What the 2026 Post-Processing Survey Reveals About the Future of AM

As additive manufacturing (AM) continues its transition from prototyping to production, industry attention is shifting toward one of the most demanding but often overlooked parts of the workflow: post-processing.

The newly released 2026 Additive Post-Processing Survey Trends Report, conducted and published by PostProcess Technologies, offers a snapshot of how manufacturers are approaching post-printing operations today and how those strategies are evolving as additive manufacturing adoption grows. Now in its fifth edition, the survey gathers perspectives and looks at trends from additive professionals across industries, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, and general manufacturing.

Post-processing encompasses a wide range of activities required to transform a printed part into a finished product. These steps may include support removal, resin cleaning, powder removal, curing, surface finishing, and other secondary operations.

As AM technologies expand into production environments, these steps are increasingly important and can influence everything from part quality and production throughput to workflow efficiency and facility operations. Organizations are recognizing that post-processing is becoming a challenging bottleneck in their complete end-to-end process.

Respondents to the survey report that the time and labor required to finish parts remain one of the most significant constraints in scaling their operations. At the same time, companies operating multiple printing technologies often face an even more complex post-processing landscape, as each technology introduces its own materials, processes, and finishing requirements.

As a result, post-processing is becoming a central focus for organizations looking to improve workflow efficiency and production readiness.

Growing Attention to Safety and Sustainability

Alongside productivity considerations, the survey also highlights increasing awareness around the environmental and safety aspects of post-processing operations.

Many traditional post-processing workflows rely on manual handling of parts, solvents, resins, or fine powders. As additive manufacturing adoption grows and production volumes increase, manufacturers are paying closer attention to how these processes affect operator safety, facility cleanliness, and environmental compliance.

Issues such as chemical handling, waste management, and operator exposure to hazardous chemicals are becoming more prominent topics within companies that are looking to scale their AM production. These concerns are particularly relevant in industries with strict regulatory requirements, such as aerospace, medical, and dental, but they are increasingly part of the conversation across the broader AM ecosystem.

For many organizations, addressing environmental, health, and safety (EH&S) considerations is not just about compliance; it is also about building scalable, sustainable manufacturing operations that can support long-term growth.

The Next Phase of Additive Manufacturing

Another notable trend reflected in the survey is the growing maturity of additive manufacturing users. Many respondents report several years of experience working with AM technologies, offering a knowledgeable perspective on the bottlenecks and challenges across the complete additive workflow as the industry moves into more production-oriented use cases.

With that shift comes a broader perspective on what it takes to successfully implement additive manufacturing at scale. Printing technology itself remains essential, but companies are increasingly evaluating the entire workflow—from design to print to post-processing — to get to the final part.

In this context, post-processing is emerging as a key factor that can determine whether additive manufacturing programs succeed in meeting their performance, cost, and production goals.

Explore the Full Findings

The 2026 Additive Post-Processing Survey Trends Report provides a deeper look at the challenges, priorities, and investment trends shaping post-processing in additive manufacturing today.

For industry professionals seeking a clearer understanding of how their peers are approaching these issues and how post-processing strategies may evolve in the coming years, the full report offers valuable insights.

Download the complete report to explore the findings and learn more about the trends shaping the next stage of additive manufacturing adoption.