Chinese scientists have completed the country’s first space-based laser wire-fed metal AM experiment under microgravity conditions, conducting the work during a suborbital flight and achieving a breakthrough. Image courtesy of CAS Space.

Aboard the uncrewed Qingzhou spacecraft, the team used a laser-based system that melts metal wire and deposits it layer by layer in microgravity. Researchers said the equipment operated autonomously, using commands sent from Earth, and was able to start and stop remotely multiple times during the test.

First metal part 3D printed in space. Image courtesy of ESA/Jeanette Epps.

This is not the first time metal 3D printing has been demonstrated in space. In 2024, the European Space Agency (ESA) installed the first metal 3D printer aboard the International Space Station (ISS), successfully producing the first metal part ever made in space. But China’s latest experiment shows that the country is now developing its own in-space manufacturing capabilities as interest grows in producing tools, spare parts, and structures directly in orbit and, eventually, on the Moon.

Metal printing in space is far more difficult than plastic printing because molten metal behaves differently in microgravity. On Earth, gravity helps control how molten metal flows and settles during printing. In space, there is almost no gravity, so the liquid metal can float, form unstable droplets, or cool unevenly. That makes it much harder to control the shape and quality of the printed part.

Chinese researchers said they had to solve several problems before the system could work well in orbit. One was controlling how molten metal droplets move in microgravity. Another was keeping the melt pool stable enough to print evenly layer by layer.

The system also had to survive launch vibrations, operate safely inside a spacecraft, and work autonomously, following commands sent from Earth. Since astronauts were not onboard, the printer needed to manage the process largely on its own once activated.

The development is important for China because future space missions may not be able to carry every single tool or spare part from Earth. Instead, astronauts could eventually make parts in space as they need them, including tools, replacement components, and maybe even parts of future habitats during long missions.

Chinese scientists have made a breakthrough in lunar science by analyzing samples returned by the Chang’e-6 mission, providing a crucial scientific basis for lunar research, according to the China National Space Administration. Image courtesy of China National Space Administration.

China has been expanding its work in space-based 3D printing over the last few years as part of its lunar ambitions. Through its Chang’e program, the country has already landed robotic missions on the Moon and returned lunar samples to Earth. Plans include building a long-term lunar research base and eventually sending astronauts to the Moon around 2030.

One of the best examples is the planned Chang’e 8 mission, expected later this decade, which aims to test technologies for building structures on the Moon using lunar soil. Chinese researchers and universities have also been experimenting with lunar regolith printing systems, robotic construction concepts, and brick-making technologies designed for harsh lunar environments. Some concepts involve autonomous robots assembling printed blocks into dome-shaped habitats for future lunar missions that could eventually help with long-term human presence on the Moon.

The work is part of China’s push to expand its space program, including the Tiangong space station and future lunar bases. Under the country’s Tiangong Kaiwu roadmap — unveiled in 2023 by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) — manufacturing and resource extraction are expected to play a major role in future space operations. In fact, researchers have described this latest suborbital metal 3D printing test as a key step away from laboratory work toward real manufacturing experiments in space.

• Coverage window: April 27 to May 10, 2026. Roughly 30 additive manufacturing (AM)-relevant announcements were tracked across eight Asia-Pacific countries.
• Largest disclosures: Farsoon Technologies (688433.SH) filing a RMB 3.91 billion (~$540 million) private placement plan; Creality cleared its HKEX hearing ahead of a planned May main-board listing; AML3D‘s portable ARCEMY DED system is now operational at the US Navy’s AM Center of Excellence, and India-based Ethereal Machines raised $28.5M in a Series B round led by Avataar Venture Partners.
• New strategic investors on Chinese AM cap tables in the window: Meituan (via DragonBall Capital, Elegoo lead) and Huawei (via Hubble Investment, Moxin Technology). Meituan affiliates also invested in Smart派 (Intelligent Pai).

A 2.8-meter casing printed by EP-M3050. Image courtesy of Eplus3D.

Funding and Investment

Farsoon Technologies (688433.SH) filed plans on April 28 for a private placement of up to RMB 3.91 billion (~$540 million). Stated uses include expanding AM equipment capacity, establishing an R&D headquarters and an industrialization application center, and establishing an AM technology innovation institute in Shanghai. The filing was disclosed alongside 2025 results: RMB 715 million revenue (+45% YoY), RMB 69 million net profit, and 1,400+ cumulative system shipments (more than 800 metal LPBF units). On April 22, Farsoon appointed Emlogic as the exclusive distributor for Australia and New Zealand.

Creality 3D cleared its hearing at the Hong Kong Stock Exchange the week of May 8. The PIPE launched on May 12. CICC is the sole sponsor. Per the March 2026 prospectus, revenue grew from RMB 1.35 billion in 2022 to RMB 3.13 billion in 2025 (32.4% CAGR). The same prospectus discloses that Bambu Lab captured 29% of annual consumer FDM shipments in 2024, against Creality’s 16.9%.

Ethereal Machines (Bengaluru) closed a $28.5 million Series B on April 25. Avataar Venture Partners led with Rs 199.55 crore (~$21.5M). Existing investors Peak XV Partners and Novellus Systems participated. Post-round shareholdings: Avataar ~13.7%, Peak XV ~16.4%. The round is priced at a 4x premium to the 2024 Series A.

Additional Chinese rounds in the window:

• Elegoo: ~$70 million Series B+ (RMB 500 million+) led by Meituan’s DragonBall Capital, six months after a DJI-backed Series B.
• Makera (造物时代): hundreds of millions RMB Series A for the Z1 desktop CNC, after a $10.25 million Kickstarter.
• StellarStack (叠序宇宙科技): tens of millions of RMB in an angel round for industrial SLM.
• Shenzhen Guangyi Precision: angel round from Qichuang VC and Leaguer Capital. Founded in November 2025; no shipped product yet.
• Moxin Technology (魔芯科技), an AI-software-for-AM developer: capital increase with Huawei’s Hubble Investment as a new shareholder.
• Smart派 (Intelligent Pai): capital from Meituan affiliates; registered capital lifted to RMB 7.31 million.

Meituan (via DragonBall Capital and affiliates), DJI (in an earlier round into Elegoo), and Huawei (via Hubble Investment) have all appeared on Chinese AM cap tables in the past 12 months.

Hardware and Materials

Eplus3D introduced the EP-M3050, an LPBF system with a 3.05 m build height and up to 256 lasers, for large-format aerospace and energy parts. Eplus3D also disclosed that its EP-M300 fleet has produced 100,000 tire-mold sipes for Hankook Precision Works across two systems.

At RAPID + TCT 2026, UnionTech (联泰科技) launched the MUEES430 PRO, a 430 x 340 x 330 mm quad-500W-laser SLM platform, and entered the North American market. Japan’s DMG Mori demonstrated the LASERTEC DED hybrid 6-in-1 process at the same show.

UnionTech MUES 430 PRO printer at RAPID + TCT. Image courtesy of Sarah Saunders/3DPrint.com.

Materials and platform announcements:

• Hasen-Vite (哈森唯特): TPR titanium powder produced via plasma atomization of scrap, with a stated cost target of parity with stainless steel for AM and MIM. Qualification data not disclosed.
• Addireen: launched Addireen Now, an instant-quote platform for industrial copper LPBF parts via Green Laser PBF, for thermal management and defense buyers.
• Guangsu Yigou: opened a serial-production elastomer 3D printing line.

Addireen’s green-laser AM technology. Image courtesy of Addireen.

Aerospace and Defense

AML3D delivered its first containerized portable ARCEMY DED system to the US Navy AM Center of Excellence in Danville, Virginia. The system is operational and is the third AML3D system at the facility (two larger ARCEMY-X units already serve Austal USA). The containerized form factor reduces relocation servicing from 2-3 weeks to 1-2 days. Order value: AU$1.2 million. AML3D separately disclosed a $29 million US defense order book and a capacity-expansion plan.

VF Space (Korea) confirmed that a kill-switch component printed with its Gaia 1 Wire Laser Additive Manufacturing (WLAM) system will fly on a KAIST CubeSat aboard the fifth Nuri (KSLV-II) launch, scheduled for August 2026. The launch has not yet occurred. Earlier coverage that described this as a “successful flight test of a rocket engine” was incorrect on both scope (a CubeSat component, not an engine) and timing (a planned launch, not a completed one).

Korean partnerships and government activity in the window:

• Innospace, Oqton, and the Korea 3D Printing Convergence Industry Association: tripartite MOU for AI-driven metal AM in launch vehicles.
• Seoul National University, the US Office of Naval Research, and HD Hyundai: joint research program on next-generation ship technologies. Metal AM is cited among qualifying processes for naval-grade hull components.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences conducted an in-orbit demonstration of metal 3D printing on the Qingzhou test spacecraft using laser-wire DED.

India context (not strictly AM but in the same window): Sigma Advanced Systems signed a £300 million, 7-year agreement with Rolls-Royce for aerospace components. Sigma operates metal AM hardware through its UK Nasmyth subsidiary.

Medical

Rokit Healthcare cartilage regeneration bioprinting clinical trial: 100+ patients across 13 hospitals. Image courtesy of Rokit Healthcare.

Rokit Healthcare (Seoul) launched a multi-center clinical trial for its AI-powered bioprinting platform for cartilage regeneration. The trial enrolls 100+ patients across 13 hospitals.

South Korea’s Ministry of Health (via NECA) recognized 3D printed titanium mesh-guided bone regeneration as a New Medical Technology, opening the reimbursement pathway for patient-specific metal cranio-maxillofacial implants.

China’s Ak Medical (爱康医疗): 2025 revenue RMB 1.482 billion (+10.1% YoY), net profit +23.8%. Growth attributed to overseas expansion and surgical-robot integration.

Construction

Singapore’s first 3D-printed concrete pedestrian bridge, measuring 10 m x 5 m, is under construction in Jurong West and is targeted for completion in 2028. Image courtesy of Witteveen+Bos.

Singapore’s Land Transport Authority, NTU’s Center for 3D Printing, engineering consultancy Witteveen+Bos, and CES Innovfab will build Singapore’s first 3D-printed concrete pedestrian bridge: 10 m long and 5 m wide, located in Jurong West, targeted for completion in 2028. Project R&D started in January 2023 at a cost of ~$1.4 million. The team cites a 50% reduction in workforce and a four-hour-per-segment production time for bridge segments.

China’s Guanli Technology 3D printed a 432 m² villa in Dubai using a 24 m gantry printer.

Partnerships

• BLT and Siemens: digital-factory cooperation formalized at TCT Asia 2026.
• Bambu Lab and HuiNa Technology: RMB 22.3M order for 15,000 FDM printers, for what HuiNa describes as China’s first ultra-large 3D printing factory.
• Eplus3D, Rosswag, and qualloy: MOU for an eight-laser EP-M550 installation in Europe.
• Azad Engineering and Baker Hughes: A 7,600 m² lean manufacturing facility opened in Hyderabad for Baker Hughes precision components.

What to Watch

Three open questions for the next six weeks.

1. Creality listing date and first-day price. The prospectus shows Bambu Lab at 29% of 2024 consumer FDM shipments, versus Creality at 16.9%. First-day pricing will set the tone for how public-market investors assess that share trajectory.
2. Farsoon placement timeline. The RMB 3.91 billion placement is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval. The breakdown of equipment capacity, R&D, and the AM service platform component has not been provided in detail.
3. India follow-through. Three Indian announcements landed in the same week (Ethereal Machines’ $28.5 million Series B, Sigma’s £300 million Rolls-Royce contract, and Azad-Baker Hughes’ facility opening). Whether they convert to recurring orders or remain isolated events is the open question.

Prepared by AMPulse | www.ampulse.online

The 10th annual AMS conference (or AMS X) will return February 23-25, 2027, bringing together more than 100 executives, investors, analysts, startup founders, manufacturers, and industry stakeholders at a moment when the AM industry is trying to figure out what its next phase actually looks like.

Organized by Additive Manufacturing Research and 3DPrint.com, AMS has evolved into an event centered on business, investment, and manufacturing economics. And that feels especially important heading into 2027.

Over the last year, the industry has continued moving toward production-focused applications, particularly in aerospace, defense, healthcare, dental, electronics, and energy. Many companies spent 2026 focused on profitability, operational efficiency, supply chain resilience, qualification, and how to scale additive manufacturing. AMS 2026 reflected that, with discussions focused on consolidation across the sector, AI, defense, and the growing role of AM in industrial production.

One of the most discussed moments at AMS 2026 came from Stratays CEO Yoav Zeif, whose keynote focused on where AM is actually finding real traction. Zeif described an industry moving into “a more mature phase,” with desktop systems expanding adoption on one end and industrial applications opening new opportunities on the other. Now, Stratasys is returning as AMS X’s lead Diamond Sponsor, with Zeif once again scheduled to deliver the conference opening keynote.

Another major returning player is EOS, which is expanding its role at the conference compared to last year, moving from a Gold Sponsor at AMS 2026 to a Sapphire Sponsor for the 2027 event. The company will also deliver a keynote presentation. Meanwhile, HP returns as a Sapphire Sponsor after holding the same sponsorship tier last year.

Alongside Stratasys and EOS, current sponsors include Cantor Fitzgerald, The Barnes Global Advisors, AM Ventures, Lincoln Electric, MADDE, nPower Technologies, Continuum Powders, Advanced Printed Electronic Solutions, and American Elements, among others.

Stratasys CEO at AMS 2026. Image courtesy of 3DPrint.com.

AMS says the 2027 edition will maintain the networking environment the conference is known for, while continuing to grow its executive-level speaker roster. What’s more, the early speaker list already points to a wide mix of topics, including aerospace, defense, construction, software, investment, materials, industrial production, and so much more.

Several early speaker names have already been announced, including Marie Langer, Max Lobovsky, Bill Haddad, Filip Geerts, Chaw Sing Ho, Bryan Dow, Johannes Gartner, and Brigitte de Vet-Veithen. The growing speaker lineup also includes names like Josef Prusa, Karsten Heuser, and Arno Held, alongside representatives from companies and organizations including Northrop Grumman, General Atomics, Collins Aerospace, Formlabs, and Ursa Major.

The conference is also leaning heavily into the investment side of additive manufacturing. Workshops and discussions are expected to cover fundraising, mergers and acquisitions, startup growth, and how investors are looking at AM companies in a market that has become much more cautious over the past two years.

The conference arrives at a time when parts of the additive manufacturing industry are moving in very different directions. Some companies are finding new opportunities in industrial production, defense, automation, and digital manufacturing, while others keep facing pressure from slower hardware sales and a tougher investment environment. Consolidation continued throughout 2026, and investors became more selective about where capital was flowing. At the same time, we have seen a growing interest in regional manufacturing and supply chain resilience, which has continued to create new openings for AM companies with proven industrial applications.

The current registration window will be open through June 25, 2026, before prices increase later this year. At the moment, conference passes start at $999, while onsite registration is expected to reach $2,199, making the current pricing window one of the lowest available before the event.

With the full program still to come, AMS X is already shaping up to be one of the additive manufacturing industry’s biggest business gatherings of 2027.

More information about registration, sponsorship opportunities, speakers, and the upcoming conference program can be found on the Additive Manufacturing Strategies website.

Other FGF printers are large industrial units costing upwards of $50,000. Previously, people have also tried to bring FGF to a wider audience, but have not done so well because of its complexity and expense. Peopoly is now trying with a $15,000 machine. Perhaps this is the perfect price point, letting them make a good machine that is accessible to more people. $15,000 is still a lot of money for home users, but for industrial firms, a well working pellet machine at this price point could be very tempting.

The system has a screw extruder with two heat zones, and the company says it will be able to print 3 kilos per hour. It has a servo-driven CoreXY architecture built on Klipper and OrcaSlicer that uses linear rails and ball screws. Using Klipper´s Pressura Advance and mechanical retraction, the company says that it has reduced the poor surface quality associated with FGF. Pellets are put into a hopper, which feeds them into the extruder. The company says that the heated bed has been optimized to enable easy part release, a big issue for ABS and other materials in large parts.

The hefty 320 kilo printer will come with 0.4mm to 5mm nozzles. It will have a 400°C nozzle temperature and a heated bed that can get to 120°C. The chamber has no active heating, but the company says that it is well insulated and so should keep to around 60°C. This is a bit of a worry for me, as it would be hard to measure and engineer chamber temperature precisely, which can be an issue when wanting to print reliably.

Generally, the new Giga 800 could perhaps make PA GF parts or maybe polycarbonate, which would both be interesting choices for some user. But many will probably stick to PLA or PETG. The company has tested the printer with ABS, ABS-CF, ABS-GF, ASA, ASA-CF, ASA-GF, PPA-CF, PPA-GF, PA-CF, PET-CF, TPU 60A – 95A, TPU-GF, PEBA, and PET-GF so far. Especially for building volume-filling prints, the glass-filled and other reinforced materials will make a lot of sense and reduce warp. More people really need to look into ASA; I love the material for durable outdoor parts, and it prints much better than ABS. I’m curious about the TPUs and other elastomers, and how well they would do in bigger sizes on this machine.

The new price point and big size could be tempting for people making sizable fixtures or things like outdoor advertising. Also, MRO people working in spare parts for defense, boats, and the like could really use this machine. But, I fear that this will struggle to find a market. It’s far too expensive for makers, and local shops will struggle to afford the printer. For industrial firms and users, the price tag isn’t the problem, but they may not be able to justify paying $15,000 for “a Chinese machine.” Aerospace and defense are logical customers, but they also would be wary of that. If people trust this machine and it has a group of staunch fans and users, then it could really do well. A lot of people are looking for something that can 3D print a lot of stuff cheaply and effectively. With far cheaper parts, the Giga 800 could really win over a lot of guys on the shop floor as well as in accounting. But, getting those first customers will be a challenge. Peopoly is launching what a lot of people want, but will it be able to gain their trust? If so, then it will be successful with a machine that could be a great concrete floor workhorse. But, if this trust doesn’t get built, then it will be hard for the firm.

At $1,200, a lot of people bought an Elegoo OrangeStorm Giga for the fun of it, but $15,000 is used car money. Also, you have to arrange for your own LCL shipping and freight forwarding, which doesn’t seem like a fun thing to do and may put people off. There could also be questions on how to provide support for this as well. So, I do hope that this will work, but fear that its success may be slow in coming.

Images courtesy of Peopoly

America Makes & NCDMM Announce Two New Project Calls Worth Over $25 Million

Recently, America Makes and the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) announced two new Project Calls, worth a combined total of $25.6 million. The first, Maturation Initiative for Additive Metals Interchangeability (MIAMI), is funded through the Office of the Under Secretary of War, Acquisition and Sustainment, Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program. Worth $12.4 million, MIAMI plans to validate that it’s possible to replace traditional alloys with metallic AM materials in weapon system components for the DoW. Teams will choose candidate parts, define their performance requirements, and generate validated data that demonstrates the ability of the material to meet, or even exceed, critical properties of the legacy alloy. There will be three awards given, and participants should focus on reducing redundant material testing, speed up qualification, and enable broad, cross-platform use of metallic AM materials.

The second Project Call is the $13.2 million INtegrated System for In-situ Testing & Evaluation (INSITE), with one award anticipated. Funded through the IBAS Program and the Office of the Under Secretary of War, Manufacturing Technology Office (OSW ManTech), the objective of INSITE is to set up an integrated quality assurance system for AM that combines in-situ monitoring and post-build inspection, using a nondestructive evaluation (NDE) approach. This should advance DoW priorities for reliable AM qualification, strengthen defect detection, and deliver production-ready capabilities that can help improve competitiveness, efficiency, and readiness across the U.S. supply base. The goal of the resulting combined approach is to improve inspection of some of the more challenging 3D printed parts, like dense materials, complex geometries, and large components, and unifying in-situ monitoring and post-build inspection within a certifiable framework.

Axtra3D Announces Strategic Reseller Agreement with Dynamism

In order to strengthen its U.S. go-to-market strategy, Axtra3D announced a new strategic reseller agreement with Dynamism to expand access for its Hybrid PhotoSynthesis (HPS) technology, Axtra.Workflow software platform, and Lumia X1 3D printer. Well-known for its selective portfolio and independent testing methods, Dynamism is focused on “rigorously validated, high-performance” AM systems. These qualities make it a great partner for Axtra3D, which emphasizes repeatability and production readiness in manufacturing. By adding Axtra3D to its portfolio, Dynamism can expand its photopolymer offerings, which will help it meet increased demand from manufacturers and service bureaus with industrial-scale workflows. In turn, Axtra3D will grow its North America channel strategy, hopefully speeding up the adoption of its high-speed technology across regional industries that need repeatable end-use parts production.

“Dynamism has a long-standing reputation in North America for curating and validating advanced manufacturing technologies that meet real production requirements. This partnership strengthens our ability to reach customers who require both trusted guidance and high-performance solutions. Together, we are focused on accelerating the adoption of HPS-based production workflows across key North American tooling, aerospace, automotive, healthcare, and industrial manufacturing applications,” said Rajeev Kulkarni, CSO at Axtra3D.

Ultra-Thin Optical Film Improves Quality of Light in LCD Resin 3D Printing

Researchers designed and fabricated a double-sided structure collimation film (DSSCF) with better collimation characteristics thanks to additional trapezoidal microstructures that prevent the large-angle leakage light seen with single-sided structure collimation film (SSSCF). The DSSCF also improves the light intensity uniformity when combined with a diffuser module. Credit: Ding-Zheng Lin, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology.

Industries like medical, jewelry, and engineering require high accuracy when it comes to printed parts, but that’s not cheap. Resin 3D printing, or vat photopolymerization, projects patterns onto liquid photosensitive resin with short-wavelength light to achieve smooth, detailed parts. Systems that use LCD backlights can be cheaper, but they aren’t always as accurate. A pair of researchers from the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology have figured out a way to improve the quality of light used in these less costly LCD resin 3D printers. They developed an ultra-thin optical film that helps make sure tiny details are precisely reproduced, which could allow users to print medical-grade products for less money. As they explain in their research paper, the team used their double-sided structure collimation film to develop a prototype LCD backlight system for resin 3D printing. This thin film makes the light that the prototype system emits collimated, which means the rays travel in parallel lines and improve light uniformity, so the intensity is spread out evenly.

“LCD-based liquid 3D printing suffers from surface roughness or dimensional inaccuracies due to improper light angular distribution from the backlight systems used. Our goal was to fix these problems without increasing equipment size, thereby elevating print performance to professional grade,” explained research team leader Ding-Zheng Lin.

“This technology could make it possible to use inexpensive 3D printing systems to create dental models, jewelry designs and engineering prototypes with precise dimensions and glossy finish.”

PhD Candidate Improving Reconstructive Surgery with 3D Printed Metals

Ph.D. candidate Valeria Marin Montealegre has been working on new options in 3D printed bio-metals for facial bone implants. Image: Scott Hamilton/RIT

While simultaneously taking graduate classes in product development at the Universidad Autónoma de Occident and working at her implantable device company HumanBX, Valeria Marin Montealegre watched surgeons perform reconstructive surgeries with the 3D printed prosthetics she’d designed. She was interested in learning more about the technology, and enrolled in the Global Scholars Program at RIT in 2021. Marin Montealegre is now working to complete her PhD in mechanical and industrial engineering. Her research is focused on using 3D printed biocompatible, absorbable metals for craniofacial implants, which will benefit patients and positively impact her business as well. Her advisor Denis Cormier, director of the university’s AMPrint Center, is a pioneer in molten metal jetting (MMJ), and she’s specifically focused on using this technology to manufacture zinc, which can be used for bone healing regeneration. By 3D printing zinc-based implants, the devices can offer temporary mechanical support during the healing process, and will degrade over time as new tissue and bone grow.

“There’s a trend now for bio-metals, those that can be absorbed in your body such as magnesium, iron, and zinc,” Marin Montealegre said.

“There are few places in the world that are working with molten metal jetting, none working with bio-metals—yet. We recognized an opportunity to explore these materials using a different technology, and we are helping pioneer in this space. My lab mates are even more impressive, as they are developing the technology from its conception through manufacturing to make this possible. I think this is awesome.”

Quentin Kiener, CEO of 3D Prod. Image courtesy of 3D Prod.

The combined entity seems to have a very French focus, but could yet grow into a leader in 3D printing as a service beyond France. The companies together will have 75 industrial 3D printers, 75 materials, make over 1.2 million parts per year, sell into 61 countries, and have 8,000 m² of production space. The company has ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 for aerospace and medical parts, respectively. The combined entity will have around $19 million in revenue. The owner will be Platex, a large French injection molding company established in the 1950’s known for its resin breakfast trays. For Platex, this is an excellent move, letting them diversify and move into lots of new businesses such as defense and medical. It can use its competencies in manufacturing in France and, in part, its material expertise to help and open itself to new opportunities and modalities along the way. For Sculpteo staff, this will be quite a relief since it puts them on a surer footing.

As a firm, both brands could be valuable, and the company could perhaps have one consumer and design-oriented brand and a more industrial one. There is a lot to be said for having a France-focused 3D printing service. Defense contracts and aerospace contracts could be considerable in the country, given Airbus and other large aerospace contractors based there. In a more independent and self-reliant world, French companies, and in particular the aerospace and defense sector, will look to local production. The biggest direct competitor, Erpro, is focused on luxury and doing large continuous production deals with companies such as Chanel. They have a lot of the same technologies and a proven track record. The two could merge to dominate the market completely. This would probably not be a good idea, since there should be enough growth for both of them, and France would be better off with two global players rather than one quasi-monopolist. Both could coexist with Erpro looking for long relationships and big runs, and 3D Prod going for single parts to series.

Both companies should look beyond the cozy French experience, however. Fat and lazy firms focus on one country in 3D printing. An international focus and exports would make the firm more competitive and keep it on the edge of technological development. With many more international clients and businesses, the firms would be a true asset to France. Just like any service bureau, 3D Prod would be wise to start using print farms more extensively and making its own filament. If it thinks for a second that there is no need for large print farms in France, or that it somehow floats above the print farm movement, then the company will be doomed. Print farms are a huge opportunity to make low-cost parts quickly. In China, we can already see 3D printer megafarms of 10,000 to 15,000 units emerging. In the US, the largest that we’ve found is only 5000 printers. Europe trails behind, with the largest farms being only around 2000 printers in size. 3D Prod could therefore dominate this market in Europe and outproduce everyone else. If not, they will eventually be crushed by someone who does this.

If the team sees this move as an opportunity for investment and global expansion through excellence, I think that we could see a lot happen in the European service bureau market. Large sources of capital, such as Core, AIP, and AFM Capital Partners, are currently squarely focused on US defense opportunities. This means that there is room for large European firms to emerge. But excellence and high-value parts must be complemented by low-cost desktop 3D printing. This is especially true if their average part cost is around $16, which should see someone else nipping at their heels quite quickly.

As irresponsible as that attitude is, it’s certainly understandable: the natural impulse when faced with things that are both this unpleasant to think about and this much of a challenge to get a handle on is to simply ignore those things and move on to more enjoyable matters. On the other hand, the defense market is too integral to the fate of too much — including the fate of the AM industry — for one to be able to afford to lose the thread of current events for very long.

With that in mind, now may be a good time to step back and consider if there is a general picture emerging from all the seemingly disparate elements contained in months’ worth of daily news, press releases, and government funding announcements. Perhaps if we can identify some of the broadest themes, the constant onslaught of new information will become less overwhelming.

Containerization is Real

Containerized AM platforms are becoming a real thing, or they’re trying to, at least. The San Diego startup Firestorm Labs is solid evidence of this, as the company just closed an $82 million Series B round, and, just as importantly, the company got $30 million from the Pentagon, as part of something called the Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovation Technologies (APFIT) program. The contract could end up being worth as much as $50 million, and, among other things, involves the delivery of five of the company’s xCell manufacturing units to “an undisclosed customer in the Indo-Pacific region.”

Is that customer one of the US bases in the Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM)? Could it even be one of the US military’s allies in the region, like the Philippines military? The latter just tested manufacturing at the edge in joint exercises with Western armed forces, and the results suggest significant potential to both save money and speed up deliveries.

Speaking of manufacturing at the edge, that’s one of the main topics of a webinar on drones, “UAS Additive Strategies”, that 3DPrint.com and AM Research are presenting on June 30, between 11:00 AM and 2:30 PM Eastern. Cheaper drones are probably the primary factor behind the increasing interest in making containerized factories a dependable reality — that’s what Firestorm Labs, for instance, is largely focused on — but they’re not the only factor.

Both low-cost drones and containerized systems, in fact, are symptoms of the same overarching theme, which is adaptability. Recognition that the US military desperately needs greater adaptability is the principal catalyst for all the other changes involved in the overlap between AM and the defense sector.

If you can obtain a “good enough” weapons system at a fraction of the cost of some idealized “perfect” weapons system, you can reduce the likelihood that you’ll hamstring your ability to respond to some future blindspot by overcommitting to what’s currently on the market: that’s the lesson the US military’s enemies are teaching it, presently. And one solution that could ultimately provide the ability to respond to as many different unforeseen threats as possible, down the road, is distributed manufacturing: that’s the lesson Pentagon planners are learning, which is pushing them in the direction of containerized factories that support expeditionary production capabilities.

Image courtesy of Firestorm Labs

Tension Persists Between the US Government and the Defense Giants

That issue of adaptability extends beyond adopting new manufacturing processes. It also involves a shifting dynamic between the suppliers that traditionally comprise the US defense sector, and the DoD, which butters those suppliers’ bread.

Last year, the US Army Secretary, Dan Driscoll, along with multiple other DoD officials, started intensifying the rhetoric surrounding plans to let the US military supply its own replacement parts with 3D printing. In September 2025, Driscoll reportedly told “a media roundtable“,

“[We’re] empowering our generals to take on that risk where we have the right to repair so that they can make these very small parts to get things back on and get them back into the hands of our soldiers. I think you’re going to think that these are kind of one-off instances. I don’t know the exact number, but my commitment to you is, or my best guess is, that this is a meaningful step forward.”

A couple of months later, Driscoll would go so far as to say that, ““The defense industrial base broadly, and the primes in particular, conned the American people and the Pentagon and the Army into thinking that it needed military specific solutions, when in reality, a lot of these commercial solutions are equal to or better, and we’ve actually harmed ourselves with that mentality.”

Driscoll framed the objective that he’s trying to work towards like this:

“It used to be 90 percent of things we bought were purpose-built for the military or the Army, and 10 percent were off the shelf. ..what we are trying to do is flip it to 90 percent being commercially available and 10 percent being specific in the worst of cases, because when you actually start to think about what large-scale conflict looks like, you cannot scale one-off solutions as quickly and easily as you can scale commercially available things” (Emphasis added.)

It can’t be stressed highly enough that the Pentagon is framing all of these issues in terms of what the US military will require in a large-scale conflict. What’s happening in Iran may qualify as the sort of scenario the Pentagon was thinking of. But you should also consider the subtext that the entire global elite surely has in mind, which the foreign minister of Singapore, for one, voiced when he said in late April that the Strait of Hormuz conflict is merely “a dry run” for war between the US and China.

That is precisely how seriously Pentagon decision-makers are treating the need to accelerate the US military’s AM adoption, as illustrated by Driscoll’s recent remarks that he plans to partner “with nontraditional entities like academia” to develop the IP for replacement parts from scratch, which can then be leased or purchased by the Army. This sort of solution would address exactly the problem Driscoll has been criticizing re: the US military’s inability to repair its own parts, cheaply, in live combat conditions.

Most pressingly, Driscoll wants to produce interceptors because that’s the challenge that Iran has brought to the surface most acutely. But obviously, once the precedent is set, the dynamic could apply to just about anything that the US military can figure out how to print. The handful of largest primes can only view this as a threat.

Bipod adapters printed by the US and the Philippines militaries during recent joint exercises. Image courtesy of Stars and Stripes

Adapting the Unadaptable

It may indeed only be a threat meant to light a fire under the proverbial seats of the likes of Boeing, RTX, etc. Driscoll has said that the Army will provide more details on the plan “in the next four to six weeks”. In this context, one shouldn’t lose sight of just how much of the AM industry’s progress, historically, the primes have been responsible for. They may need to disrupt themselves in order to meet the challenge of the moment, but there’s no question that they have the technological capability to do so, if they can figure out some deal with the Pentagon to lease their IP in exchange for royalties on the parts produced.

As Driscoll was issuing his latest broadsides on the defense sector, Lockheed Martin was issuing a peculiar message of its own, a press release from late April that didn’t really announce anything new, but simply drew the reader’s attention to how familiar Lockheed Martin is with metal PBF. Perhaps the most genuinely new announcement in that release was Lockheed Martin’s confirmation that the company’s Precision Strike Missiles (PrSM) heavily incorporate AM in the manufacturing process, although I already knew this because I looked it up when it was reported that some of the worst damage inflicted on Iranian civilian targets by US strikes fit the profile of what PrSMs are known to be capable of.

So, that’s not exactly a badge of pride for the AM industry, but it does show that the defense sector status quo understands the message being conveyed to it by the Pentagon, and is attempting a response. The primes are trying to change, if not for the better, then at least for the cheaper. The takeaway from all of these developments is that two leviathans — one public (the Pentagon), the other private (the defense contracting establishment) — know that they have to do things differently, and are trying to accomplish that before the world forces the issue on them against their will.

That is the web that the AM industry now finds itself entangled in. It would be nice if one could avoid it by choosing not to work directly with the defense sector, but the value of the AM industry is so disproportionately tied to this market segment that it’s going to impact you no matter what. If the idea of defense work turns your stomach too much, my recommendation would be to hitch your wagon to one of the other strategically critical sectors that Vanesa Listek has done a remarkable job of laying out for everyone in this 3DPrint PRO piece. They, too, are all in the process of trying to figure out how to disrupt their own status quo.

Featured image, from Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, courtesy of Defense One/Jennifer Hlad

The company’s extensive history with AM has provided it with unique insights for developing valuable software tailored to the industry. Collaborations with industry leaders—beginning with Helisys, Stratasys, and EOS in the 1990s, followed by Z Corporation, 3D Systems, and Mcor Technologies in the 2010s, and continuing with current partners like Cubicure and Lithoz—have enabled DeskArtes to create software features that meet diverse AM user needs. These solutions serve sectors such as engineering, automotive, and dental.

Cubicure CEO Robert Gmeiner states, “Cooperating with the DeskArtes team always was and continues to be a great experience. Their profound knowledge in graphics operations and data formats usable for 3D printing routines have high value for this industry.”

The latest updates in 3Data Expert include enhanced support structures for denture manufacturing. New Silhouette supports enable users to create strong, yet easily removable supports for titanium denture frameworks, improving both stability and ease of removal. These structures provide essential support during printing and heat treatment, which relieves internal stresses in the framework. The Silhouette support functionality has been tested by partners utilizing EOS M290 systems for titanium-based dental frameworks.

The DeskArtes AM Chain mass production toolset leverages proven 3Data Expert 3D model data preparation functions. It allows users to create customized, automated 3D model processing pipelines, including repair, orientation, nesting, support generation, and slicing for high-volume 3D printing. Compatible with Windows and Linux, AM Chain streamlines large-scale manufacturing workflows, enhancing efficiency and consistency in AM processes.

Creating sand-based molds and cores requires specific considerations. For example, producing cores with internal passages necessitates precise control of shrinkage and thorough cleaning after fabrication. Finnish foundry Hetitec Oy uses 3Data Expert software to generate error-free STL files and apply offsetting commands, compensating for material shrinkage in sand parts produced with Voxeljet 1000 and 2000 systems. Additionally, specialized sand support features facilitate fully automatic support generation, and enable the safe removal of heavy molds from the build area without damage, enhancing efficiency and accuracy in casting.

Ville Moilanen, CEO of Hetitec, states, “DeskArtes has consistently demonstrated its commitment to customer support and developing new  state-of-the-art functionalities, making it a highly recommended software partner.”

DeskArtes is actively involved in various international projects, like the European Space Agency (ESA) project AnteCedent. The project focuses on developing digital twin solutions for ceramic AM. The consortium includes prominent European companies such as Jotne (Norway), RF Microtech (Italy), Lithoz (Austria), and research organizations like VTT (Finland).

The primary objective of AnteCedent is to create a digital twin-driven AM process for producing ceramic components used in satellite radio transmitters. This approach aims to minimize design iterations by utilizing simulations to predict deformations during de-binding and sintering. DeskArtes contributes by providing a quality control solution that ensures efficient, reliable measurements and visualization of deviations between manufactured parts and their nominal designs, based on 3D or CT scans, thereby enhancing the accuracy and consistency of the production process. These tools are now available to the entire AM community.

Currently, DeskArtes is expanding its global presence through partnerships with AM system vendors and distributors worldwide. For example, it collaborates closely with PolyArm Global to strengthen its footprint in the APAC region. PolyArm Global operates across Asia Pacific with regional offices in Singapore and Japan, a team of seasoned industrial AM professionals, and a wide network of industry-focused partners in key markets and industry segments. The leadership team at PolyArm Global emphasizes the company’s commitment to growth, while DeskArtes Managing Director Ismo Mäkelä highlights the value of PolyArm Global’s extensive experience in APAC markets. Mäkelä expresses confidence that PolyArm Global’s expertise and reach will help identify new customers and partners in the region, supporting DeskArtes’ strategic expansion efforts and reinforcing its position in the additive manufacturing industry across Asia Pacific.

But, somehow, having the right vision, story, and features that people need is not enough. Somehow, having reputable, large customers at the right time wasn’t enough either. The company that spoke for years about “future-proofing your supply chain” forgot to future-proof itself. Dimanex went bankrupt in February. What happened? We know that finding the right customers and closing deals with them is a big challenge for companies that essentially make 3D printing infrastructure. Large firms know that this is a piece of infrastructure that they are essentially tied to. What’s more, the people buying it will have their career success tied to it, and their direct colleagues will have to use this tool every day. So sales cycles are long, and these firms will always struggle to find enough customers to sustain themselves. Once they have a client, recurring payments will continue forever.

So excellent sales and account management are key. And having a product that is simple to adopt and scrap on the side is a key way to get into accounts. Or a company can do proof-of-concept studies well. Execution on getting these accounts in is key, therefore. And it helps if you’re a big brand that everyone knows, so that you can find customers at the right time. 3YOURMIND, for example, was inescapable for many years at shows and in the press. Too late, and the customer will have bodged something together themselves, which they’re attached to like a bad wart. Too early and you’ll scare them off. So branding in this application matters. And whereas for others it’s easy to know which companies may need your services, it’s hard to do this for these infrastructure companies.

Dimanex owes creditors over $2 million and the government over $140,000. And it has been slowing down its activities for years. According to the bankruptcy filings, the firm’s growth slowed during the pandemic and didn’t recover. Money was borrowed to finance growth, but the resulting revenue was insufficient to cover the financing costs. The company subsequently was not able to find new investors. Management then left the firm, leaving it without official executives; it eventually went bankrupt. Dimanex’s bankruptcy should have been handled by management with greater care and forthrightness. Rather than tackle the issue of long sales cycles directly and make its products easier to buy and try, the firm persisted with the old way. A structural problem was therefore ignored. The financing they then turned to seems to have been ruinous for them. It seems like the bankruptcy may have nothing to do with 3D printing at all.

The firm’s assets have now been acquired by high-temperature material extrusion OEM ROBOZE, which plans to use this acquisition to make a “fully interconnected, intelligent manufacturing ecosystem powered by Physical AI.” The Dimanex software will become a part of the Pandora and SlizeR packages that ROBOZE already offers.

ROBOZE CEO Alessio Lorusso said,

“We are moving beyond standalone machines into intelligent, connected manufacturing system.This acquisition brings physical AI into production environments, where machines learn, adapt and operate as part of a global network. The result is a more resilient and efficient manufacturing system with reduced dependence on centralized hubs to deliver critical components with speed and at scale. Roboze is tackling systemic challenges in the industrial base like long lead times and physical inventory constraints. We are connecting the physical and digital worlds of manufacturing, from the identification of a part in a warehouse, to its qualification, to its production anywhere in the world, this entire process becomes intelligent, automated and interconnected.”

The ARGO 500.

The company hopes it will allow for the optimization of settings, sharing manufacturing data between sites, cloud-based setting changes, and generally digital warehousing. The company hopes that it will enable its clients to implement digital warehousing and create the digital supply chain solutions their customers need.

I’m intensely skeptical of any kind of physical AI mentions and of using AI in manufacturing. Sure, for things like QA and pattern recognition-centric use, it can be amazing for making sense of a lot of data. For settings divination, it could also be an asset, but I’m wary of using it in files and end-use parts. I do think the platform can be an asset to ROBOZE customers and let people roll out services with multiple ROBOZE printers more quickly. If the software united lots of disparate printers, workflows, and files, it could be a real asset to customers as well. It could also be an argument for buying a ROBOZE. And for defense applications, if ROBOZE made it easy to add other people’s machines and files to the platform, it could speed up sales for the manufacturer. Although I’m generally rather skeptical of this whole Physical AI thing, we shall see.

Images courtesy of ROBOZE