Editorials / Opinions
The Ethics of Reviewing 3D Printers and How I Go About Them
What makes a good review? Technical knowledge? Image quality? Verbiage? Honesty? Yes, but there’s an order. As a reviewer of 3D printers, I have wanted to prioritize not making “ads”…
AMBelievable Could Revolutionize the Sport of Tennis
When I first saw AMBelievable’s tennis racket dampener, I’ll be honest, I was skeptical. I was skeptical about its claims, questioned the product’s ability, and wondered what impact this technology could…
Beyond Killer Apps: Why Additive Manufacturing Access Matters More Than Ever
February’s Additive Manufacturing Strategies (AMS) 2025 was a whirlwind of innovation. A dominant narrative, championed by industry leaders like Stratasys CEO Yoav Zeif, was AM’s need to prove its value…
Is There a 3D Printing Opportunity in Rare Earth Metals?
For the past decade, voices have been heard exclaiming of a crisis in rare earths. Now, with Chinese restrictions on the exports of Rare Earths, a crisis foretold a thousand times…
Steadfast XO: Will USVs and UUVs Disrupt Existing Naval Power?
A quiet revolution is underway in Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) & Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV). Ukraine didn’t have much of a Navy when Russia invaded, but has been able to…
Chaos & Opportunity
Great fortunes are lost and won amidst quicksand. When well-trodden paths turn to labyrinths, the concrete is sublimated into morass, sunshine turns to hail, and 20/20 vision becomes blindness; new…
Why is No One Taking Action on Tariffs?
Over the past weeks, most of my interactions with other people, be they friends, family, taxi drivers, friendly chefs, or people at my local market, have involved at least an…
An Editorial Changing of the Guard at 3DPrint.com
After five years leading the editorial team at 3DPrint.com, Michael Molitch-Hou has moved on to a new role at ASTM International, a global organization that develops standards for industries including…
Intelligently Arming the EU, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and More With Additive Manufacturing
Democracy is under threat like it never has been before. With the falling away of the United States as the global guarantor of order, liberal democratic states, such as those…
Push Button Metal 3D Printing for $50,000?
In 2021 we wrote an article about “Push Button Metal, the low cost metal 3D printing evolution we are not talking about.” In it, we talked about One Click Metal,…
New Business: Temporary, Migratory, & Modular 3D Printed Architecture
If we look at potentially emerging 3D printing businesses, then architecture has not been fully explored. Yes, there is a lot of house 3D printing going on worldwide. From deployable…
Apples & Philips: From Sand to Customer or the Joys of Vertical Integration
“From sand to customer” was originally the business philosophy of Philips. The Dutch electronics firm was a pioneer in lightbulbs and later leveraged its expertise into X-ray tubes, radios, shavers,…
What I Would Do If I Were Josef Průša, Part 2: Right on the Nose
How can you beat Garry Kasparov? With a baseball bat. If you ask yourself the question, “How can I beat Garry Kasparov,” and silently add the fragment “at chess” in…
What I Would Do If I Were Josef Průša, Part 1: Shark Cosplay
If I were Josef Průša, I’d probably gloat and be insufferable. Honestly, though, it’s a question that has vexed me. Josef asked on LinkedIn whether people would like to see…
AM Forum 2025: Lovely Days in Berlin
AM Forum is a yearly two-day event in Berlin. Rather than being just a national gathering, the AM Forum addresses numerous international and Europe-wide themes. Speakers from around the world…
Analysis: Additive Manufacturing Strategies Spotlights Vertical Value Creation
A slowdown in the industry and particularly a tightening of access to capital following the additive manufacturing (AM) industry’s peak special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) phase in early 2021 is…
Communicating Vessels: Four 3D Printing Markets
Of late, I’ve been considering the 3D printing market not as a single, unified industry but as four distinct markets, each with its own needs. Rather than segmenting the market…
An Open Letter to the Trump Administration: Secure America’s Leadership in Additive Manufacturing.
Dear President Trump and Members of the Administration, The United States is at a pivotal moment. Additive manufacturing (AM)—a transformative technology redefining the future of global manufacturing and national security—is…
Combinatory Manufacturing, Happening at Last?
In 2009, I introduced the concept of “combinatory manufacturing” while at Shapeways. This approach integrates 3D-printed components with conventionally manufactured ones to create end-use products. Unlike merely using 3D printing…
AM Rewind: The Biggest News and Trends of 2024
After a sluggish 2023, driven by persistent inflation and geopolitical tensions, 2024 has seen some recovery. Economic growth climbed from about 2.8 percent in 2023 to a modest 3.2 percent…
3D Printing: Time for a Rebrand?
“3D printing” used to symbolize innovation and a promising manufacturing future—but not so much anymore. However, many governments are now striving to revive local manufacturing and bolster industrial bases. At…
Will There Be 3D Printed Autophage Missiles?
First publicly unveiled at the University of Glasgow a year ago, advancements in “autophage” rocket engines promise significant efficiency gains. These polymer-based rocket motors are designed to consume themselves in…
3D Printer Manufacturers, Please Race to the Bottom!
When discussing Chinese competition with Western firms, a frequently echoed refrain is, “We’re not going to race to the bottom” or “We can’t win a race to the bottom.” In…
Welcome to the Desktop 3D Printing Evolution, Part 4: The Factory of the Future (or Luvocom 3F PPS CF 9938)
Previously in this series, we’ve discussed major companies entering the market, the power of compounding, competitive dynamics within the industry, and materials tailored for specific applications. Now, we examine how…
