single-crystal lattices with zigzag ligaments and samples made from refractory metals. Furthermore, the researchers tested the titanium specimens’ resistance to deformation under sustained stress at elevated temperatures and extended the method to tungsten, molybdenum, niobium, and a molybdenum-niobium alloy.

Japan

Mazak adds deposition cutting and grinding in one machine

Yamazaki Mazak announced the INTEGREX i-450S NEO AM on October 23, with sales starting October 26. The hybrid system combines powder-fed laser deposition, cutting, and grinding in a single setup, targeting coating and surface-treatment applications. The reported starting price is JPY 216.8 million ($1.4 million) before tax, and Mazak aims to sell two units annually.

HORKOS and Meltio launch NX70 DUO version AM

HORKOS and Meltio announced the NX70 DUO version AM on October 21. Based on HORKOS’s NX70 1510B machining center, it combines wire-laser metal deposition and precision cutting in one machine. The partners also reported a sale to an unnamed industrial customer. Pricing, delivery timing and production performance figures were not disclosed.

South Korea

Lincsolution receives government flagship-company designation

Lincsolution received its South Korean government designation as a leading materials, parts and equipment company on October 29. The designation provides access to support for research, commercialization, financing, and overseas-market support. The company is developing metal powder bed fusion equipment that uses high-power diode lasers and optics to expose an entire area at once, rather than scanning point by point.

ROKIT plans China exports

ROKIT Healthcare outlined its China skin-regeneration rollout on October 30. It plans to begin exporting its Dr. INVIVO equipment and skin-regeneration kits in December, followed by diabetic foot procedures at Boao Super Hospital in January 2027. The Hainan pilot-zone program is intended to generate clinical evidence for an application seeking broader regulatory approval in China.

Rokit’s 4D bioprinting technology INVIVO. Image courtesy of Rokit Healthcare.

Australia

AML3D receives Northrop Grumman order

AML3D announced an ARCEMY X order from Northrop Grumman on October 26. The approximately A$2.2 million ($1.5 million) system will support the U.S. submarine industrial base at Northrop Grumman’s facility in Sunnyvale, California. The order includes a two-year maintenance and services package. AML3D will supply the system from its Stow, Ohio, facility, with final installation expected in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2027.

Aurora secures placement commitments

Aurora Labs secured commitments for a two-tranche A$6 million ($4.2 million) placement announced October 28. Shares are priced at A$0.055 ($0.039) each. The company plans to use the funding for turbojet production lines, additional metal AM equipment, production data packs, and manufacturing systems. One tranche remains subject to shareholder approval.

AU4 micro gas turbine propulsion systems. Image courtesy of Aurora Labs.

Rosebank leads two-year aircraft laser-repair project

Rosebank Engineering will lead a two-year laser-repair research project announced October 26 with RMIT and Swinburne, backed by AMCRC. The partners will study directed energy deposition and laser rescanning to repair aerospace alloys while controlling their internal structure, potentially reducing the need for heat treatment after printing. Testing will cover tensile strength, fatigue, residual stress, corrosion, and wear to help qualify the repair process for aerospace use.

Prepared by AMPulse

EOS’ Michael Wohlfart, Team Manager, Business Development and Academy, said,

“The most successful additive manufacturing programs combine technology with education. Our goal is to help engineers develop a deep understanding of Design for Additive Manufacturing, so they can fully leverage the advantages of industrial 3D printing for demanding applications such as space propulsion.”

BIZU Space Co-founder Raphael Galate stated,

“Brazil’s space sector is entering an exciting phase of growth, creating new opportunities to develop technologies locally and strengthen the country’s space capabilities. As we continue to advance propulsion technologies, additive manufacturing is playing an increasingly important role in how complex aerospace components are developed. Working with EOS and the Additive Minds Academy will help us further strengthen the expertise needed to support future space applications.”

Bizu performs a hot-fire test. Image courtesy of Bizu Space.

With many countries worldwide seeking a sovereign space capability, this is an astute move for EOS. Brazil has a lot of talent, and we must not forget that $2.2 billion Embraer is a relative minnow compared to Boeing and Airbus, but it is the third-largest passenger jet maker worldwide. In the small regional jet category, Embraer is really strong. Additionally, the country makes its own missiles with Avibras; it has an Airbus helicopter subsidiary, Helibras; an ELBIT Systems-owned cockpit systems firm; AEL Systems; Embratel, the largest Latin American satellite operator; and XMobots, a drone firm. Almost the entire Brazilian aerospace industry, generating 15,000 jobs and over $8 billion in revenue, is in one town, São José dos Campos. That concentration makes the area a very interesting one for investment.

Also, as miniaturization and better chips march onward, smaller payloads will continue to become more powerful. In fact, along with AM, this could mean that cubesats and picosats could become very disruptive to legacy platforms and established constellations. For example, it could be possible to offer a data service locally much more cheaply than a constellation would. And coupled with low-cost launch, more payloads could make it to orbit that were not viable before. Rather than a long-term, huge satellite, you could consider something with a much shorter lifespan that does the trick quite well for a few months, for example. Or you could experiment more and develop payloads that really push the envelope. Or you could force a slew of startups to offer alternatives to established services. So imagine a Starlink but only for São Paulo state? Personalized and made just for the people there, controlled by them. Starlink has around 10 million subscribers globally; São Paulo has 46 million citizens. So what first looks rather fanciful could actually work. Brazil also has huge landholdings, plus large mining and energy operations. Some of these may benefit from their own specific satellite coverage. One cattle farm in Goiás, Fazenda Nova Piratininga, has over 100,000 cows, 970 kilometers of roads, and spans up to 200,000 hectares, or 2000 square kilometers, or 495,000 acres. That’s an area larger than London and around the same size as Tokyo. For such a huge remote site, a dedicated satellite providing granular weather coverage could be very valuable.

Given Brazil’s market potential, this is a smart exploration by EOS. The company should do more to engage Brazil’s aerospace sector, as it may yet produce cost-effective solutions for many potential customers.

The convention, running from October 30 through November 1 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, is celebrating its 15th anniversary with three days of comics, gaming, anime, celebrity appearances, and, of course, cosplay. And this year, 3D printer manufacturer Snapmaker is joining the fun with live demonstrations, costume repairs, and a national cosplay competition.

 

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While for some, cosplay is simply about dressing up as a favorite character, for many fans, it’s much more than that. Some spend months designing, building, painting, and perfecting every piece of their costumes. And that’s where 3D printing gets so interesting.

With a 3D printer, fans can create their own helmets, armor, masks, and accessories, customizing everything from the size and shape to the smallest details. Once printed, the pieces can be assembled, sanded, painted, and finished by hand. Some even add lights or moving parts to make their creations more realistic.

Of course, 3D printing doesn’t do all the work. Making an impressive costume still takes patience, creativity, and plenty of trial and error. But it gives fans another way to create things that might otherwise be difficult or expensive to make.

At this year’s L.A. Comic Con, Snapmaker is showing visitors what that process can look like. Its booth features creations from the company’s recent Cosplay & Costume Model Design Contest, including selected winning designs made by members of its maker community.

Visitors can also see the Snapmaker U1 in action. The printer has four independent printheads, allowing users to combine different colors and materials in a single project. For cosplayers, that could mean making accessories with several colors, or combining rigid and flexible sections without having to print everything separately.

But perhaps one of the most valuable things Snapmaker is offering has nothing to do with showing off a new printer. The company has scheduled free cosplay repair sessions throughout the weekend.

The popular Snapmaker U1 multicolor 3D printer. Image courtesy of Xu Fanglei.

For cosplayers who spend weeks or even months working on their costumes, keeping everything in one piece throughout a busy convention can be a challenge. Helmets, armor, and accessories tend to have small or delicate parts that can break, loosen, or fall off during the day. And with thousands of people moving through the convention, having a place to make quick repairs could be super helpful.

There’s also a competition behind all the costumes. Snapmaker is the presenting sponsor of the Cosplay National Championship, where participants compete across three divisions for a total of $25,000 in cash prizes. Competitors can dress as characters from movies, TV shows, comics, video games, and anime, or show off their own original designs. And while the costumes can be pretty spectacular, judges are also looking at all the work behind them, from how they’re made and finished to how well competitors bring their characters to life.

On Halloween, Snapmaker also hosted a panel called 3D Printing Cosplay: The Future of Multi-Material, featuring 3D printed statue maker Luis Garcia, cosplayer Brandon Jackson, Marco from StarWars.eo, known for building fan-made Star Wars projects, and tech creator ImpulseBuilds. They discussed the challenges of making costumes and props at home, and how 3D printing can make the process easier.

 

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Beyond Snapmaker’s activities, this year’s Comic Con also includes Halloween trick-or-treating, cosplay gatherings, and a children’s costume competition on Sunday, along with appearances by stars like Nicolas Cage, Hayden Christensen, Rosario Dawson, and Sam Heughan. And with so many people already showing up in costume, Halloween couldn’t be a better time for Comic Con.

Not every costume at Comic Con is 3D printed, of course, but the technology has been part of the cosplay world for well over a decade. From helmets and armor to props and accessories, fans have been using 3D printers for years to bring their favorite characters to life. And with a little imagination, plenty of patience, and a lot of work, those creations can become some pretty impressive costumes.

Amaero’s U.S. IPO Back On, Pricing Announced

Last month, metal powder producer Amaero Inc. filed for an initial public offering (IPO) in the United States. The plan was to offer about 7.5 million shares and raise about $52.6 million. The company is in the middle of a major buildout of its U.S. manufacturing operations in Tennessee, and it’s spent a lot of money working to increase its powder production capacity, so the IPO was coming at a good time. But then, right after it filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Amaero put on the brakes. Citing adverse market conditions, the company postponed the IPO in late September, and said that while its registration statement remained filed with the SEC, it had not been declared effective yet. While no new timetable was shared, the fact that the IPO statement stayed on file made it seem like the company would go public sooner rather than later.

That day recently came: on October 14th, Amaero announced updated pricing, and the next day, completed its IPO of 4,705,883 shares of its common stock at $4.25 per share. The company is now trading under the ticker symbol “AMRO” on the Nasdaq Capital Market. Amaero granted underwriters a 30-day option to buy up to an additional 705,882 shares at the IPO price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. Over the next year, the company plans to use up to $10 million of the net proceeds to buy capital equipment, and use the rest of the proceeds for general corporate purposes, like operating expenses, working capital, and R&D.

Melotte Uses amsight to Majorly Cut Weekly AM Quality Data Handling

Industrial AM specialist Melotte, working with demanding industrial markets like aerospace, defense, and semiconductors, recently implemented amsight, which connects material, machine, printing, post-processing, and inspection evidence to support quality and traceability. The company now reports that it’s been able to majorly reduce manual efforts involved in managing AM quality data: from three hours a week collecting data and importing it to Excel files, down to just 20 minutes a week. amsight has also helped Melotte speed up root-cause analysis, and strengthen the quality evidence for customers. Prior to adding amsight to its workflow, Melotte spent around four hours searching documentation and connecting information, and now, depending on the specific issue, the work can be completed in less than 30 minutes. With amsight, the company is using connected production data to more quickly identify process issues. In one example, Melotte linked CT results with build information from a dual-laser printer to isolate defects to one specific laser, and then fixed the problem.

“For us, the problem was never a lack of data, it was bringing the data together in a way we could actually use. With amsight, we now have build, CT, sensor, and maintenance information connected in one environment. That gives us a much clearer view of what is happening across the process,” said Thomas Vandenberghe, Designer at Melotte.

“Root-cause analysis used to mean going from one file to another, then back to the machine to inspect sensor data. Now we can see these relationships much more quickly. It gives us the broader process view we simply did not have before.”

New HORKOS NX70 DUO Hybrid System Powered by Meltio

Japanese machine tool manufacturer HORKOS CORP and Spanish Meltio, which develops wire laser metal deposition technology, together announced a new hybrid solution that combines both additive and subtractive manufacturing. HORKOS launched the NX70 DUO version AM, a twin-head non-bed machining center pairing high-precision cutting with Meltio’s W-LMD technology. The new system is based on HORKOS’s existing NX70 1510B machining center, and allows manufacturers to easily switch between its own precision machining and welding wire deposition from Meltio in the same system, which makes for greater manufacturing flexibility.. This will be very helpful for complex components like closed impellers, where traditional machining can be tough because of limited tool access. With HORKOS’s proprietary Non Bed Structure, the NX70 DUO version AM has a compact footprint, and its Water Soluble iMQL technology helps keep the machining environment cleaner. MadeHere, Meltio’s official partner in Japan, is supporting the integration of Meltio’s technology into the new HORKOS NX70 DUO version AM, and one has already been sold to a key industrial customer.

“Thanks to this solution, Meltio continues to strengthen its role as a trusted partner for industrial partners and customers in Japan that need to incorporate metal additive manufacturing into a hybrid system to create and repair metal parts using different materials,” said Adam Hourigan, APAC Sales Manager at Meltio. “We appreciate Horkos Corp.’s confidence in our DED technology as we continue to grow in Japan. We are excited for the possibilities this new technology opens up for our industrial customers and partners.”

Contract Manufacturer AMP Building New Prototyping Facility in Austin

U.S. contract manufacturer and engineering services provider Advanced Manufacturing Partners (AMP), focused on technology transfer and process development, just announced that it’s chosen Austin, Texas as the location where it will build its new flagship prototyping facility. It already houses a lot of advanced machinery and capabilities to offer customers. AMP offers LPBF additive manufacturing, CNC machining, finishing, heat treatment, testing, and inspection under one roof, from names like Zeiss, Solukon, EOS, and AMCM. In fact, AMP says it has the world’s first AMCM M 8K large-format metal 3D printer; the American Center for Manufacturing Innovation (ACMI) in Texas was actually the first customer for that system, but ACMI’s Founder and CEO John Burer is partnering with AMP’S Executive Director Nick Bass. AMP helps customers speed up prototype development and scalable processing in order to enable domestic manufacturing, but what sets it apart from many contract manufacturers is that it allows customers to retain and own their intellectual property (IP). This allows companies to scale their prototypes as they choose.

“AMP represents a pivotal shift in how hardware innovation gets done. By lowering the barrier to entry for world-class manufacturing and accelerating the prototype process, AMP enables companies to iterate faster, scale seamlessly, and bring groundbreaking products to market at an unprecedented pace,” said Bass.

AMP will host a grand opening and ribbon-cutting for the new facility early next year.

Evology Manufacturing Purchases Industrial EOS M 400-4 AM System

Pictured (left to right): Lee Barbiasz, Area Sales Director, EOS, Chris Keidl, VP of Operations, Evology Manufacturing, Marie Niehaus-Langer, CEO, EOS, Alex Stemper, Area Sales Manager, EOS, Sean Momsen, VP of Business Development & Marketing

Speaking of U.S. contract manufacturers, Wisconsin-based Evology Manufacturing announced its acquisition of an EOS M 400-4 industrial metal AM system to meet increased production demand. Once the company installs the printer, its EOS fleet will total 10 systems, eight of which are metal and two polymer. Evology specializes in precision machining, tooling, industrial AM, and production services, and is also the newest member of the EOS Production Partner Network. The acquisition of this large-format EOS system results from more customers putting their deadlines, projects, and confidence in Evology, so the company is investing in its own capacity to keep up the same level of responsiveness, even in the face of more orders. Evology mainly services industries like automotive, aerospace and defense, and industrial manufacturing. The EOS M 400-4, with its 400 x 400 x 400 mm build volume and four 400-watt lasers, will allow Evology to manufacturer larger metal components.

“Our space customers are driving a backlog on our existing fleet of M 290s. To live our vision of becoming the most trusted, capable, and agile contract manufacturer, we strive to start building the same day an order is placed. When lead times consistently stretch beyond two to three weeks, we add capacity,” said Chris Keidl, Vice President of Operations, Evology Manufacturing. “The EOS M 400-4 takes us beyond our M 290 platform with a larger build envelope, four lasers, and automated manufacturing. It strengthens our ability to run bigger, more complex metal jobs and reflects our commitment to investing in the technologies that help our customers succeed.”

Concretta Homes Using LUYTEN’s Large-Format Mobile 3D Construction Printer

Platypus X4 SE

The PLATYPUS X4 Special Edition by Australian additive construction (AC) enterprise LUYTEN 3D recently arrived in Long Beach. Said to be California’s largest mobile 3D construction printer, the system will be operated by Long Beach-based Concretta Homes to build residential construction and coastal infrastructure, using intelligent software, advanced robotics, and proprietary 3D printable materials. The mobile PLATYPUS X4 SE has a print envelope of up to 6 m high and 14 m wide, and is supported by extendable modular tracks, bringing the system right to the build site. LUYTEN used it to print Australia’s “first” full-scale, certified, structurally code-compliant building in 2021, and last year printed what it says was the first multi-story home in the country, incorporating integrated structural columns and printed walls. Now, the AC company’s systems are used across five continents, including the U.S. The seawalls and coastal defenses in Long Beach have been damaged by recent storms, so Concretta Homes will use the Platypus X4 SE to print fire-resistant concrete housing, as well as support construction of seawalls and other coastal protection structures.

“Here in Long Beach, the need for resilient construction is clear—from the homes we build to the structures protecting our coastline. The PLATYPUS X4 SE gives us the scale and flexibility to build fire-resistant concrete homes and tackle seawall construction, backed by LUYTEN’s experience in underwater concrete printing,” said Lawrence Johnson, Construction Manager at Concretta Homes.

International Research Team 3D Printing Nitinol Cardiovascular Medical Devices

3D printed Nitinol tapered flow-diverter stent with variable fiber density, sectional size & shape.

Most metal 3D printed medical devices are based on lattice structures, with interconnected elements arranged in repeating patterns. While not hard to design and print, bending rigid struts informs their behavior, which isn’t good for transcatheter applications—these implants have to fit within small diameters, move through blood vessels, and later recover the original shape, without performant deformation. An international team of researchers from IMDEA Materials Institute, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM), the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the University of Galway recently won the National James Dyson Award for their development of a patented 3D printing method to make personalized cardiovascular medical devices out of the superelastic metal alloy nitinol. Their method enables one-step printing of flexible braided structures that mimic blood vessels and can be compressed without failure.

As lattice structures are compressed, they become very stiff, but this braided architecture can withstand deformation, and maintain its structural integrity, by moving and reorienting interwoven filaments, like traditional braided stents. The researchers applied a combined chemical etching and electropolishing treatment to the 3D printed devices in order to get the necessary biomedical-grade surface finish. Their tests found that this post-processing step decreased fiber thickness by nearly 48%, and cross-sectional area by about 71%, in comparison to the as-printed structures. So the braided stents could withstand compressions up to 50% of their original diameter, while still keeping over 90% elastic recovery. Plus, using these could majorly reduce the risk of vascular injury and thrombosis, because their chronic outward force (COF) was much lower than seen in conventional 3D printed lattice structures. Next steps for the research team are in vitro biocompatibility and animal studies; if those are successful, they can move on to clinical investigations in human patients.

It’s also becoming more relevant as a hub for defense production, with defense investment in Indiana growing by well over $2 billion since 2020. A big factor in that growth trajectory is the presence of Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane in the state’s southwestern region, near to Indiana University – Bloomington, as well as to the WestGate@Crane Technology Park and the American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation (ACMI). San Diego-based defense contractor Kratos Defense has major operations at both of the latter two sites, and WestGate is the intended destination for the new AMCM M 8K that the company just bought.

Notably, ACMI was the first to acquire an AMCM M 8K machine, which the organization purchased specifically for applications like rocket chambers and fuel tanks. Kratos Defense plans to use its M 8K for hypersonic applications, so presumably this is an example of ACMI’s strategy — enabling its tenants to speed up their uptake of new manufacturing processes relevant to the US military — working as intended.

In any case, it’s an example of what makes the current centerpiece of Kratos’s growth strategy work: defense rocket systems is one of the company’s fastest-growing segments, delivering 46 percent and 50 percent growth YOY, respectively, in Q1 and Q2 of 2026. The company’s ability to grow its rockets business for defense is driven by its experience with enabling technologies, including AM, that allow Kratos to respond with agility to shifts in demand.

AMCM, an EOS brand, is well-poised to capture precisely that market, as the deal demonstrates. The company is something of an ace-in-the-hole for EOS’s ability to maintain its lead in high-value defense applications. EOS’s ability to draw upon AMCM’s know-how no doubt helped the launch of the M4 ONYX, which has been a huge success, and Ursa Major is a major customer for both brands. AMCM recently announced that it is expanding its production capacity in Germany, and the ability to make more M 8K units is one of the advantages of that added capacity.

The proximity of Kratos’s operations to NSWC Crane suggests that both the company and the US Navy could integrate the M 8K into distributed manufacturing workflows, which the Navy is opening up more opportunities for, as indicated by its announcement of Project Peculiar Document back in August. The M 8K would seem to be particularly well-suited to any such effort, given the high barrier-to-entry for such a powerful machine.

Kratos should also benefit insofar as it can use the system to produce components for both the defense and space markets, which overlap extensively in its operations. Earlier this year, Kratos received a US Space Force contract worth up to $446 million to develop ground system architecture for missile defense satellites, and just received a $33.6 million NASA contract “to design, build, and deliver the power conversion system for NASA’s Space Reactor-1 Freedom,” billed as “the first nuclear fission reactor-powered interplanetary spacecraft.” It would almost certainly never make sense to purchase an 8-laser machine for prototyping, but if you already own one for rocket production and you have hundreds of millions of dollars of contracts where unusually sophisticated prototyping is required, that potentially changes the economics.

Images courtesy of EOS

This move is an interesting one because Aurora has spent years developing its own metal 3D printers and manufacturing technology. Now it is using that know-how to make engines for drones and other uncrewed aircraft, with plans to move from small production runs to higher volumes. The new funding will help make that possible, although the company is still in the early stages commercially.

Aurora secured commitments for the A$6 million placement by issuing roughly 109.1 million new shares at A$0.055 each ($0.039), a 6.77% discount to its last trading price of A$0.059 ($0.041) on October 23. The company requested a trading halt on October 26 ahead of the announcement.

According to the company, the financing will take place in two stages. The first, worth roughly A$4.6 million ($3.2 million), is scheduled to settle in early November. The remaining A$1.4 million ($1 million) requires shareholder approval, with a meeting planned for January 2027. The placement includes a A$550.000 ($386.762) commitment from chairman David Trimboli.

Another investor is Walkinshaw Group Holdings, part of an Australian manufacturing group known for its automotive engineering, vehicle development and production capabilities. Aurora describes Walkinshaw’s participation as strategic, with the investment opening discussions about possible manufacturing support as Aurora increases production. What’s more, there may also be opportunities for Aurora to provide metal additive manufacturing services to Walkinshaw.

Aurora plans to use the proceeds to expand its turbojet production lines, purchase industrial metal 3D printing equipment, prepare manufacturing documentation and systems, and add personnel needed for larger production volumes. Funding will also support business development, intellectual property protection, aerospace quality compliance and working capital.

AU4 micro gas turbine propulsion systems. Image courtesy of Aurora Labs.

From Building Printers to Manufacturing Engines

The most interesting part of Aurora’s strategy may be how it plans to use 3D printing. Historically, the company developed proprietary metal additive manufacturing equipment, including laser powder bed fusion technology. But in June 2026, Aurora announced plans to use its own 3D printers for research and development, while relying on industrial 3D printers from other manufacturers to produce parts at scale.

So instead of building additional proprietary printers every time it wants to increase engine production, Aurora can invest in established equipment supported by outside manufacturers. Its own technology remains important for developing new components and refining manufacturing processes, while production can expand using machines already available on the market.

The company had already received a A$1 million Australian government defense manufacturing grant in June, which it agreed to match with its own funds. That A$2 million investment was intended to help purchase and commission a large-format industrial metal 3D printer at its Canning Vale facility in Western Australia.

At the center of this manufacturing strategy is Aurora’s AU4 turbojet, a compact engine designed for uncrewed aircraft and defense applications. It produces up to 400 newtons of thrust, roughly equivalent to 40 kilograms of force, and weighs some 3.9 kilograms including its fuel pump, according to Aurora.

The AU4 works like other turbojet engines. It takes in air, compresses it, mixes it with fuel, and burns the mixture to create thrust. Its small size makes it suitable for drones and other aircraft that need jet power without a large, heavy engine.

3D printing plays an important role in how Aurora makes the AU4. It allows the company to combine several parts into a single component, reducing the number of pieces that need to be manufactured and assembled.

Aurora Labs’ AU4 turbojet. Image courtesy of Aurora Labs.

In March 2025, Aurora reported removing 40 parts from the engine’s design. By redesigning the engine casing to include the exhaust nozzle, engine mounts, and gas seal, it eliminated 23 parts. Changes to the combustion chamber, where fuel burns to generate heat, removed another 17. Aurora also reported a 6% reduction in fuel consumption compared with a conventional engine design, partly because it improved the engine’s internal structure and heat management.

Not every part of the AU4 is 3D printed. Aurora also uses traditional manufacturing methods, including machining, along with components from outside suppliers.

The next challenge is producing these engines in larger numbers while keeping quality consistent and costs under control.

Early Orders

Aurora has begun turning its propulsion technology into commercial orders. On October 22, the company announced its first US engine sale, which included three AU4 turbojets and associated integration services for US$42,000. The customer, an unnamed US aerospace and defense company, plans to use the engines in an experimental aircraft program.

According to the company, “The customer chose Aurora because they see an advantage in our approach to additively manufactured turbines. We’ll supply the engines and support their integration into the platform. The program will also test our propulsion technology against demanding performance objectives, which feeds directly into our future defence use cases.”

Furthermore, CEO Andrew Garth noted that “Our first US engine sale is a practical step in expanding Aurora’s international customer base. Our immediate focus is on delivering the engines and supporting their integration, while developing opportunities for further commercial sales.”

Andrew Garth and the team from Aurora Labs at Land Forces International Land Defence Exposition displaying the AU4 3D printed micro gas turbine propulsion system. Image courtesy of Aurora Labs via LinkedIn.

Aurora also received an A$250,000 ($175.801) order for 20 AU4 propulsion systems from Australia’s Sovereign Propulsion Systems in December 2025. By June 2026, it had announced progress on deliveries under that order. In May, Aurora signed a teaming agreement with European defense company MBDA, adding another potential route into defense propulsion programs.

In August 2026, Aurora also earned AS9100D aerospace quality certification, which shows that its quality management systems meet industry standards for aerospace and defense manufacturing. This is important when supplying parts and engines to customers with strict quality requirements.

Aurora’s latest annual results, published in August, show that the company still has a long way to go. For the year ended June 30, 2026, it reported revenue of A$564.218 ($396.760) and a net loss of A$5.1 million ($3.6 million) for the financial year ended June 30, 2026. And since it ended the year with A$2 million ($1.4 million) in cash, the new funding is important for both expansion and daily operations.

These numbers become even more impressive when you consider them in context. First off, Protolabs set a new record for quarterly revenue in Q3 — $154.3 million — growing 14 percent YOY. While this might initially lead you to view the 3D printing growth as simply a knock-on effect of the company’s overall growth, it actually bucks a trend that had emerged over the last year. In Q2 2025 and the first two quarters of 2026, Protolabs also set a new revenue record each time, but in all those cases, the 3D printing division was either flat or slightly shrank.

Additionally, while 3D printing still technically saw the weakest growth amongst the company’s three main service lines, the other two being CNC machining and injection molding, the 3D printing division didn’t lag injection molding by much. That’s a big shift from Q3 2025, when, as mentioned, 3D printing revenue fell 6 percent while injection molding grew 2 percent, and an even bigger shift from Q2 of this year, when injection molding grew over 13 percent while 3D printing was flat.

One key takeaway is that while metal AM was the big driver for the company’s 3D printing growth, matching the strong performance that the company has seen in metals in recent quarters (even against a backdrop of weaker overall 3D printing performance), revenue from HP’s Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) line in Protolabs’ US factory business has also grown over 40 percent YTD. On the earnings call, the company’s President and CEO, Suresh Krishna, said they’re investing in more MJF capacity in response to heightened demand, implying Protolabs is optimistic about MJF’s potential to serve as a growth catalyst beyond 2026.

Finally, while this number isn’t directly related to 3D printing, it’s impressive nonetheless: Protolabs’ revenue per customer grew 17 percent YOY, which handily outpaced overall revenue growth. So Protolabs served fewer customer contacts than a year earlier, but revenue per contact increased by nearly 17 percent, and the ability to attract high-value customers was probably the main theme of the earnings call:

“Proto Labs is at the center of a major shift taking place in manufacturing, driven by four powerful macro trends,” Krishna noted. “First, reindustrialization: companies are bringing manufacturing closer to their customers and building more resilient regional and sovereign supply chains. Second, a wave of hardware innovation moving at the speed of software investment is accelerating across critical and emerging industries like space, drones, robotics, data centers, and other highly engineered hardware that ultimately needs to be designed, tested, and manufactured from prototype to production at faster speeds than ever before.

“Third, physical AI: AI is moving beyond software and into the physical world, driving a new generation of robotics, autonomous systems, intelligent machines, and other advanced products that require manufacturing to leverage physical AI. And fourth, supply chain agility and scalability: as innovation accelerates, companies need manufacturing partners that can invest and scale with them without the manpower and capital constraints of traditional supply chains.”

I quoted the CEO at length there because — while we don’t have a granular breakdown of how much revenue per customer grew in the 3D printing division, specifically — everything he said emphasizes how closely the company’s 3D printing capabilities align with its growth strategy. Take robotics, for instance, which, as the company recently announced, is becoming an increasing focal point for Protolabs and a key source of revenue growth. As I mentioned in my earlier post about that announcement, the company pointed to its diversity of 3D printing materials as a contributing factor in its success with robotics customers.

Protolabs headquarters. Image courtesy of Protolabs.

Meanwhile, the references to “reindustrialization,” “supply chain agility,” and “hardware innovation moving at the speed of software investment” are all obviously highly relevant to 3D printing. Along these lines, Krishna made another comment, in response to an analyst question about the per-customer revenue growth that’s worth highlighting:

“We are focused on a handful of industries that are high value for us, and those sales teams are building deep customer relationships and listening and turning it around to provide innovation that is specific to these customers. In the past, we may have innovated for the general customer base, which for us is tens of thousands of customers, to now being very focused on the customers where we see high value.”

Again, this is precisely the context in which 3D printing thrives. If Protolabs continues along this path, its 3D printing division could become a more consistent contributor to the company’s overall growth.

One other thing is noteworthy about Q3, which is the research grant that Protolabs announced back in August, in a new partnership with MIT and its new Industrial Performance Center (IPC). The goal of the grant is to develop a “manufacturing innovation index,” relevant to both the IPC and the university’s Initiative for New Manufacturing, which I wrote about last year. This is the kind of move forward-thinking companies make, and it’s exactly the sort of innovation partnership the US economy needs right now. It may not show up directly on a balance sheet, but it indicates a company on a path of sustainable long-term growth.

This week, the AMCRC hosted its 2026 Additive Manufacturing Forum. There were around 200 people in attendance, and the audience was at times rapt, and at least always interested. The venue was the National Wine Centre in Adelaide. This was a very practical venue with a lovely entrance and beautiful main hall used for presentations. There was a lot of mingling, mixing, and conversations as well. Simon opened the event by looking back at the first year of the AMCRC. Since its founding, the organization has worked hard to find 70 partners in industry and 12 universities. It has funded its first projects and is working on things like wear-resistant coatings, anatomical replicas of teeth, and local titanium powder production. For the anatomical replicas, Fusetec 3D is working with Adelaide University to turn CT scans into realistic 3D printed dental models to let dentists train for better molar removal. The company already uses Stratasys J750 systems to make enhanced surgical models for training.

The keynote was done by yours truly, and I must say it was fantastic. Fantastic to present, I mean, since the audience was very appreciative. I spoke about the DeHavilland Mosquito, building Prusa Research 3D printers in Australia, manufacturing resilience, networks of manufacturing nodes, Finnish Motti ambush tactics, and suppressors. Next, I led a panel with Dr Laura Brooks of Australia’s submarine builder ASC; Adelaide University’s Professor Mark Hutchinson; Professor Roy Green of ARM Hub and UTS; and Mel Slater, Director Maritime of Defense SA, Southern Australia’s defense promotion agency. The conversation was about building capacity in Australia for additive. The panelists were in agreement that the country does research very well, but it needs to commercialize more. There was a need for clearer demand signals from government to industry, especially smaller firms. The country also needs to do more to build up industrial capacity in the form of things like making powder.

Dr Daniel East

Next was a presentation of Australia Makes, a map of Australia’s capabilities in AM. Simon Bartlett, EVOK3D, guided everyone through presentations and a panel about what the country’s capabilities actually are. Adelaide University’s Professor Shruti Sardeshmukh spoke first about sustainability She made a very good point when she said that we need to move away from old claims of additive’s supposed environmental friendliness. Rather than saying that additive is somehow intrinsically sustainable without evidence, with claims like “AM uses less material,” we need to say, “here is the lifecycle evidence.” That’s an important point to make: we have to deliver on real world value now, rather than repeat empty claims.

RMIT’s Professor Milan Brandt was next, and pointed out that it’s the “pathway not the printer.” For him, that’s knowing if a part can be inspected, cleaned, qualified, repeated, and if someone will buy. it He also spoke of chances for Australia in 3D printing feedstock production. Then Dr Daniel East talked about the differences between qualification and certification, often confabulated. Professor Andrew Ang spoke about the valley of death. For him, testing, qualification, and supply chain is where Australian AM projects go to die.

Professor Andrew Ang

It was a very nice show, and very well-organized. Preceding it, there was a drinks event, and a day-long DfAM training by Materialise and Fraunhofer IAPT. Later, there were different workshops on Defense, Healthcare, and Aerospace. All in all, the mood seems upbeat. People are enthusiastic about what additive can bring to Australia, and what Australia can do in additive. That’s one thing, but there was also a lot of realism in the room. Australia needs to improve some things, but doesn’t have unlimited money, so it must make choices. I walk away enthused and upbeat about Australia’s chances in deploying additive more widely. The country seems aware of the opportunities and pitfalls of additive and determined to grow the industry there.