3D Printing News Briefs, August 2, 2025: Acquisition, LFAM, & More

We’re starting off with business news in this weekend’s 3D Printing News Briefs, as Hanger announced its impending acquisition of Point Designs. Meltio shared several industrial use cases for its metal 3D printed parts, and the CEAD Group is partnering with MAQcenter to expand large-format AM solutions in Spain.

O&P Company Hanger Acquiring Prosthetic Provider Point Designs

Texas-based Hanger, Inc. provides orthotic and prosthetic (O&P) patient care services and solutions through its Patient Care segment, with more than 900 Hanger Clinic locations across the U.S. The company recently announced that it had entered an agreement to acquire Point Designs, which uses mechanical design and additive manufacturing (AM) to advance the field of partial hand prosthetic design. Point Designs, founded in 2016, specializes in high-strength, 3D printed titanium prosthetic fingers for people with partial hand amputations. Their rugged, ratcheting prostheses all feature anatomically accurate flexion, touchscreen-compatible fingertip pads, as well as load capacities up to 150 lbs. The company was founded by upper limb prosthetic design researchers from the Weir Biomechatronics Development Laboratory at the University of Colorado Denver|Anschutz, the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, and the University of Colorado Boulder. The team has decades of research experience about upper limb prosthetic design, neural interfaces, and myoelectric control algorithms. This experience, combined with its AM knowledge, makes it a very attractive acquisition for Hanger. The transaction is expected to close in Q3 of this year.

“We are very excited about the opportunity to join the Hanger family and to expand our ability to positively impact the lives of those with upper limb loss or limb difference. Hanger’s commitment to scientific research and innovation for the betterment of the global O&P community aligns perfectly with our values as a company,” said Dr. Levin Sliker, CEO and Co-Founder of Point Designs.

Meltio’s W-LMD Technology Used as Industrial Solution in Several Sectors

Spanish AM company Meltio reports that during the first half of 2025, several different industries have used its wire-laser metal deposition (W-LMD) technology for industrial manufacturing and repair solutions, such as aerospace, automotive, defense, and oil and gas. These customers use Meltio’s unique DED method to print and repair parts on-demand for various applications with consistent results, enabling improved efficiency, optimized material usage, and lower time and costs. Motorsports company ERM used the Meltio M600 to print a turbo intake manifold in dual materials, reducing manufacturing costs and time by 70%. For the defense sector, Meltio 3D printed a 300mm diffuser with improved properties, the USS Arleigh Burke now has a 3D printed eductor naval part, and the Meltio Engine Integration for Robot arms was used to print a closed impeller for a fire suppression system. Czech R&D company Roez s.r.o. worked with Meltio to develop a single-print turbine case for the energy sector, and Japanese manufacturing company Daidore Corporation chose Meltio’s Robot Cell to improve its productivity and product quality.

“Metal Additive Manufacturing is growing in demand among the global industrial sector. It solves the needs of these customers to obtain parts and repair them, effectively and reliably, and guarantees them greater autonomy since Meltio’s equipment is installed directly in their workshops and production lines. And this translates into an increase in real success stories during the first half of 2025,” said Lukas Hoppe, the Head of R&D at Meltio. “We bring reliability and credibility with our disruptive technology and this encourages us to continue to grow and innovate our solutions in the next six months of 2025.

“The need for AM has never been greater and we understand those industrial customer needs and we are clear to demonstrate to them the clear advantages of integrating Meltio wire-laser metal 3D printing solutions into the manufacturing floor and the machine shops to lower costs, increase efficiency and overcome challenges such as supply chain stability.”

CEAD and MAQcenter Partner to Expand LFAM Solutions in Spain & Portugal

Dutch large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM) solutions provider CEAD recently announced a partnership with Spanish company MAQcenter, which provides advanced manufacturing technologies. Together, the two plan to expand CEAD’s LFAM solutions across Spanish and Portuguese industries. Well-known for its high-tech industrial solutions, and with a strong presence in Spain, MAQcenter will now be an important strategic partner in bringing CEAD’s robot-based Flexbot and cartesian Flexcube systems to Spain and Portugal. This will allow companies in those markets in a variety of industries, such as aerospace, automotive, and maritime, to access CEAD’s turnkey LFAM solutions and print large, strong, fiber-reinforced thermoplastic parts. Plus, MAQcenter will provide local support, expertise, and training.

“At MAQcenter, we are proud to partner with CEAD and bring their disruptive large-format additive manufacturing solutions to our markets. Their innovative technologies open up new possibilities across a wide range of industries, from aerospace to maritime and automotive,” said Albert Sellas, Managing Director of MAQcenter. “We are excited to offer our customers cutting-edge solutions that not only boost productivity but also support sustainable manufacturing practices. This collaboration strengthens our commitment to providing the most advanced technologies to drive the future of industrial manufacturing.”