Editorials / Opinions
From Geometry Bottlenecks to Design Velocity: How AI-Generated 3D Assets Are Reshaping Additive Manufacturing
For much of additive manufacturing’s history, progress has been constrained by both printing hardware and geometry — often in different ways and at different stages of adoption. Hardware limitations around…
Automated Fill Print: An Obviously Better Way to 3D Print
I’m not saying that I invented this or that I’m the first to try this. For many years, people have been filling the infill patterns of material extrusion prints with…
3D Printing Top Technologies & Trends to Watch in 2026
What if we take a helicopter view of the additive manufacturing market? Beyond silos, technologies, and market segments, what are going to be the most interesting trends, strategies, tactics, technologies,…
3D Printing Predictions 2026: The Material Extrusion Market in 2026
The material extrusion market has seen titanic shifts over the past few years. A new bevvy of low-cost 3D printers have turned to software and sensors to make reliable high-speed…
2026: The Year of the Low Cost Print Farm
The rise of high-speed, reliable desktop Material Extrusion and Vat Polymerization systems by Creality, Bambu, Elegoo, and Prusa Research, the onward march of Formlabs in Pro LPBF and VP, as…
Will the FCC New Drone Ban Be a Boon for 3D Printing?
The US FCC (Federal Communications Commission) has said that it will not certify any new foreign-made drones for use in the US. Models currently on offer in the US can…
An Operation Warp Speed for Manufacturing: a Recommendation for the 3D Printing Industry in 2026
There is no looming shortage of manufacturing workers in the United States: that’s a misconception. Rather, there’s a shortage that’s already entirely present, one which increasingly threatens to turn into…
Sustainability Meets Speed: How Latin America’s Medtech Industry is Reshaping Global Clinical Trials
The promise of additive manufacturing—specifically 3D printing—to transform medical device production is currently constrained by several critical factors. Medtech startups, in particular, face a formidable “proof-of-concept bottleneck.” They struggle not…
Snapmaker U1: Tool-Changing For The Masses!
Disclosure: The U1 was provided to me by Snapmaker free of charge for the purpose of this review. I have not received any other compensation. All opinions expressed are my…
The Deskside Manufacturing Evolution
When the desktop 3D printing revolution reared its beautiful head in the 2010’s the world was still suffering from a housing boom hangover. Technoptimism seemed to be the path ahead…
Snapmaker Secures Series B Backed by Xiaomi Founder’s Network and China’s Investment Elite
Desktop 3D printer manufacturer Snapmaker has gotten a series B round. The round is led by Hillhouse Ventures and Meituan. Cowin Capital and Orient Securities Capital dipped in for another round,…
From Spare Parts to Strategic Advantage: How AM Is Reshaping Defense Readiness
When I talk with defense customers and partners about additive manufacturing, the conversation rarely starts with, “What can we print?” It usually starts with something like, “We can’t get this…
HII’s NXG 600E Order Shows Why Nikon Dominates Large Defense AM Systems
Huntington Ingalls Industries‘ (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) unit has ordered a Nikon SLM Solutions NXG 600E. HII is a $11 billion revenue shipbuilder that builds the Gerald R. Ford-class…
Killer 3D Printing Applications: Aircraft Seating
After the success of 3D printed bike seats, many types of pads have been explored, from backpack pads to those for boxing gloves and helmets. But can we also find…
Killer 3D Printing Applications: Car Seating
Bicycle seats are a 3D printing success story. Often made using Carbon’s technology, high-end road bike saddles are now on offer from most premium bike saddle brands. Retailing for over…
Formnext 2025 Day Two: Cost Out & LAPIS
I, for one, think the lack of carpet is a fitting metaphor. They normally throw it out after a few days of use, so not having a carpet leads to…
Formnext 2025 Day One: Magic Carpet Ride
In the spirit of a looming Even Greater Recession (Now With Superintelligence!), I decided to swaddle myself with some austerity. I figured that, in the future, we would need to…
Euler Raises €2M for AI Fault Detection in LPBF
I’m a huge fan of the Icelandic firm Euler. The company lets you take the images that your LPBF machine already generates and analyses them. Euler can predict errors before…
UpNano Enters Chinese Market
Viennese firm UpNano has successfully commercialized 2-photon polymerization (2PP) technology for the research market and beyond, leading to its global rollout. Now the firm has made the decision to enter…
A Need for New Business Models for Additive Construction Adoption? Not Really
Compared to other industries, the construction sector is known for its lower margins, largely due to the nature of projects and the competitive bidding process it undertakes to acquire them….
Stratasys Launches iAM Marketplace
Stratasys has released the iAM Marketplace. The company aims for this to be a marketplace for polymer 3D printing machines and materials. The company hopes to make it easier to…
OneClickMetal Turns Up the Heat With 500W LPBF Machine for €120,000
OneClickMetal has been making affordable metal LPBF systems in Germany for several years. Started by Trumpf, the company is now owned by innovative machine tool manufacturer Index. OneClickMetal’s machines are…
U.S. Army’s Drone 3D Printing Hits Next Phase with 25th Infantry Division’s Lethal FPV System
I recently posted about how the acting commander of the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC), Lt. Gen. Christopher Mohan, told interviewers at the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) Annual…
CustoMED Gets $6 Million for AI 3D Printed Orthopedics — But Can It Deliver on Such a Big Vision?
Israeli startup CustoMED has gotten $6 million to make patient-specific orthopedic devices a reality using AI. The seed round took in capital from the Israel Innovation Authority, Varana Capital, Flag…
