p3d

<feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom">
    <title>p3d</title>
    <id>http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6</id>
    <updated>2026-02-14T13:30:57Z</updated>
    <link href="http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6/atom.xml" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml"/>
    <link href="http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6/" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/>
    <subtitle>&#60;p&#62;3D printing and related&#60;/p&#62;
</subtitle>
    
    <category term="3d" />
    
    <category term="3dprint" />
    
    <category term="print" />
    
    <category term="stl" />
    
    
    
    <entry>
        <title>3D Printing News Briefs, February 14, 2026: Project Call, Maritime Construction, Prosthetics, &#38;amp; More</title>
        <id>http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6/14508</id>
        <updated>2026-02-14T13:30:57Z</updated>
        <author>
            <name>surdeus</name>
            <uri>http://127.0.0.1:3001/user/1</uri>
        </author>
        <link href="http://127.0.0.1:3001/post/6/14508" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/>
        <content>&#60;article class=&#34;message is-info&#34;&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-header&#34;&#62;
                            &#60;p&#62;Info&#60;/p&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-body&#34;&#62;
                        This post is auto-generated from RSS feed &#60;b&#62;3DPrint.com | Additive Manufacturing Business&#60;/b&#62;. Source: &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323890/3d-printing-news-briefs-2-14-2026/&#34;&#62;3D Printing News Briefs, February 14, 2026: Project Call, Maritime Construction, Prosthetics, &#38;amp; More&#60;/a&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                    &#60;/article&#62;
                    &#60;p&#62;Happy Valentine’s Day! We’re starting this weekend’s News Briefs off with a Project Call award, and then moving on to a business growth program. We’ll end with research in underwater construction 3D printing and structurally complex 3D printed replicas, and finally, a dental industry veteran is working to make better 3D printed dental prosthetics.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h2&#62;&#60;strong&#62;UDRI Receives $450,000 for America Makes Project Call&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/h2&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/America-Makes-facility-face.jpg&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/America-Makes-facility-face.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1024&#34; height=&#34;615&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;In the fall of 2026, &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.americamakes.us/america-makes-awards-udri-450k-for-aacams-project-call/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;America Makes&#60;/a&#62; and the&#38;nbsp;&#60;a href=&#34;https://www.ncdmm.org/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining&#60;/a&#62; (NCDMM) announced the&#38;nbsp;Affordable and Agile Composite Additive Manufactured Structures (AACAMS) project call, funded by the&#38;nbsp;&#60;a href=&#34;https://www.afrl.af.mil/RX/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate&#60;/a&#62; (AFRL(RXN)). AACAMS is meant to assess the current continuous fiber additive manufacturing (CFAM) landscape, find any technology gaps that limit adoption, and define attributes that system integrators need to successfully deploy CFAM in commercial and defense applications. Now, it’s been announced that the &#60;a href=&#34;https://udri.udayton.edu/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;University of Dayton Research Institute&#60;/a&#62; (UDRI) is the awardee of the $450,000 AACAMS project call. The DoD has prioritized CFAM because it can produce lightweight, robust, high-performance parts; these are needed for critical weapons and support platforms. Under the AACAMS project, UDRI will develop a comprehensive set of reports and roadmaps to inform DoD and industry of investments that can help mature and scale CFAM technologies.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;“Today’s warfighter faces a dynamic landscape that demands increased speed, agility, and precision. This project is a strategic step to integrate additive manufacturing technologies into production, enhancing defense capabilities. We are excited to support our members who bring in-depth expertise pivotal to addressing these real-world challenges,” said &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.americamakes.us/team/john-martin/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;John Martin&#60;/a&#62;, Additive Manufacturing Research Director at America Makes.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;h2&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Innovate UK Chooses E3D for Business Growth Scaleup Program&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/h2&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/E3D-team.webp&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/E3D-team.webp&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;2200&#34; height=&#34;1238&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;UK-based &#60;a href=&#34;https://e3d-online.com/blogs/news/e3d-selected-for-innovate-uk-business-growth-s-scaleup-programme?srsltid=AfmBOooy2dJNUSWBLC-RxEfpKk443AiaPcu9Vvx_ajDI0HsT3jcHgrms&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;E3D&#60;/a&#62;, which develops and supplies hotends, extrusion systems, nozzles, and other components for FDM 3D printers, has grown from a couple of 3D printing enthusiasts in a chicken shed to a whole team of experts working towards the goal of Print Better. The company recently announced that it was selected for &#60;a title=&#34;Innovate UK&#34; href=&#34;https://www.ukri.org/councils/innovate-uk/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Innovate UK&#60;/a&#62; Business Growth’s Scaleup Program. It’s a targeted scheme focused on helping innovative, scaling UK companies get past challenges inherent with rapid growth, such as intellectual property (IP) laws and entering new markets. The program only supports less than 100 of the UK’s fastest growing, most ambitious companies, and they have to be invited to apply, so for E3D to be included is a big deal. Application criteria includes innovation-led businesses that are capable of achieving about 50% annual growth each year, and have the potential to disrupt markets. E3D will now receive one-on-one, director-led help from the program, tailored to its own scale-up priorities and challenges. Considering how big the &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/322084/the-desktop-everything-revolution-is-happening-right-now/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;desktop market&#60;/a&#62; currently is, E3D definitely has the potential to be a major disruptor.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;“Being invited onto Innovate UK’s Scaleup Programme is a milestone moment for us at E3D. It recognises not just where we are today, but where we can go next: scaling world-class extrusion technology, investing in our people and capabilities, and helping manufacturers around the world push the boundaries of what additive can do,” said Dave Lamb, Founder and CEO of E3D. “With the backing and expertise of the programme, we are better equipped than ever to turn our ambitions into impact.”&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;h2&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Cornell’s Underwater 3D Printing Could Transform Maritime Construction&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/h2&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323943&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/0128_printing2.jpg&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/0128_printing2.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1500&#34; height=&#34;840&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;p&#62;For months, the team has been conducting test prints in a large tub of water, monitoring how the layers are deposited and the strength, shape and texture of each sample. Image: Ryan Young, Cornell University&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;In 2024, the DoD’s &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.darpa.mil/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency&#60;/a&#62; (DARPA) sent out a request for proposals to design concrete that could be 3D printed at a depth of several meters underwater. Additionally, DARPA said the concrete could only include a minimal amount of cement, and had to primarily be made of seafloor sediment, to decrease material transportation logistics. Researchers from &#60;a href=&#34;https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2026/01/underwater-3d-printing-could-transform-maritime-construction&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Cornell University&#60;/a&#62; took on the challenge, and are working on a better way to &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0958946525003889?via%3Dihub&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;3D print concrete underwater&#60;/a&#62;, which could revolutionize maritime construction and the repair of critical infrastructure. The interdisciplinary group features a sub-team for material design, and another for fabrication, and collaborators from electrical and computer engineering, civil and environmental engineering, and architecture. Last year, they demonstrated to DARPA officials that they were close to meeting its high sediment target, and received a $1.4 million grant contingent on meeting several benchmarks.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Now, it’s time for phase two: several teams 3D printing an arch underwater. The Cornell team, led by &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.cee.cornell.edu/faculty-directory/sriramya-duddukuri-nair&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Sriramya Nair&#60;/a&#62;, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering in the David A. Duffield College of Engineering, has been conducting multiple test prints in a tub of water in the university’s Bovay Civil Infrastructure Laboratory Complex. Working in a lab setting enables the team to monitor how the layers are deposited and the properties of each arch, but this monitoring can’t be done underwater. As Nair explained, they “have to be able to detect those things and adjust our tool path in real time,” without relying on a scuba diver. So they also designed a control box with multiple sensing systems, which can be integrated with a robot arm to track the underwater printing in real time. The final DARPA demonstration will be held next month.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h2&#62;&#60;strong&#62;CRAFT 3D Printing Makes Structurally Complex, Realistic, Affordable Replicas&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/h2&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323944&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/fig3a_2400.png.webp&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/fig3a_2400.png.webp&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1800&#34; height=&#34;1509&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;p&#62;Schematic of the CRAFT method, illustrating the printing of a crystalline skull embedded within a more amorphous matrix. The method uses a commercial printer with varying patterns of light to transform a widely available liquid resin called cyclooctene into a solid plastic object. It involves projecting a series of grayscale images onto a platform that moves up and down in the liquid, building the object up from a series of microscopically thin 2D layers of polymeric material. Credit: University of Texas at Austin.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;A team of researchers from the &#60;a href=&#34;https://cns.utexas.edu/news/research/new-3d-printing-method-makes-affordable-realistic-replicas-structurally-complex-human&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;University of Texas at Austin&#60;/a&#62;, &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.sandia.gov/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Sandia National Laboratories&#60;/a&#62;, &#60;a href=&#34;https://oregonstate.edu/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Oregon State University&#60;/a&#62;, &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.llnl.gov/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory&#60;/a&#62; (LLNL), and &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.asu.edu/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Arizona State University&#60;/a&#62; recently published a &#60;a href=&#34;https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aeb3637&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;paper on their new method for 3D printing objects&#60;/a&#62; that have very different properties, like transparency and levels of hardness, using inexpensive printers and common materials. Called Crystallinity Regulation in Additive Fabrication of Thermoplastics (CRAFT), the method uses varying patterns of light to transform a liquid resin called cyclooctene in a solid plastic object. Using a commercial printer, a series of grayscale images is projected onto a platform that moves up and down in the liquid, which builds up the object. Because CRAFT can realistically simulate interconnect structures of different materials types, it could be used to make structurally complex replicas of body parts for medical students to practice on, with realistic and different ligament, muscle, and bone models. The method would also be good for energy damping applications, like sound proofing and personal protective gear.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;“We can control molecular level order in three-dimensional space, and in doing so, completely change the mechanical and optical properties of a material. And we can do that all from a really simple, inexpensive feedstock by just changing the light intensity. It’s the simplicity at the heart of it that’s really exciting,” explained Zak Page, a UT associate professor of chemistry and author on the paper.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;“DLP or LCD 3D printing, which this method is compatible with, are some of the cheapest printers that you can buy. You can get one of these printers with the capability to do grayscale projection for $1,000 or less and be off to the races printing.”&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;h2&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Dental Industry Expert Develops Multi-Material 3D Printing for Prosthetics&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/h2&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/fugo-machine-img.png&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/fugo-machine-img.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;465&#34; height=&#34;761&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Mart Goldberg, founder and CEO of BH PRINTELLIGENCE, has over 25 years of experience in owning and operating dental laboratories, and is working to enable high-precision, multi-material 3D printing for the dental industry. After witnessing the frustration of others in his field at the inability to easily print multiple materials in one automated cycle, he decided to solve the problem, and developed a &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dental-industry-veteran-mart-goldberg-develops-patented-multi-material-3d-printing-technology-poised-to-transform-prosthetics-manufacturing-302674444.html&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;patented multi-material 3D printing method for dental prosthetics&#60;/a&#62;. Traditional AM methods can have a lot of interruptions, like changing materials and repositioning parts, and Goldberg’s technology supposedly eliminates these issues using intelligent functional region mapping, seamless material transitions, and automated deposition sequencing, all in one print cycle. His method was developed specifically to integrate with FUGO Precision 3D’s &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/312103/3d-printing-news-briefs-8-10-2024/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;centrifugal vat photopolymerization system&#60;/a&#62;, which offers high speed, sub-30 micron repeatability, and integrated printing, washing, drying, and curing in one machine. At the upcoming &#60;a href=&#34;https://lmtmag.com/lmtlabday&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;LMT Lab Day&#60;/a&#62; in Chicago, Goldberg will demonstrate his technology live. FUGO will be &#60;a href=&#34;https://fugo3d.com/fugo-precision-3d-to-debut-revolutionary-centrifugal-3d-printing-technology-with-live-demonstration-at-lmt-lab-day-chicago-2026/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;demonstrating&#60;/a&#62; with its strategic partner Graphy Inc.&#38;nbsp;at the event, and while I can’t confirm that Goldberg will be in the same room, it seems likely.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;“I spent decades watching skilled technicians perform the same manual interventions over and over – changing materials, cleaning equipment, repositioning parts. The automation we’ve achieved can reduce manual labor in a printing cycle by approximately 90%. But it’s not just about efficiency. The stable chemical bonding between dissimilar polymers and natural-appearing material transitions – that’s what will change patient outcomes,” Goldberg said.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;“There are 120 million Americans suffering from tooth loss. This isn’t a prototype or a concept – we’re showing production-ready technology that dental laboratories can implement today. The methodology works, and we’re ready to help manufacturers transform their operations.”&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;</content>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <title>Scaling Beyond 10 Printers: When Support Becomes a Bottleneck</title>
        <id>http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6/14429</id>
        <updated>2026-02-13T14:30:02Z</updated>
        <author>
            <name>surdeus</name>
            <uri>http://127.0.0.1:3001/user/1</uri>
        </author>
        <link href="http://127.0.0.1:3001/post/6/14429" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/>
        <content>&#60;article class=&#34;message is-info&#34;&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-header&#34;&#62;
                            &#60;p&#62;Info&#60;/p&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-body&#34;&#62;
                        This post is auto-generated from RSS feed &#60;b&#62;3DPrint.com | Additive Manufacturing Business&#60;/b&#62;. Source: &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323905/scaling-beyond-10-printers-when-support-becomes-a-bottleneck/&#34;&#62;Scaling Beyond 10 Printers: When Support Becomes a Bottleneck&#60;/a&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                    &#60;/article&#62;
                    &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;The leap to industrial-scale 3D printing is a support problem, not a hardware problem.&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;A 3D print farm is a centralized facility that uses a large number of 3D printers to mass-produce parts or products. These farms operate with the goal of increasing production rates, minimizing printer downtime, and running machines continuously for high-volume output. For many 3D print farms, scaling up the amount of 3D printers feels like momentum, more capacity, faster turnaround and bigger opportunities until inconsistency in operations slows down production at a massive scale.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-11-at-3.01.10-PM.png&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Screenshot-2026-02-11-at-3.01.10-PM.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1058&#34; height=&#34;434&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Early on, a DIY approach works. Operators know every machine, troubleshooting happens in real time, and fixes are quick enough to keep production moving. But as print farms scale, something shifts. The same strategies that worked at five or ten printers begin to fail at twenty, thirty, or fifty. Not because the hardware can’t keep up, but because of inadequate support.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;As facilities begin to scale, inconsistency becomes the biggest risk. Output quality varies by operator, machine performance wears over time, and minor failures turn into major setbacks. At scale, every small issue compounds, a clogged nozzle or calibration error isn’t an inconvenience, it’s multiplied across an entire fleet. What once felt manageable becomes unpredictable, and growth starts to slow, not from lack of demand, but from lack of operational stability.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://www.dynamism.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Dynamism&#60;/a&#62; can help break through the scaling barrier, offering training programs to equip operators and teams with the knowledge needed to maintain consistency and confidence. And by providing standardized installation services to ensure systems are set up correctly for production environments. Dynamism is ready to help scale operations by offering standardized training, installation and ongoing product support.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Training is often the first missing piece. Dynamism’s experienced technicians will educate your team on best practices, material nuances, or failure prevention. Formal training ensures consistency across shifts and locations, reduces operator-induced errors, and shortens ramp-up time for new hires. A trained team doesn’t just react to problems, they prevent them.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Installation is another overlooked factor. Printers dropped into production environments without proper setup, calibration, or workflow planning often struggle from day one. Environmental factors, network integration, material handling, and post-processing considerations all impact performance. Dynamism’s professional installation ensures machines are production-ready from the start, reducing early failures and setting the foundation for long-term reliability.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/dym-home-ddm-img.jpg&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/dym-home-ddm-img.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;652&#34; height=&#34;320&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Product support is the final piece that keeps operations running reliably over time. Dynamism provides ongoing support services, including repairs, troubleshooting, and product knowledge with no need to outsource support or rely on fragmented resources. Whether virtually or onsite, acting as your dedicated support knowledge base, helping teams stay productive, reduce downtime, and keep systems operating at peak performance.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Scaling a print farm isn’t about owning more machines, it’s about building the support structure to run them successfully. With the right training, installation, and ongoing support, growth becomes predictable, sustainable, and profitable. Without it, even the best hardware eventually hits a wall.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Dynamism is a Bronze Sponsor for &#60;a href=&#34;https://additivemanufacturingstrategies.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;Additive Manufacturing Strategies&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/span&#62;&#38;nbsp;&#60;/a&#62;(AMS), a three-day industry event taking place February 24–26 in New York City. The conference brings together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators from across the global AM ecosystem. Registration is open via the &#60;a href=&#34;https://additivemanufacturingstrategies.com/register/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;AMS website&#60;/a&#62;.&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62;</content>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <title>3D Printing Financials: Protolabs Reports a Steady 2025 as Digital Manufacturing and Metal Printing Gain Ground</title>
        <id>http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6/14428</id>
        <updated>2026-02-13T14:00:54Z</updated>
        <author>
            <name>surdeus</name>
            <uri>http://127.0.0.1:3001/user/1</uri>
        </author>
        <link href="http://127.0.0.1:3001/post/6/14428" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/>
        <content>&#60;article class=&#34;message is-info&#34;&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-header&#34;&#62;
                            &#60;p&#62;Info&#60;/p&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-body&#34;&#62;
                        This post is auto-generated from RSS feed &#60;b&#62;3DPrint.com | Additive Manufacturing Business&#60;/b&#62;. Source: &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323826/3d-printing-financials-protolabs-reports-a-steady-2025-as-digital-manufacturing-and-metal-printing-gain-ground/&#34;&#62;3D Printing Financials: Protolabs Reports a Steady 2025 as Digital Manufacturing and Metal Printing Gain Ground&#60;/a&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                    &#60;/article&#62;
                    &#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://www.protolabs.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Protolabs&#60;/a&#62; (NYSE: &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/stocks/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;PRLB&#60;/a&#62;) ​​ended 2025 with overall revenue down slightly year over year, but its digital manufacturing and 3D printing services continued to grow.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;For the quarter ending in December, the company reported total revenue of about $121.8 million, a small decline compared with the same period in 2024. Behind that headline number, however, one area stood out. Revenue from the &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.hubs.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Protolabs Network&#60;/a&#62; (&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/281445/upon-protolabs-acquisition-3d-hubs-becomes-hubs/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;formerly Hubs&#60;/a&#62;), the company’s mix of in-house digital factories and third-party manufacturing partners, reached about $26.5 million, up nearly 18% compared with the same quarter last year. The network includes 3D printing, CNC machining, and other fast-turn production services, and continues to attract customers looking for flexible manufacturing options.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_311965&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/dmls-parts-in-3d-printing-machine-570308.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;570&#34; height=&#34;308&#34;&#62;&#60;p&#62;Metal 3D printing. Image courtesy of Protolabs.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Looking at the full year, Protolabs reported total revenue of roughly $500.9 million, down slightly from 2024. Within that total, performance varied by process. Global CNC machining revenue increased 16.7%, while injection molding revenue declined 1.9%. Overall, 3D printing revenue fell 4.7% for the year, reflecting weaker demand for plastic prototype parts and older printing technologies.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Still, that decline is not the full story. According to the company, metal 3D printing showed strength, particularly in the U.S. Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) revenue grew at a double-digit rate, supported in part by strong demand from aerospace and defense customers. Sheet metal services also grew 12% year over year, adding to momentum in the company’s metal offerings.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Late in 2025, Protolabs also expanded its capabilities with the launch of advanced CNC machining services and expanded metal 3D printing, with more product and service releases planned through 2026. The company said these updates are part of a broader effort to improve how customers order, collaborate, and manage manufacturing projects online.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;CEO &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/318387/protolabs-brings-in-new-ceo-keeps-growth-plans-on-track/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Suresh Krishna&#60;/a&#62; said the company is focused on improving the overall digital experience for customers, starting with its new &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.protolabs.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;ProDesk platform&#60;/a&#62;. He described ProDesk as “an important first step in improving the e-commerce experience aimed at reducing friction in ordering today while laying the groundwork for a more unified digital platform in the future.”&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_318388&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/SureshKrishna-scaled.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;309&#34; height=&#34;400&#34;&#62;&#60;p&#62;Suresh Krishna, President and CEO, Protolabs. Image courtesy of Protolabs.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;He added that Protolabs plans to continue rolling out new capabilities in 2026, including improvements to quoting tools, manufacturability software, factory services, and secondary operations.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Meanwhile, profitability for the year stayed solid. The company reported net income of $16.6 million for the year, similar to 2024, while adjusted (non-GAAP) net income reached about $41.2 million. Full-year non-GAAP gross margin was 45.1%, nearly unchanged from the prior year. Factory non-GAAP gross margin improved to 49%, up 70 basis points, which the company attributed to productivity improvements and operational efficiency.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;CFO Dan Schumacher said those “margins reflect the strength of Protolabs’ combined factory and network model,” calling it “unmatched in digital manufacturing.” He also noted that while some areas of 3D printing faced pressure, metal printing and aerospace-related work helped offset weaker prototype demand elsewhere.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Overall, Protolabs’ 2025 results show a company continuing to lean into digital manufacturing platforms, even as demand shifts between processes. While some traditional 3D printing segments slowed, growth in CNC machining, metal 3D printing, and network-based manufacturing suggests that customers are still relying on Protolabs for fast, flexible production, and that the company is positioning itself for further expansion in 2026.&#60;/p&#62;</content>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <title>Reshoring Requires Rules of Engagement</title>
        <id>http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6/14427</id>
        <updated>2026-02-13T13:30:43Z</updated>
        <author>
            <name>surdeus</name>
            <uri>http://127.0.0.1:3001/user/1</uri>
        </author>
        <link href="http://127.0.0.1:3001/post/6/14427" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/>
        <content>&#60;article class=&#34;message is-info&#34;&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-header&#34;&#62;
                            &#60;p&#62;Info&#60;/p&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-body&#34;&#62;
                        This post is auto-generated from RSS feed &#60;b&#62;3DPrint.com | Additive Manufacturing Business&#60;/b&#62;. Source: &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323901/reshoring-requires-rules-of-engagement/&#34;&#62;Reshoring Requires Rules of Engagement&#60;/a&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                    &#60;/article&#62;
                    &#60;p&#62;Reshoring manufacturing in the U.S. is a stated national priority. Policymakers, industry leaders, and defense planners agree that domestic production capacity is essential for economic resilience, national security, and long-term competitiveness. While the term “reshoring” is often used broadly, its intent is clear: reduce overreliance on extended global supply chains and restore critical manufacturing capabilities within the United States.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The harder questions lie beneath the headline. How far into the supply chain can reshoring realistically extend? Is recreating an entire domestic manufacturing supply chain feasible or even necessary? Which capabilities should be brought back? Reshoring requires clear rules of engagement to include identifying which materials, processes, and capabilities must be established to ensure resilience, while recognizing that some level of global integration will remain. Equally important is defining success; how do we know we’ve been successful? I’ll offer that, at a top level, success should be measured by the existence of sustained, scalable production capacity that can meet commercial and national needs.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;http://www.additivemanufacturingstrategies.com&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Additive Manufacturing Strategies 2026&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/span&#62; kicks off with a panel discussion tying reshoring and additive manufacturing (AM) together. As the moderator of that panel, I’m keen to have a conversation on this relationship. I believe AM should be best understood as an enabler of reshoring, not its objective. AM offers flexibility, rapid iteration, and the ability to localize production, but only when embedded within a broader industrial ecosystem capable of supporting it. After all, most AM technologies make shapes, not final products.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;That distinction matters because reshoring is fundamentally a systems problem. Technology alone does not create capacity. Printers, no matter how advanced, cannot compensate for missing elements elsewhere in the ecosystem. Successful reshoring requires coordinated readiness across the ecosystem: a skilled workforce, mature technologies (linked hardware and software solutions) connected via a coherent digital strategy, an end-to-end supply chain, a modernized and robust infrastructure, and a viable business model supported by customer demand must all be present. When any one of these elements is absent, capacity fails to materialize, regardless of how much technology is deployed.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323903&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/TBGA_Ecosystem_Pillars-scaled.png&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/TBGA_Ecosystem_Pillars-scaled.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;2560&#34; height=&#34;1098&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;p&#62;Figure 1. Key pillars of a fully integrated and resilient manufacturing ecosystem.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;This is why industrial readiness matters more than machine count. Expanding on a recent piece by &#60;a href=&#34;https://x.com/lansing/status/2005723198344855814?s=20&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;Aaron Slodov&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/a&#62;, printer installations are often used as a proxy for progress, but printer count does not equal production capacity. True impact depends on readiness across the full value chain, from requirements through to delivery. The current efforts on supply chain readiness within the U.S. Navy’s Maritime Industrial Base (MIB) illustrates this shift from demonstration to implementation, emphasizing integrated workflows that supporting repeatable, production-grade outcomes rather than one-off successes.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323904&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/TBGA_AM-Value-Chain_Clean.jpg&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/TBGA_AM-Value-Chain_Clean.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;2519&#34; height=&#34;1395&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;p&#62;Figure 2. Industrial readiness requires maturity across the entire value chain.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Reshoring also does not happen centrally. Reshoring happens regionally, through manufacturing ecosystems that align industry demand, workforce pipelines, digital infrastructure, and predictable market signals. These ecosystems create the conditions in which additive manufacturing can scale beyond laboratories and pilot facilities. When AM is embedded within a regional network of suppliers, training institutions, and end users, its advantages (i.e., speed, flexibility, and localization) translate into real production capability. The U.S. Congress is looking for this model to bear out through what it is calling the Civil Reserve Manufacturing Network. My team at &#60;a href=&#34;http://www.barnesglobaladvisors.com&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;The Barnes Global Advisors&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/a&#62; has been developing one version of this model for the past 5 years at Neighborhood 91.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;As the U.S., and frankly other nations as well, focus on securing supply chains, the discussion around reshoring and the role that AM plays in achieving that end state requires more attention.&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#38;nbsp;&#60;/span&#62;I’ll contend that reshoring should prioritize a system of systems approach over isolated technologies, and that success should be measured by usable, surge-capable manufacturing capacity versus isolated demonstrations or machine installations. In addition, policy, funding, and programs must also be aligned to outcomes that support long-term industrial readiness at all levels of the supply chain.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;As my former colleague of mine once said, AM is a great catalyst for this discussion. I’ll be continuing this discussion on the opening day of &#60;a href=&#34;http://additivemanufacturingstrategies.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;AM Strategies 2026&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/a&#62; with a panel consisting of &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-lj-holmes-b757663a/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;LJ Holmes&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/a&#62; (University of Harrisburg S&#38;amp;T), &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.linkedin.com/in/joecalmese/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;Joe Calmese&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/a&#62; (ADDMAN), &#60;a href=&#34;http://linkedin.com/in/matt-gratias-113868117/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;Matt Gratias&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/a&#62; (Relativity Space), and &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewcdraper/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;Matt Draper&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/a&#62; (U.S. Department of War). I hope you’ll join us.&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#38;nbsp; &#38;nbsp; &#38;nbsp;&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Andy Davis is the Director of Government Solutions for The Barnes Global Advisors (TBGA).&#38;nbsp;&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;He is a respected leader in the Defense advanced manufacturing and industrial base community, known for his ability to catalyze diverse groups to collaborate for a common cause. He spent 19 years within the Department of Defense, most recently as the Deputy Director and Chief Technology Officer of the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) Program, where he led the organizational design, program planning and management, strategic planning, technical assessments, and the expansion of Program acquisition platforms. Prior to that, Andy worked for the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), including a role as the Army’s Global Technology Advisor to the United Kingdom, Israel and South Africa; he lived in the U.K. with his family and focused on connecting industry, academia and allied Ministries of Defense with U.S. Army researchers. Andy also led the Army’s Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) Program, where he helped launch the Manufacturing USA Institutes, led the Army and DoD in first-of-their-kind AM technology roadmaps, created the Army’s AM community of practice, helped draft the Army’s AM campaign plan, and led the Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel (JDMTP) in establishing a strategic framework to standardize cross-DOD collaboration. Prior to this, Andy held a variety of Army mechanical engineering positions, primarily focused on electro-mechanical design and prototyping. Andy received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Grove City College and Johns Hopkins University, respectively. Andy loves spending time adventuring with his family, is an avid outdoorsman, enjoys demolition derbies and is learning to master the art of smoking meats.&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;The Barnes Global Advisors is the Presenting Sponsor for&#38;nbsp;&#60;a href=&#34;https://additivemanufacturingstrategies.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;Additive Manufacturing Strategies&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/span&#62;&#38;nbsp;&#60;/a&#62;(AMS), a three-day industry event taking place February 24–26 in New York City. You can register &#60;a href=&#34;https://additivemanufacturingstrategies.com/register/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;here&#60;/a&#62;.&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62;</content>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <title>3D Printed Orthopedic Device Startup Nanochon Closes $4.1M, Oversubscribed Seed Round</title>
        <id>http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6/14426</id>
        <updated>2026-02-13T13:00:41Z</updated>
        <author>
            <name>surdeus</name>
            <uri>http://127.0.0.1:3001/user/1</uri>
        </author>
        <link href="http://127.0.0.1:3001/post/6/14426" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/>
        <content>&#60;article class=&#34;message is-info&#34;&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-header&#34;&#62;
                            &#60;p&#62;Info&#60;/p&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-body&#34;&#62;
                        This post is auto-generated from RSS feed &#60;b&#62;3DPrint.com | Additive Manufacturing Business&#60;/b&#62;. Source: &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323893/3d-printed-orthopedic-device-startup-nanochon-closes-11-3m-oversubscribed-seed-round/&#34;&#62;3D Printed Orthopedic Device Startup Nanochon Closes $4.1M, Oversubscribed Seed Round&#60;/a&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                    &#60;/article&#62;
                    &#60;p&#62;Two of the biggest growth opportunity areas for the additive manufacturing (AM) industry that &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;3DPrint.com&#60;/a&#62; and &#60;a href=&#34;https://additivemanufacturingresearch.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;AM Research&#60;/a&#62; have long been keeping an eye on are &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323066/the-business-of-customized-sports-equipment-how-3d-printing-is-changing-athletic-gear/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;sports&#60;/a&#62; and &#60;a href=&#34;https://additivemanufacturingresearch.com/reports/market-trends-and-opportunities-in-medical-devices-prosthetics-dental-audiology/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;medical devices&#60;/a&#62;. The Washington, D.C.-based startup &#60;a href=&#34;https://nanochon.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Nanochon&#60;/a&#62; has cultivated a business model that, in large part, targets the intersection between those two markets, and the company just closed &#60;a href=&#34;https://nanochon.com/nanochon-closes-seed-prime-ii-funding-round/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;an oversubscribed seed round&#60;/a&#62; worth $4.1 million, bringing total capital raised to $11.3 million.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;While Nanochon’s value proposition relies on definitively ‘deep-tech’ principles — using AM to create nylon-based composite “replacements” for damaged cartilage — the company’s approach is nonetheless guided by textbook, old-school business fundamentals: Nanochon found a blind spot in the market, and created a solution that directly addresses that gap. Specifically, the gap is the population of patients with damaged cartilage who aren’t yet considered candidates for cartilage surgery.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Of course, this isn’t a problem exclusively faced by athletes, but it’s worth noting that the team that will work on Nanochon’s first clinical trial, which the company announced last year, includes &#60;a href=&#34;https://nanochon.com/health-canada-approval-for-first-in-human-investigation/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;multiple specialists in sports medicine&#60;/a&#62;. Interestingly, by leveraging AM’s capacity to enable targeted treatments by filling — as Nanochon describes it — “potholes” in patients’ cartilage surfaces, the company draws on similar engineering strengths that give AM an advantage for repairing parts in industrial settings.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Perhaps the most impressive angle to the approach is that the 3D printed implants the company is producing also serve as scaffolding that the company claims encourages new tissue growth in damaged joints. Nanochon plans to start its Phase 1 clinical trial in Canada imminently, beginning with a 10-patient feasibility study, following successful initial testing on animals.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;In a press release about Nanochon’s oversubscribed seed round for its 3D printed cartilage implants, the company’s CEO and co-founder, &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/304611/3dpod-episode-175-3d-printed-cartilage-implants-with-ben-holmes-nanochon-ceo/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Ben Holmes&#60;/a&#62;, said, “We’re both honored and humbled to oversubscribe another funding round. The capital commitments from our investors speaks volumes about their confidence in the work we’re doing to shift the paradigm of cartilage restoration. Not only do we have strong financial backing, but these partners also offer us support in commercial and regulatory strategies as well.”&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;Meanwhile, R. Sean Churchill, MD, MBA, of cultivate(MD) Capital Funds, the leader of the round said, “Making a follow on from our initial investment in 2023 was an easy decision as we continue to watch CEO, Ben Holmes, lead Nanochon with his forward planning and executional excellence. The current round will not only support the first in human clinical trial in Canada as well as accelerate their manufacturing capabilities, but it will set the stage for a greater North American pivotal trial leading to FDA clearance. In addition to making a revolutionary product in the cartilage regeneration space, Nanochon understands the value of preoperative planning and has launched a partnership with ProVoyance to develop a full MRI based preoperative surgical planning software tool. The combination of a revolutionary product and best in class enabling software is positioning Nanochon to truly change the future for focal cartilage defects in the knee.”&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323899&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/IMG_2151.webp&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1920&#34; height=&#34;942&#34;&#62;&#60;p&#62;The implant is designed to fit securely into the damaged area of the knee using a simple press-fit procedure.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Again, this isn’t a product that could solely benefit athletes, but from the personnel on the company’s clinical trial, and the branding on Nanochon’s website, they clearly know that’s a priority demographic, and there’s no question that it’s a product that could be most valuable to serious athletes in the early phases of scaling. Given the success that companies like Carbon have seen with applications &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/307097/protect-the-qb-patrick-mahomes-shattered-helmet-makes-the-case-for-3d-printed-padding/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;such as football helmets&#60;/a&#62;, 3D printing applications also would seem to have a better than average chance of being embraced by the sports medicine world.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;And, the target demographic certainly doesn’t even need to be thought of purely in terms of professional and otherwise high-level participants in athletics. Someone who works in an office all day and wishes they could get back to their old jogging habit is an equally suitable ideal patient for what Nanochon has created.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Beyond the potential that Nanochon’s process has for improving the lives of patients who receive the treatment, I think the company could also indirectly benefit the entire population of patients with joint issues. The addition of another viable solution for treating cartilage damage to the overall medical ecosystem should free up resources that would’ve gone to patients that might otherwise have been destined for more conventional treatments.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Finally, I didn’t realize how common it is for U.S. companies to start with clinical trials in Canada, but apparently, there are &#60;a href=&#34;https://hypercoreinternational.com/news/clinical-trials-in-canada-a-strategic-edge-with-hypercore/#:~:text=Canada&#39;s%20universal%20healthcare%20system%20and,translates%20into%20higher%2Dquality%20results.&#38;amp;text=Canada&#39;s%20regulatory%20efficiency%20is%20a,First%20Patient%20First%20Visit%20milestones.&#38;amp;text=Canada%20ranks%20among%20the%20top,and%20other%20leading%20regulatory%20agencies.&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;plenty of advantages&#60;/a&#62; that come along with doing so, including a much more expeditious route to approval for early-stage research. If the U.S. can manage to stop alienating our continental neighbors, maybe stakeholders across North America could unify around the mission of accelerating AM-centered medical research.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Images courtesy of Nanochon&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62;</content>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <title>Thingiverse Bought by MyMiniFactory, Eyes a Revival</title>
        <id>http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6/14384</id>
        <updated>2026-02-12T17:00:00Z</updated>
        <author>
            <name>surdeus</name>
            <uri>http://127.0.0.1:3001/user/1</uri>
        </author>
        <link href="http://127.0.0.1:3001/post/6/14384" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/>
        <content>&#60;article class=&#34;message is-info&#34;&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-header&#34;&#62;
                            &#60;p&#62;Info&#60;/p&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-body&#34;&#62;
                        This post is auto-generated from RSS feed &#60;b&#62;3DPrint.com | Additive Manufacturing Business&#60;/b&#62;. Source: &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323741/d-embargo-february-12th-2026-at-1200-est-thingiverse-bought-by-myminifactory/&#34;&#62;Thingiverse Bought by MyMiniFactory, Eyes a Revival&#60;/a&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                    &#60;/article&#62;
                    &#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://www.thingiverse.com&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Thingiverse&#60;/a&#62; is to be acquired by &#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62; &#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;http://www.myminifactory.com&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;MyMiniFactory&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/span&#62;. Ultimaker has sold long-neglected Thingiverse to UK-based &#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;MyMiniFactory, which also owns former Ultimaker platform YouMagine, resin/character-driven platform and slicer &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.soulcrafted.it&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;SoulCrafted&#60;/a&#62;, as well as &#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://www.myminifactory.com/scantheworld/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Scan the World&#60;/a&#62;.&#38;nbsp;&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;According to Thingiverse CEO Romain Kidd,&#38;nbsp;&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;“This is about what kind of internet and future we want. AI-generated content is everywhere now and is a threat to the livelihoods of real creators everywhere. We know from launching SoulCrafted that there’s real demand for spaces where human work is valued and protected. Thingiverse will be one of those spaces.”&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;Building on that idea, Thingiverse CMO Rees Calder stated,&#38;nbsp;&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;“We’re not promising something new. &#60;/span&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;We’re applying what already works. Treat creators as partners. Give them real tools to build sustainable audiences and income. That’s it.”&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;Arys Andreou, the new CTO for Thingiverse, opined that,&#38;nbsp;&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;“I hope to help Thingiverse become an invaluable, dependable and trusted tool for seasoned engineers and beginner tinkerers alike.”&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The new team will have to do quite a turnaround, taking the melting 2 million file platform onto a more positive trajectory. A lot of glitches will have to be ironed out, and the platform will have to be relevant again. The team did something similar in 2024, taking YouMagine and making it an RC-specific platform with an audience. Meanwhile, the 8 million registered accounts of Thingiverse could be reactivated if the team really put a lot of oomph into growing the once-dominant platform. MyMiniFactory has managed to convince a million people to part with over a $100 million to support creators, so more of the same could really reinvigorate Thingiverse.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/thingiverse3-scaled.png&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/thingiverse3-1024x550.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1024&#34; height=&#34;550&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The team says that it was “&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;founded under the ethos that &#60;/span&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;creators deserve to be valued&#60;/span&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;. Not as content generators. Not as data points. As skilled individuals whose work has worth.” &#60;/span&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;Furthermore, the company promises that “the open sharing ethos of Thingiverse stays. MyMiniFactory will introduce sustainable business models for creators with an emphasis on SoulCrafted content rather than AI and non-printable content.” In some of the most human and resonant press release info that I’ve been given, they say that, “&#60;/span&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;We know you’ve been let down before. We know trust is earned, not announced. &#60;/span&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;So, we’re not asking you to just take our word for it. We’re asking you to help us shape what comes next, shape the future of Thingiverse.” Beautiful, super well done with tone and content.&#38;nbsp;&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h3&#62;What will this mean?&#60;/h3&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The new team will host a live Q&#38;amp;A &#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62; on &#60;/span&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;February&#60;/span&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#38;nbsp;&#60;/span&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;17th at 5 pm UTC. Sign up for &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.crowdcast.io/c/tgmmf&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;that here&#60;/a&#62;. If you can’t make that, you can &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.thingiverse.com/groups/thingiverse/forums/have-your-say&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;leave feedback here&#60;/a&#62;. I, for one, am super excited by this move. &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/291216/ultimaker-stratasys-and-makerbot-ultimaker-buys-the-death-star-analysis/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Thingiverse was painfully neglected by Stratasys&#60;/a&#62;. I’m enthused that there’s a CEO, CMO, and CTO now; that’s more people than Stratasys has working on it. After this, Ultimaker never managed to make the platform work well or to &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/252620/lets-kill-thingiverse/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;reverse the decline&#60;/a&#62;.&#38;nbsp;&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/thingiverse2.png&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/thingiverse2-1024x638.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1024&#34; height=&#34;638&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Thingiverse was once a site of essential importance to 3D printing. Its waning path was sad to see. Some errors persisted for months, and no attention was paid to this asset at all. And it could have been such an important business. Bambu has shown that you can make a flourishing business out of sponsoring makers. MyMiniFactory has shown that, for the long term, this can be a &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/313578/serving-creators-myminifactory-pursues-harmonious-ip-strategy-with-dc-universe-3d-printables/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;good business for creators&#60;/a&#62; and users alike. It’s a mystery why a small team didn’t just turn this around and make it doable again to download files from it.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Thigiverse´s abandonment and dwindling were due to a lack of will, vision, and execution. A decade-long slide into irrelevance was the result of neglect, abandonment, and lack of resolve. This was unnecessary, and the community and 3D printing market as a whole deserved better. It was also financially stupid. Done right, Thingiverse could have been one of the largest businesses in 3D printing. I’m not saying that it would have been easy, but given the immense installed base and huge number of files, it could have been doable.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h3&#62;Clouds over the Cloud&#60;/h3&#62;
&#60;p&#62;So many years later, it’s going to be hard to restart Thingiverse. They should have a burial ceremony and then resurrect it. The team seems well-intentioned and knows how to build platforms and communities well. But now Printables is a great community with good software. Makerworld as well works incredibly well. It’s very easy to print with one click from these platforms. I’m not sure I even remember my username for Thingiverse. The team will have to work hard, therefore, to turn it around. I think that some people will help. There are people who have given thousands of hours to that platform and still have extensive files on it.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The big question also has to be AI. AI tools are getting better, and there is a lot of 3D printing AI slop about. AI tools could overshadow or become a new path for many to file. At the same time, it’s easy for AI slop to be added to platforms. MyMiniFactory wants to empower true creation and true designs. Perhaps if it makes it easier to make many things parametric, while developing more mechanisms to better test design quality, it can win out.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Tweaking mechanisms to support designers will also help. More Kickstarter-like projects that could be inspiring could be one way to do it. Groups of designers could solve real-world issues like water filtration, solar panel holders, printable food storage, tools, and more if incentivized correctly. Now there’s a lot of attention going to useful things. But, critical things, things to help people in developing countries, lab equipment, teaching supplies, and more, can be 3D printed very cheaply. MiniFactory could make a new future for the site by positioning it to tackle these immense challenges. Maybe you’d pay to get a cool lunchbox design made, which could also help someone store food, for example. In this way, Thingiverse could become a problem-solving platform that, through human ingenuity, collectively solves humanity’s problems. Or the site could capture the huge volume of CNC, laser cut, and injection molding files that will come out of other desktop devices. Either way there are a lot of options and paths out there, let’s all wish the team luck in finding Thingiverse a fitting future.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Images courtesy of Thingiverse&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62;</content>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <title>When a Factory Stops Being a Building and Starts Being a Machine</title>
        <id>http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6/14367</id>
        <updated>2026-02-12T14:00:40Z</updated>
        <author>
            <name>surdeus</name>
            <uri>http://127.0.0.1:3001/user/1</uri>
        </author>
        <link href="http://127.0.0.1:3001/post/6/14367" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/>
        <content>&#60;article class=&#34;message is-info&#34;&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-header&#34;&#62;
                            &#60;p&#62;Info&#60;/p&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-body&#34;&#62;
                        This post is auto-generated from RSS feed &#60;b&#62;3DPrint.com | Additive Manufacturing Business&#60;/b&#62;. Source: &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323891/when-a-factory-stops-being-a-building-and-starts-being-a-machine/&#34;&#62;When a Factory Stops Being a Building and Starts Being a Machine&#60;/a&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                    &#60;/article&#62;
                    &#60;p&#62;Metal manufacturing still carries the layout and logic of an older industrial age. Most factories run as a collection of isolated disciplines, each with its own equipment, staff, and data. Additive lives in one section of the building. Machining is parked somewhere else. Thermal treatment and metrology often require entirely different facilities. This model has persisted across multiple waves of industrial modernization, and with it, the natural limits of what a factory can reliably deliver&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Those limits are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;A different model is beginning to take shape across advanced metals production. Instead of treating a factory as a set of discrete operations, manufacturers are starting to build environments that behave like a single integrated machine. The idea is literal. Additive, machining, thermal processing, inspection, automation, and data systems are tied together in one coordinated framework that operates from a shared layer of intelligence.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/04_VulcanForms_Printed-Part_Agnositc-Hip-Cup.png&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/04_VulcanForms_Printed-Part_Agnositc-Hip-Cup.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1500&#34; height=&#34;1000&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The closest analogy comes from the evolution of computing. Early systems kept storage, software, and hardware apart. The real gains came when those layers were unified into coherent platforms. Manufacturing is approaching a similar point. The bottleneck is no longer the capability of any single tool but the physical and operational distance between them.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;At its core, this is a physics problem. Every time a part is moved, fixtured, re-fixtured, or handed off between isolated disciplines, the distance those atoms travel adds cost, variation, and delay. The factories that outperform their peers are the ones that shorten that distance. They consolidate steps, simplify motion, and design workflows where matter and energy follow the most direct possible path.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;This is why the traditional model carries structural constraints that no amount of machine-level optimization can solve. Each handoff introduces latency and variation. Data becomes stuck inside local processes, where it cannot inform decisions upstream or downstream. Optimization tends to focus on improving one step instead of improving the entire chain. And when demand rises, factories often respond by adding more equipment instead of increasing the intelligence that governs the system.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Even well-run operations eventually hit this ceiling.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The emerging alternative replaces this fragmentation with a tightly connected production architecture. In this model, each step functions as a subsystem inside a larger machine. Additive and subtractive processes share a common data layer that updates continuously. Thermal behavior is predicted and managed across the workflow rather than addressed in isolation. Inspection becomes an active contributor to process planning instead of a final checkpoint at the end.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/01_VulcanForms_Factory_Full.png&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/01_VulcanForms_Factory_Full.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1500&#34; height=&#34;1000&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Once these pieces are connected, the factory begins to operate in a fundamentally different way. Decisions sync in real time. Feedback moves freely instead of stopping at the boundaries of a department. Variation declines. Over time, the environment develops a deeper understanding of its own patterns and uses that insight to improve stability and throughput.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Artificial intelligence becomes the conductor that holds this system together. Models trained on multi-stage data can see patterns that are invisible at the level of a single tool. They can anticipate thermal shifts that influence both additive and machining. They can guide machining allowances based on predicted distortion. They can adjust process conditions as builds unfold. They can interpret inspection results in ways that refine the next cycle of production.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The result is cumulative intelligence. Every completed part strengthens the system.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;What this looks like in practice is already becoming clear. Production environments that combine dense metal additive capacity, scaled machining, and integrated quality and computational systems are beginning to show the advantages of a coordinated architecture. At &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.vulcanforms.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;VulcanForms&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/a&#62;, this model is operating at factory scale, and the improvements in stability, repeatability, and throughput are measurable.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The broader industry signals point in the same direction. As part requirements grow more complex and development timelines shrink, manufacturers are recognizing that gains will not come from individual tools running faster. They will come from systems that work in concert, where data and decision making move freely across the entire workflow.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/03_VulcanForms_Printed-Part_Agnositc-Watch-Housing.png&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/03_VulcanForms_Printed-Part_Agnositc-Watch-Housing.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1000&#34; height=&#34;667&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The real divide now sits between two approaches to industrial production. One treats digital tools as enhancements layered onto existing structures. The other treats the factory itself as a unified machine, designed to learn, adapt, and scale as a coherent system. The companies that move toward this architecture will set the pace for advanced metal production. Those that do not will continue to encounter the same structural limits, regardless of how advanced their individual tools become.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Kevin Kassekert is the CEO of VulcanForms, and brings over 25 years of people-centric, seasoned leadership experience in high-tech and high-volume manufacturing environments with a passion for developing teams and scaling disruptive technology.&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Prior to joining VulcanForms, Kevin spent over four years as Chief Operating Officer of Redwood Materials where he played a pivotal role in growing the company from a small, young startup to a multibillion-dollar leader in Li-Ion battery recycling, refining, and battery materials manufacturing. Prior to Redwood Materials, Kevin spent seven plus years at Tesla Inc., where he led Global Infrastructure Development (Superchargers, Factories), People (HR, Recruiting, Total Rewards), and Places (Real Estate, Construction, Facility Operations). Some notable achievements include completion of the nation’s first U.S. cross-country Supercharger network and the design, construction, and operational ramp of the world’s first — and at the time largest — Li-Ion battery Gigafactory in Nevada, U.S. This team then went on to lead the engineering, procurement, and construction of additional Gigafactories and manufacturing facilities located in Shanghai, Berlin, and Austin, TX. Prior to Tesla, Kevin spent 13 years in the semiconductor industry at Cypress Semiconductor and Silicon Valley Technology Center (SVTC) in leadership roles ranging from production operations to process engineering and product commercialization.&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Kevin holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in business administration and global management.&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;At &#60;a href=&#34;https://additivemanufacturingstrategies.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Additive Manufacturing Strategies (&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;AMS) 2026&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/a&#62;, Kevin will participate in a panel on “High Volume Industrial Part Production,” and another about “Leveraging VC for an Industrial AM Future,” both on February 25th. These sessions are part of the broader AMS 2026 conference, which brings together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators from across the global AM ecosystem. Learn more and register&#38;nbsp;&#60;a href=&#34;https://additivemanufacturingstrategies.com/register/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;here&#60;/a&#62;.&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62;</content>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <title>Bridging the Gap: 2D to 3D AI in Manufacturing</title>
        <id>http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6/14366</id>
        <updated>2026-02-12T13:30:50Z</updated>
        <author>
            <name>surdeus</name>
            <uri>http://127.0.0.1:3001/user/1</uri>
        </author>
        <link href="http://127.0.0.1:3001/post/6/14366" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/>
        <content>&#60;article class=&#34;message is-info&#34;&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-header&#34;&#62;
                            &#60;p&#62;Info&#60;/p&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-body&#34;&#62;
                        This post is auto-generated from RSS feed &#60;b&#62;3DPrint.com | Additive Manufacturing Business&#60;/b&#62;. Source: &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323878/bridging-the-gap-2d-to-3d-ai-in-manufacturing/&#34;&#62;Bridging the Gap: 2D to 3D AI in Manufacturing&#60;/a&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                    &#60;/article&#62;
                    &#60;p&#62;For decades, the early stages of manufacturing have been defined by a simple, frustrating trade-off: you can have it precise, or you can have it fast. AI just broke that rule.&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#38;nbsp; &#60;/span&#62;Manufacturing has never lacked data, but it has consistently lacked &#60;b&#62;time&#60;/b&#62; at the earliest stages of decision-making.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Across engineering, procurement, and sourcing teams, critical information still arrives as technical drawings, blueprints, scanned documents, images, or even photographs shared over email. While downstream workflows are increasingly digital, early-stage decisions often depend on incomplete inputs and manual interpretation by the expertise trapped in engineers’ minds.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;This is where AI-assisted interpretation of 2D drawings and images into 3D geometry is beginning to change how teams work. Not by replacing CAD, but by removing it as a bottleneck when speed matters more than production-ready precision.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h3&#62;Why 2D Still Dominates Early Manufacturing Decisions&#60;/h3&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Despite decades of CAD adoption, many manufacturing workflows still begin without a 3D model. A supplier receives a dimensioned drawing but no STEP file. A procurement team needs a cost estimate before engineering resources are available. A sales engineer must respond to an RFQ having only a PDF attached.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;In these situations, the objective is not production-ready details. It is speed, feasibility, and direction. Can this part be manufactured? Which process makes sense? Is the cost even in the right range?&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Traditional CAD workflows are not designed for this stage. Creating a fully parametric, production-ready model, can take hours, sometimes days. For early estimation, that effort is often disproportionate to the decision being made.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h3&#62;What 2D-to-3D Conversion AI Actually Means&#60;/h3&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Recent advances in AI now make it possible to convert 2D inputs into usable 3D representations in minutes. Importantly, this does not mean generating perfect CAD models. Modern systems now automate the leap from flat drawings to 3D meshes. While&#38;nbsp;these meshes are only an&#38;nbsp;approximation, they capture the proportions, shape&#38;nbsp;and volume accurately enough to drive immediate cost estimation and decision-making.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://www.3dspark.de/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;3D Spark&#60;/a&#62; bridges the gap before traditional CAD is even necessary, this AI driven conversion is positioned as a pre-CAD tool. The goal is not to replace engineering work, but to eliminate unnecessary delays in early quoting and feasibility analysis.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323882&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Transform-Technical-Drawings-into-3D-Models-V3.svg&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Transform-Technical-Drawings-into-3D-Models-V3.svg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;510&#34; height=&#34;313&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;p&#62;Image 1: 3D Spark’s 2D drawing to 3D feature&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323881&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Transform-Technical-Drawings-into-3D-Models-V3-1.svg&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Transform-Technical-Drawings-into-3D-Models-V3-1.svg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;510&#34; height=&#34;270&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;p&#62;Image 2: 3D Spark’s Image to 3D feature&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;h3&#62;Input Flexibility Reflects Manufacturing Reality&#60;/h3&#62;
&#60;p&#62;One of the most practical aspects of this approach is input flexibility. Rather than relying solely on clean technical drawings, AI-assisted systems can work with:&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;ul&#62;
&#60;li&#62;Technical drawings&#60;/li&#62;
&#60;li&#62;Standard images and legacy photos&#60;/li&#62;
&#60;li&#62;Hand sketches or basic text descriptions&#60;/li&#62;
&#60;/ul&#62;
&#60;p&#62;This matters because real-world inputs are rarely ideal. By interpreting different 2D sources and converting them into AI-generated 3D geometry, teams can move forward faster and more efficiently.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h3&#62;The Output: 3D Geometry for Cost Estimation and Production Technology Comparison&#60;/h3&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The resulting scaled 3D-mesh is not suitable for direct CNC machining, tight-tolerance manufacturing, or toolpath generation. When users ask, “Can I machine from this file?” the correct answer is no. But that is also the point.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h3&#62;Where the Real Value Appears: Cost and Process Estimation&#60;/h3&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323880&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Analysis.png&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Analysis.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1270&#34; height=&#34;517&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;p&#62;Image 3: Automated costing analysis using the 3D Spark platform&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Once 3D Spark converts&#38;nbsp;the 2D input into a 3D mesh, it doesn’t stop there. The platform immediately&#38;nbsp;uses that approximate geometry to predict material usage, production time, and process costs and therefore turning a static image into a calculated business case.This allows teams to perform cost estimation based on the 2D input&#60;b&#62; &#60;/b&#62;in minutes rather than hours.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Instead of delaying RFQs or relying on assumptions, teams can quickly assess whether a part should be machined, additively manufactured, cast, or sourced externally by identifying the cost drivers early, before committing engineering time to detailed design work.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;While AI-assisted 2D-to-3D interpretation accelerates early estimation, more detailed costing and feasibility analysis are often required as decisions progress. Platforms like 3D Spark extend this workflow by supporting accurate cost calculation, and manufacturability assessment based on full 3D data and production-specific parameters, allowing teams to move from initial direction to validated decisions without restarting the process.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;This continuity is particularly valuable in MRO and spare parts workflows, where early decisions must translate directly into execution without rework or lost time.&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h3&#62;Why This Matters Now&#60;/h3&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Manufacturing teams are under pressure to move faster, quote faster, and make better make-or-buy decisions with less information. AI-driven 2D to 3D conversion does not solve everything, but it solves a very real problem that has existed for decades.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;This reflects a broader shift in manufacturing, where AI is proving valuable not only during design work, but by accelerating the decisions that happen before design even begins.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;3D Spark is a Bronze Sponsor for &#60;a href=&#34;https://additivemanufacturingstrategies.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;Additive Manufacturing Strategies&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/span&#62;&#38;nbsp;&#60;/a&#62;(AMS), a three-day industry event taking place February 24–26 in New York City. The conference brings together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators from across the global AM ecosystem. Registration is open via the &#60;a href=&#34;https://additivemanufacturingstrategies.com/register/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;AMS website&#60;/a&#62;.&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62;</content>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <title>StoneFlower 3D Launches Laboratory-Scale 3D Printer for Construction Materials</title>
        <id>http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6/14365</id>
        <updated>2026-02-12T13:00:19Z</updated>
        <author>
            <name>surdeus</name>
            <uri>http://127.0.0.1:3001/user/1</uri>
        </author>
        <link href="http://127.0.0.1:3001/post/6/14365" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/>
        <content>&#60;article class=&#34;message is-info&#34;&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-header&#34;&#62;
                            &#60;p&#62;Info&#60;/p&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-body&#34;&#62;
                        This post is auto-generated from RSS feed &#60;b&#62;3DPrint.com | Additive Manufacturing Business&#60;/b&#62;. Source: &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323677/stoneflower-3d-launches-laboratory-scale-3d-printer/&#34;&#62;StoneFlower 3D Launches Laboratory-Scale 3D Printer for Construction Materials&#60;/a&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                    &#60;/article&#62;
                    &#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://www.stoneflower3d.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;StoneFlower 3D&#60;/a&#62; has launched a new 3D printer designed for laboratory-scale research and development with &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323180/3dpod-3d-printing-concrete-with-andreas-gallmetzer-progress-group/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;concrete&#60;/a&#62;, mortars, clays, and other advanced mineral materials. The system is intended for researchers, designers, and engineers who want to work with real &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/319594/student-helps-build-cobod-printers-around-the-world/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;construction materials&#60;/a&#62; in a controlled laboratory environment, without moving straight to large industrial machines.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323772&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/large-1.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1376&#34; height=&#34;1712&#34;&#62;&#60;p&#62;StoneFlower 3D’s laboratory-scale 3D printer.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Based in Munich, StoneFlower 3D says the new printer is built to bridge the gap between &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/320508/bostons-additive-edge-at-autodesk-mit-experiments-with-3d-printed-concrete/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;small-scale laboratory testing&#60;/a&#62; and full industrial production, allowing users to develop, test, and refine real construction materials before scaling up. Unlike many compact systems that rely on simplified materials, this printer can process real concrete mixtures, mortars with aggregates up to 6 mm, fiber-reinforced materials, foamed concrete, clays, porcelain, earth, and even certain biomaterials.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;“This system enables researchers to test real concrete and mortar formulations using professional pumping and mixing equipment, while maintaining a compact and flexible laboratory footprint,” noted Anatoly Berezkin, founder of StoneFlower 3D.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323770&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/printer-ed-scaled.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1930&#34; height=&#34;2560&#34;&#62;&#60;p&#62;Anatoly Berezkin next to a laboratory-scale 3D printer.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;One of the key features of the new printer is its customizable build volume. Instead of offering a single fixed machine size, StoneFlower 3D lets customers choose the printing area size to match their research needs and available lab space. Printing volumes can range from about 50 cm to 300 cm, depending on the configuration.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;At the center of the system is a mixing print head that can handle both single-component and two-component materials, such as cement combined with an accelerator. The print head mixes the material continuously to keep the flow stable and can deliver up to 3 liters per minute, with printing speeds of up to 150 mm per second. This makes it possible to work with fast-curing and more complex materials that are difficult to process on simpler lab printers.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323769&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/rotary-2-scaled-e1770394549789.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;2214&#34; height=&#34;2560&#34;&#62;&#60;p&#62;StoneFlower 3D’s laboratory-scale 3D printer in action.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The printer uses industrial-grade hardware and standard G-code, making it easy to operate and compatible with common slicing software. Users can control the system through a touchscreen or web interface, with a ready-to-use Cura setup included. Also, the system works with different material pumps, including a high-capacity mortar pump and a smaller ram extruder. This allows users to choose the setup that best fits their materials and printing process.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;StoneFlower 3D expects the printer to be used across several areas. In research, it can support the development of new construction mixtures, composite materials, and biocompatible cements. In architecture and design, it can be used to create complex models and prototypes of façade elements or structural details. The system is also suitable for prototyping and small-batch production of functional concrete parts.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Pricing for the base configuration, which includes the printer frame and mixing print head, starts at an estimated €13,900. Final pricing depends on the selected build volume and pump system, and each order includes operator training.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323766&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/ConcretePrinter_21.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;2199&#34; height=&#34;1894&#34;&#62;&#60;p&#62;StoneFlower 3D’s laboratory-scale 3D printer.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;StoneFlower 3D is not alone in targeting this space. Over the last few years, a small but growing group of companies has begun offering laboratory-scale concrete and mineral 3D printers, mainly aimed at universities, research labs, and early-stage product development teams. These systems exist between small clay or ceramic printers and full construction-scale machines from companies like &#60;a href=&#34;https://cobod.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;COBOD&#60;/a&#62; or &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.iconbuild.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;ICON&#60;/a&#62;, which are designed for printing buildings and large structural elements.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;What makes this segment different is the focus on real material testing rather than final construction. Researchers and designers want to test real concrete mixes, fibers, aggregates, and fast-curing materials without having to invest in large industrial systems. Companies such as &#60;a href=&#34;https://deltasyseforming.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Deltasys E-Forming&#60;/a&#62; and &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.eazao.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Eazao&#60;/a&#62; also serve the laboratory-scale concrete 3D printing market, with systems aimed at research, education, and early-stage material testing. Meanwhile, companies best known for construction-scale concrete 3D printing, such as &#60;a href=&#34;https://ac3d-us.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;AC3D&#60;/a&#62;, have also introduced smaller platforms for research and testing, alongside their larger building-focused systems.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323773&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/geopolymer-ed-scaled.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;2560&#34; height=&#34;1860&#34;&#62;&#60;p&#62;Applications for the laboratory-scale 3D printer.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;For StoneFlower 3D, the emphasis is on flexibility. By offering customizable build volumes, support for industrial-style pumps, and both single- and two-component material processing, the company is positioning its system as a practical research tool rather than a scaled-down construction printer. As interest grows in printed concrete and other construction minerals, laboratory-scale tools help researchers, material developers, and designers explore and refine materials and processes before they move into full-scale industrial production.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Images courtesy of StoneFlower 3D&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62;</content>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <title>Low-Temperature 3D Printed Shape-Memory Stents Activated at Body Temperature</title>
        <id>http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6/14358</id>
        <updated>2026-02-12T08:00:17Z</updated>
        <author>
            <name>surdeus</name>
            <uri>http://127.0.0.1:3001/user/1</uri>
        </author>
        <link href="http://127.0.0.1:3001/post/6/14358" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/>
        <content>&#60;article class=&#34;message is-info&#34;&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-header&#34;&#62;
                            &#60;p&#62;Info&#60;/p&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-body&#34;&#62;
                        This post is auto-generated from RSS feed &#60;b&#62;3DPrint.com | Additive Manufacturing Business&#60;/b&#62;. Source: &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323734/low-temperature-3d-printed-shape-memory-stents/&#34;&#62;Low-Temperature 3D Printed Shape-Memory Stents Activated at Body Temperature&#60;/a&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                    &#60;/article&#62;
                    &#60;p&#62;Researchers from &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.waseda.jp/top/en&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Waseda University&#60;/a&#62;, the &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;University of Tokyo&#60;/a&#62;, the &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.h.u-tokyo.ac.jp/english/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;University of Tokyo Hospital&#60;/a&#62;, &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.seu.edu.cn/english/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Southeast University&#60;/a&#62;, and the &#60;a href=&#34;https://en.scut.edu.cn/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;South China University of Technology&#60;/a&#62; have worked together on developing low-temperature 3D printed vascular stents. Published in &#60;em&#62;Advanced Functional Materials&#60;/em&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adfm.202521468&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;,&#60;/a&#62; “&#60;a href=&#34;https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adfm.202521468&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Adaptive 4D-Printed Vascular Stents With Low-Temperature-Activated and Intelligent Deployment&#60;/a&#62;” is important.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;A made-to-measure functional stent geometry that can change shape would be easier to implant and could make stent procedures safer and easier, reducing surgical risk and the need for surgery. In this case, the team used my favorite material, polycaprolactone (PCL) and DEP (diethyl phthalate) as a plasticizer. PCL is often used for applications such as trachea fabrication; it is extruded somehow, but in this case, they used a micro-stereolithography (PµSL) machine. The material was optimized to have a class transition temperature at body temperature, which is smart.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/adfm74021-fig-0001-m.jpg&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/adfm74021-fig-0001-m-952x1024.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;952&#34; height=&#34;1024&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The stent they made is one meant to be used as a vascular stent. The &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/322449/surgeons-test-fast-low-cost-3d-printing-method-to-improve-custom-stents/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;stent&#60;/a&#62; is strong, very elastic, and biocompatible, and is meant to evolve into an implantable device. Used in the treatment of coronary heart disease, stents are a major business. What’s more, PCL is bioabsorbable, so the material could, in future iterations, be made to be completely reabsorbed.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Now the team, led by Waseda University’s Shinjiro Umezu, is making a stent that heats and changes shape once it’s in the body through body heat. I love this. The team used Blender to slice the stent, which is a powerful tool but would not be my first choice for this application. I couldn’t find the name of the 3D printer used.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The 10 mm-diameter, 10 mm-high stents were designed with 1 mm-diameter channels. First, the stents were put in 70°C water, then put in cold water for 5 minutes, and fixed. After they were reheated in water at 37 °C. The team also did in vivo experiments in mice as well as in vitro studies on umbilical cells.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/adfm74021-fig-0007-m.jpg&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/adfm74021-fig-0007-m-1024x732.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1024&#34; height=&#34;732&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Professor &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/167691/waseda-university-3d-cmf/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Shinjiro Umezu&#60;/a&#62; explained,&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;“Our work provides a robust platform for next-generation adaptive vascular stents with programmable mechanics, intelligent deployment, smoother integration with human body, and reduced need for complex procedures, offering significant potential for personalized treatment in anatomically complex vascular structure. Consequently, our research could contribute to future vascular stent technologies used in minimally invasive procedures, potentially simplifying deployment and reducing the need for additional equipment. The same approach may be applicable to other implantable medical devices that are designed to respond to the body’s natural environment.”&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;p&#62;I think this is a great development. &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/322969/3d-printing-making-the-world-a-better-place-one-medical-innovation-at-a-time/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;3D printed PCL components&#60;/a&#62; could be a very safe alternative to a lot of therapies and devices currently. The material is very safe and has some wild properties. If you wanted to make a stent that could then subsequently bioabsorb once the treatment is done, then this could make things even easier and safer for patients. Just by making the stent change back to its shape in the body, the team has made a step forward. This could, if proven out, lead to a huge industry around shape memory stents. We do not yet know what industrial acceptance will be like, but if these could be coupled with simple, relatively safe procedures, they could have a lasting impact on the medical market.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Polymers in the body still scare a lot of companies. But in this case, we’re talking about a material that is safer and more temporary than others. I can really see a whole host of treatments emerge around these kinds of systems. For treatments that have to do with muscles and tendons, something like this could make a lot of sense as well. For oral and other cancers, such custom structures can also provide relief. I really think that this team is on to something, and I hope that much more research will follow.&#60;/p&#62;</content>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <title>CASF: A Green Surface Finishing Technology for AM Hard Metal Alloys and Fatigue Improvement</title>
        <id>http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6/14311</id>
        <updated>2026-02-11T15:00:15Z</updated>
        <author>
            <name>surdeus</name>
            <uri>http://127.0.0.1:3001/user/1</uri>
        </author>
        <link href="http://127.0.0.1:3001/post/6/14311" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/>
        <content>&#60;article class=&#34;message is-info&#34;&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-header&#34;&#62;
                            &#60;p&#62;Info&#60;/p&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-body&#34;&#62;
                        This post is auto-generated from RSS feed &#60;b&#62;3DPrint.com | Additive Manufacturing Business&#60;/b&#62;. Source: &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323853/casf-a-green-surface-finishing-technology-for-am-hard-metal-alloys-and-fatigue-improvement/&#34;&#62;CASF: A Green Surface Finishing Technology for AM Hard Metal Alloys and Fatigue Improvement&#60;/a&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                    &#60;/article&#62;
                    &#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://www.sugino.com/en/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Sugino Machine Ltd&#60;/a&#62; has recently completed development of a highly specialized surface-finishing technology capable of removing partially melted particles, debris, and alpha case left behind by additive-manufactured (AM) laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) of titanium alloys such as 6Al-4V. Cavitation abrasive surface finishing and peening (CASF) goes beyond line-of-sight processing methods such as tumbling or grit blasting, since the powerful shock-wave action occurs wherever the imploding water-cavitation vapor bubbles can be directed to enter and activate. Because of this unique omnidirectional capability, CASF can treat very long circuitous internal passageways, as well as the walls of drilled holes, bores, cornices, cut tunnels, tubular channels, return flanges, overhangs, and other deep trapped chasms.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323856&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/mantis_sticker_transparent.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;846&#34; height=&#34;822&#34;&#62;&#60;p&#62;CASF was derived through high-speed camera studies of the water cavitation effect created by the powerful club that is used as a weapon by the Mantis Shrimp.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Cavitation water jet peening was originally derived from high-speed imaging studies of the highly evolved Mantis Shrimp, whose specialized club generates an energetic cavitating cloud in seawater as it accelerates at a rate equal to that of a bullet fired from a gun. When the Mantis’s punch wave blast strikes the outer shell of its prey, the result is instant obliteration, and that allows the creature easy access to the delicious meal that it craves.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323855&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/CASF_illustration.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1800&#34; height=&#34;2100&#34;&#62;&#60;p&#62;Cavitation abrasive surface finishing and peening (CASF) is created by shock waves that are generated by a nozzle acting through a slurry of water and abrasives upon a workpiece.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Sugino’s CASF process is conducted inside a fully automated CNC machine that contains a fluid chamber holding an agitated slurry mixture of water and abrasives. The commercially available cutting media types used are environmentally benign ceramics, such as garnet or alumina. Inside the processing tank, the slurry is energized by a cloud of thousands of tiny water cavitation vapor bubbles, which violently implode as they undergo a phase transformation from vapor back to liquid. The wave action created by cavitation also kinetically energizes the abrasive particles – giving them motion and ballistic power.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The abrasives’ sanding action slices and blows off the partially melted AM particles very quickly. As the clean, bare metal is exposed, the water constituent of the slurry strikes the surface, imparting compressive residual stresses. Wave action has similar results to shot peening, but at the molecular scale of water (H2O), with a 1.7 Angstrom size vs. the typical shot peening media diameter of ~1 mm +/- ½ mm, and molecular water about 1/10,000,000&#60;sup&#62;th&#60;/sup&#62; the size of shot media for comparison. CASF does not leave behind the crater-like impressions associated with shot peening, and because metal is not displaced to the same degree, dimensional distortion of AM parts is virtually eliminated.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323858&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Sugino_Cavitation_Stream.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;944&#34; height=&#34;1024&#34;&#62;&#60;p&#62;The inside of tubular AM LPBF Ti 6Al-4V test samples built with various diameters, necks, and angles of attack were treated with CASF.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Recent testing conducted on AM LPBF titanium 6Al-4V tubular parts with partner universities and industrial partners has shown that CASF will yield an internal and external surface roughness average Ra around 3-4 &#60;em&#62;u&#60;/em&#62;m, when starting from Ra 10-26 &#60;em&#62;u&#60;/em&#62;m hot isostatic pressed (HIP) test samples. Various additional prototype parts representative of production hardware have also been successfully processed.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The CASF method has been shown to work equally well on other alloys, such as Inconel, stainless steel (CRES), high-carbon steels, and aluminum.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323859&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/sugino_cwjp_upskin_downskin.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;386&#34; height=&#34;296&#34;&#62;&#60;p&#62;AM surface quality varies on as-built parts due to the effect that gravity has during the solidification of melted particles.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Compressive stresses, beneficial for avoiding the initiation of fatigue crack starts, have been observed to be in a range of -300 to -550 MPa when starting from nearly 0 MPa up to +250 MPa, even when measured at points that are deep inside trapped areas. Fatigue test data show significant cyclical life improvements when CASF is compared to as-built and HIP, and it is approaching parity with surfaces finished with conventional methods such as sanding, machining, and chemical milling using legacy substances.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;One of the fundamental challenges associated with AM has been post-process finishing, which can involve the extensive use of not-quite-effective automated abrasive machines, line-of-sight grit blasting, micro-machining, hand working (repetitive motion) methods, and/or the use of toxic synthetic mixtures such as nitric hydrofluoric acid or etchant solutions for post-printing surface finishing.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;CASF is completely benign and is a green alternative to using harmful chemicals. The slurry used by CASF is non-toxic, is safe for direct human contact, and does not require the care and disposal of industrial waste. Process water is filtered and recirculated within the machine. A clear-water spray and hot-air drying are all that are required for post-CASF cleaning of AM parts.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://www.suginocorp.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Sugino&#60;/a&#62; is currently seeking collaborative opportunities within the AM industry to test hardware and parts and demonstrate the capabilities of CASF as an alternative to conventional methods.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h3&#62;&#60;strong&#62;About the Author:&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/h3&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Dr. Daniel G. Sanders is Vice President of Research and Technology at Sugino Machine Ltd. and an Affiliate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.washington.edu/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;University of Washington&#60;/a&#62;. His work focuses on advanced manufacturing processes, surface finishing technologies, and the mechanical performance of engineered materials, with particular emphasis on applications in additive manufacturing and high-performance metal components.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Sugino Machine Ltd. is a Silver Sponsor of &#60;a href=&#34;https://additivemanufacturingstrategies.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Additive Manufacturing Strategies (&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;AMS) 2026&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/a&#62;, which will take place February 24–26 in New York City. AMS brings together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators from across the global additive manufacturing ecosystem. &#60;a href=&#34;https://additivemanufacturingstrategies.com/register/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Registration&#60;/a&#62; is now open.&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62; Images courtesy of Sugino&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62;</content>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <title>Material Hybrid Manufacturing is 3D Printing Conformal Batteries for Drones</title>
        <id>http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6/14310</id>
        <updated>2026-02-11T14:30:43Z</updated>
        <author>
            <name>surdeus</name>
            <uri>http://127.0.0.1:3001/user/1</uri>
        </author>
        <link href="http://127.0.0.1:3001/post/6/14310" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/>
        <content>&#60;article class=&#34;message is-info&#34;&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-header&#34;&#62;
                            &#60;p&#62;Info&#60;/p&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-body&#34;&#62;
                        This post is auto-generated from RSS feed &#60;b&#62;3DPrint.com | Additive Manufacturing Business&#60;/b&#62;. Source: &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323818/material-hybrid-manufacturing-is-3d-printing-conformal-batteries-for-drones/&#34;&#62;Material Hybrid Manufacturing is 3D Printing Conformal Batteries for Drones&#60;/a&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                    &#60;/article&#62;
                    &#60;p&#62;Since the beginning of the decade, it seems like at least once a year, there will be a story about VC funds pouring money into some previously unknown startup that has figured out a new way &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/311697/gm-leads-39m-series-b-for-3d-printed-battery-startup-addionics/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;to 3D print batteries&#60;/a&#62;. So far, from what I can gather, there still hasn’t been a ton of commercial success for any of the companies claiming to have hit the nail on the head with their respective proprietary processes. But it’s easy to understand why the dream persists: if you could use additive manufacturing (AM) for batteries, it would open up a wholly new frontier for supply chain autonomy.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Yet, there’s good reason to hope that the latest company in the spotlight for its AM battery process may have differentiated itself with its core value proposition. &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.material.inc/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Material Hybrid Manufacturing&#60;/a&#62; was co-founded by Gabe Elias — also the company’s CEO — whose work for both legacy (Mercedes) and disruptor (Rivian) auto brands taught Material what it &#60;em&#62;shouldn’t&#38;nbsp;&#60;/em&#62;be trying to print.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;After initially planning to target the EV space, Elias and the rest of the Material team quickly realized that car batteries don’t provide the best opportunities for leveraging AM’s advantages. The conformal geometries that can be achieved with the company’s Hybrid3D platform simply aren’t necessities for spacious automotive bodies. On the other hand, objects that tend to come in much smaller packages, like drones and wearables, represent the perfect product-market fit for what the Hybrid3D can do.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;At the beginning of January, &#60;a href=&#34;https://refreshmiami.com/news/material-raises-7-1m-to-reshape-how-batteries-are-made/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Material raised $7.1 million&#60;/a&#62; in a seed round, not long after receiving &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.highergov.com/contract/FA864925P0466/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;a $1.25 million Air Force contract&#60;/a&#62;. The company will work with &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.pdw.ai/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Performance Drone Works&#60;/a&#62; to demonstrate a proof-of-concept that Material claims can increase energy density by 50 percent, enabling users with the flexibility to either increase flight range or decrease the weight of the battery pack.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;In an article &#60;a href=&#34;https://spectrum.ieee.org/3d-printed-batteries&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;in &#60;em&#62;IEEE Spectrum&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/a&#62;, Elias explained, “Things are shrinking, so we’re shrinking around it. Electronics are becoming embedded, consolidated, optimized, and batteries are the only part of the equation that’s being left behind.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;“We’re turning energy storage into a subsystem, just like all the other subsystems…The more complex the pack, the more value we capture from part consolidation and system integration, so those applications actually carry higher margins for us.”&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;p&#62;What Material Hybrid Manufacturing is doing reminds me a bit of &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.kuprosinc.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Kupros, Inc.&#60;/a&#62;, whose founder, Ian Ramsdell, I &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/322741/how-kupros-inc-plans-to-smash-the-barriers-to-entry-for-additive-electronics/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;interviewed&#60;/a&#62; at the end of last year. As Ramsdell told me last year about his company’s unique metal filament that’s compatible with cheap desktop machines, “The best part of what we do, for me, is that by opening up the design possibilities, we’re ultimately opening up the design imagination of the end-users, as well.”&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323819&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/IMG_2148.webp&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/IMG_2148-1024x926.webp&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1024&#34; height=&#34;926&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;p&#62;Image courtesy of Material and Nimble&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Material seems to be doing much the same with its tech, and it’s worth pointing out that the company is already succeeding with some commercial applications, including foldable chargers that Material made in partnership with tech accessory brand &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.gonimble.com/collections/wireless-charging/products/fold-3-in-1-wireless&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Nimble&#60;/a&#62;. This is precisely the sort of activity &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/320118/america-makes-mmx-u-s-advanced-manufacturing/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;the Pentagon wants to see&#60;/a&#62; from the emerging generation of dual-use startups garnering R&#38;amp;D contracts.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;If Material is able to translate its tech into a deployable platform, the company could provide one of the last missing pieces of the puzzle needed to truly scale the U.S. military’s &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/321825/u-s-army-drone-printing-hits-next-phase-25th-infantry-divisions-lethal-fpv-system/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;autonomous frontline drone production ambitions&#60;/a&#62;. Even without ruggedized Hybrid3D systems, though, Material’s business model has the potential to significantly enhance the Pentagon’s ability to build up the capacity for domestic drone output.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Going back to the idea of changing how product designers think, the greatest changes in the drone market in the near future &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/319668/am-demand-signals-unusual-machines-ceo-allan-evans-explains-the-white-house-executive-order-on-drones/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;may come on the civilian side&#60;/a&#62;. Given how untapped this market still is, we can expect new ideas to come and go at a rapid pace throughout the rest of the 2020s, as consumer preferences determine the trajectory of a new industry in real time. The ability to print conformal batteries at scale could become a pivotal factor in deciding how that story unfolds.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Featured image courtesy of Material Hybrid Manufacturing&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62;</content>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <title>Takeaways From MILAM 2026: Defense’s Growing Role in Driving 3D Printing – Part I</title>
        <id>http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6/14293</id>
        <updated>2026-02-11T14:00:44Z</updated>
        <author>
            <name>surdeus</name>
            <uri>http://127.0.0.1:3001/user/1</uri>
        </author>
        <link href="http://127.0.0.1:3001/post/6/14293" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/>
        <content>&#60;article class=&#34;message is-info&#34;&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-header&#34;&#62;
                            &#60;p&#62;Info&#60;/p&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-body&#34;&#62;
                        This post is auto-generated from RSS feed &#60;b&#62;3DPrint.com | Additive Manufacturing Business&#60;/b&#62;. Source: &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323820/takeaways-from-milam-2026-defenses-growing-role-in-driving-3d-printing/&#34;&#62;Takeaways From MILAM 2026: Defense’s Growing Role in Driving 3D Printing – Part I&#60;/a&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                    &#60;/article&#62;
                    &#60;p&#62;The annual &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.militaryam.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Military Additive Manufacturing Summit &#38;amp; Technology Showcase&#60;/a&#62; (MILAM 2026) once again brought together the defense sector’s top technologists, military leaders, and additive manufacturing (AM) innovators for three days of industry discussions about the role of 3D printing in shaping the future of U.S. and allied defense capabilities.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Held at the Tampa Convention Center from February 3-5, MILAM emphasized the Department of Defense’s push to “operationalize additive manufacturing,” from weapons systems and sustainment to logistics and expeditionary readiness.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323837&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/IMG_1668-scaled.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;2560&#34; height=&#34;1512&#34;&#62;&#60;p&#62;RTX booth at MILAM 2026. Image courtesy of 3DPrint.com.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;h3&#62;What the Defense Sector Is Asking For&#60;/h3&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The message from MILAM was clear: the defense sector isn’t just looking at additive for low-volume or pre-production parts. It wants additive manufacturing that can scale, deploy rapidly, and integrate into existing production flows.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;And in 2026, this comes as no surprise, as industries from aerospace and energy to industrial equipment and automotive are asking for the same thing: faster qualification, repeatability, and real production output from additive technologies.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://www.stratasys.com/en/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Stratasys&#60;/a&#62;‘ Vice President of Industrial Business, Foster Ferguson, said the past year has marked a shift in how companies are using additive manufacturing. While low-cost printers have found a place in basic prototyping, he said organizations focused on qualification and scalable production continue to rely on industrial-grade systems. That shift, he noted, is beginning to drive consolidation across the industry.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;That evolution doesn’t mean the challenges are solved. &#60;a href=&#34;https://amsynergy.nikon.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Nikon AM Synergy&#60;/a&#62;’s Pedrum Sodouri, VP of Business Development, outlined what’s holding adoption back:&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;“Defense wants additive manufacturing to move a lot faster than it’s progressing today. AM has potential barriers around part applicability and qualification that still need to be broken down before the technology can truly serve the heavy lift of thousands of parts needed across the Army, Air Force, Navy, and other services. I consider that tools like AI-driven evaluation or material substitution specifications could help shrink the evaluation timeline for what’s printable.”&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323832&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/IMG_1642-scaled.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;2560&#34; height=&#34;1500&#34;&#62;&#60;p&#62;Velo3D team at MILAM 2026: Eric Cohen (Sales Director), Michelle Sidwell (CRO), Brice Cooper (VP of Defense).&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;Similarly, Michelle Sidwell, Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at &#60;a href=&#34;https://velo3d.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Velo3D&#60;/a&#62;, said the focus is now on production: “We’re now at that tipping point where we’re really getting into production and how do we go faster? And scaling repeatable, qualified processes needs to happen faster than before to meet defense needs in sustainment and field use.”&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;Brice Cooper, Velo3D’s Vice President of Defense and Government Relations, added, “It’s encouraging to see the level of attention defense leaders are giving to additive manufacturing and advanced manufacturing more broadly. There’s growing interest in how the industrial base can help move modernization faster. The focus on autonomous systems is especially important because it gives additive manufacturing a chance to be used and proven in real operating environments with less risk. That kind uinds of experience helps build confidence in the technology over time.”&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323840&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/IMG_1641-scaled.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;2560&#34; height=&#34;1920&#34;&#62;&#60;p&#62;Velo3D’s booth at MILAM 2026.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;h3&#62;Production Applications on Display&#60;/h3&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Companies at the event pointed to applications that are already in use. At &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.azoth3d.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Azoth 3D&#60;/a&#62;, Mechanical Engineer Luke Bristoll pointed to a fuel manifold that shows how additive manufacturing can replace complex assemblies with a single part. Bristoll showed me the part, which was originally made from 43 separately machined pieces, but can now be produced as a single component using metal binder jetting. The result is a lightweight part designed for use in the field, capable of powering soldiers’ electronics for about a week without the need to carry large numbers of batteries, which add too much weight.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323836&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/IMG_1661-scaled.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;2010&#34; height=&#34;2560&#34;&#62;&#60;p&#62;Munition components by Azoth 3D showcased at MILAM 2026. Image courtesy of 3DPrint.com.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Meanwhile, at the &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.remchem.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;REM Surface Engineering&#60;/a&#62; booth, CEO Justin Michaud described work done with the U.S. Air Force to address another production challenge: fully blocked internal channels in complex parts.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;“We developed a way to selectively target the powder with minimal wall removal, allowing parts such as heat exchangers to be finished or recovered without damaging their internal structures. Together, these examples show how defense needs are pushing additive manufacturing beyond prototypes and toward production-ready solutions that could also apply to aerospace, energy, and industrial equipment,” Michaud said.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_323834&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/IMG_1635-scaled.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;2560&#34; height=&#34;2126&#34;&#62;&#60;p&#62;REM Surface Engineering booth, CEO Justin Michaud.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;If there was a central theme at MILAM 2026, it’s that defense is accelerating additive manufacturing from innovation into implementation. Instead of focusing on what might be possible someday, defense is using additive manufacturing for real applications today. That sets a high bar for the technology and helps show where it can work in other industries as well.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Images courtesy of 3DPrint.com&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62;</content>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <title>Hardware is Dead. Here’s What Actually Wins in Additive Manufacturing.</title>
        <id>http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6/14292</id>
        <updated>2026-02-11T13:30:30Z</updated>
        <author>
            <name>surdeus</name>
            <uri>http://127.0.0.1:3001/user/1</uri>
        </author>
        <link href="http://127.0.0.1:3001/post/6/14292" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/>
        <content>&#60;article class=&#34;message is-info&#34;&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-header&#34;&#62;
                            &#60;p&#62;Info&#60;/p&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-body&#34;&#62;
                        This post is auto-generated from RSS feed &#60;b&#62;3DPrint.com | Additive Manufacturing Business&#60;/b&#62;. Source: &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323846/hardware-is-dead-heres-what-actually-wins-in-additive-manufacturing/&#34;&#62;Hardware is Dead. Here’s What Actually Wins in Additive Manufacturing.&#60;/a&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                    &#60;/article&#62;
                    &#60;p&#62;Hardware is rapidly commoditizing across additive manufacturing. Specifications have converged. Price competition has intensified. Margins have compressed. For companies attempting to scale additive manufacturing beyond prototyping, this shift has profound consequences.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Yet within this competitive landscape, some companies are building durable advantages that grow stronger each year. The differentiating factor is no longer the machine itself. It is the software layer that transforms commoditized hardware into intelligent manufacturing systems.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h2&#62;&#60;strong&#62;The Bambu Lab Proof Point&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/h2&#62;
&#60;p&#62;No example illustrates this shift more clearly than Bambu Lab. In roughly 3 years, the Shenzhen-based startup captured a significant share of the global FDM market. The conventional narrative credits aggressive Chinese pricing. This interpretation misses the point entirely.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Bambu Lab did not win by inventing novel hardware. Stepper motors, linear rails, and heated beds are widely available to anyone and easily replicable. What they built was a superior software experience based on automatic calibration, AI failure detection, and seamless cloud integration. Setup that once took hours now takes minutes, and the software makes 3D printing effortless.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The consequences for established Western OEMs have been severe. Companies that had dominated for decades saw their positions collapse. Better kinematics and superior thermal management provided no defense against a competitor whose software simply worked better. Hardware differentiation alone proved increasingly insufficient.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h2&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Software Compounds. Hardware Depreciates.&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/h2&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Hardware businesses face a structural challenge: every machine shipped begins depreciating immediately. Competition drives prices down, components commoditize, and this cycle repeats.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Software operates under fundamentally different economics. Each deployment generates data. The data improves models and processes. Improved performance attracts more customers, which in turn generates more data. The flywheel accelerates.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;A competitor can reverse-engineer hardware in 18 months. They cannot reverse-engineer ten years of compounding process data.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;At &#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://amtechnologies.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;AMT&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/span&#62;, our 650+ systems across 40 countries continuously generate proprietary process intelligence. Thermal profiles, chemical concentrations, cycle parameters, and failure modes are captured across different production environments. Every edge case our systems encounter makes the entire platform smarter. The machines matter, but they increasingly serve as a means of data collection and intelligence deployment rather than the primary source of value.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/AMT_DataFlywheel.jpeg&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/AMT_DataFlywheel.jpeg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;2048&#34; height=&#34;2048&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h2&#62;&#60;strong&#62;From Selling Machines to Selling Outcomes&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/h2&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The software layer also transforms commercial models. Traditional hardware sales force customers to bear all risk: CapEx purchase, maintenance contracts, downtime costs. The vendor’s incentive ends at the point of sale.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;AI-enabled, data-driven systems change this equation. Real-time monitoring and predictive analytics allow vendors to offer outcome-based models such as pay-per-part pricing, guaranteed uptime SLAs, pricing that flexes with actual usage and performance. The vendor can confidently underwrite these models because AI predicts failures before they occur and optimizes processes continuously.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;This shifts the total cost of ownership dramatically in the customer’s favor while creating recurring revenue for vendors. Hardware-only companies cannot offer this because they lack the data infrastructure to understand how their machines perform in the field. The software layer enables commercial models that hardware alone never could.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h2&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Our Mission: Finish Manual Finishing&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/h2&#62;
&#60;p&#62;At AMT, we have made this transition. We think of ourselves now as an AI company with a hardware delivery model. Our mission is to deliver intelligent surface finishing for autonomous manufacturing. Our vision is simple: &#60;b&#62;to finish manual finishing&#60;/b&#62;.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;And we practice what we preach. Internally, AMT runs on custom AI systems, from customer service to HR to operations. We’re not just selling AI-enabled products. We’re an AI-enabled company. Top to bottom.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;This perspective influences everything we build. The same intelligence that optimizes customer processes informs how we operate internally, reinforcing a feedback loop between deployment, learning, and improvement.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/AMT_PostPro_Software.png&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/AMT_PostPro_Software.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1024&#34; height=&#34;905&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h2&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Three Questions That Reveal Real Value&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/h2&#62;
&#60;p&#62;When evaluating any manufacturing company, as investor, customer, or competitor, hardware specifications now provide diminishing insight. We should ask ourselves instead:&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;b&#62;1. Where does the intelligence live? &#60;/b&#62;In hardware that can be copied, or in software and data that compound over time?&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;b&#62;2. What data compounds over time? &#60;/b&#62;Every hour of operation should make the system smarter.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;b&#62;3. Could Shenzhen replicate this in 24 months? &#60;/b&#62;If yes, there is no durable advantage.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h2&#62;&#60;strong&#62;The Path Forward&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/h2&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Manufacturing has always been about outcomes: parts that meet spec, delivered on time, at a cost that works. For decades, better hardware was the path to better outcomes. That era is ending.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The companies that will dominate the next decade are those building software platforms that guarantee outcomes, not just technically, but commercially. The machine becomes a node in an intelligent network. The data becomes the moat. The software becomes the product.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The question for every company in additive manufacturing: will you recognize this shift early enough to adapt, or will you be the next cautionary tale?&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;****&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;This&#60;/em&#62; &#60;i&#62;article builds on ideas explored by Pawel Slusarczyk in Hardware alone is not enough (RECODE.AM #31). His analysis of software-defined manufacturing crystallized a thesis I’ve been developing since watching Bambu Lab reshape our industry. I recommend reading his &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.3dprintingjournal.com/p/hardware-alone-is-not-enough&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;original piece&#60;/a&#62;.&#60;/i&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;****&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Joseph Crabtree is the founder and CEO of Additive Manufacturing Technologies (AMT), which he established in 2017 to enable additive manufacturing at scale through AI-driven automation and robotics in post-processing. With a background in Materials Science and Engineering and more than 20 years’ experience in aerospace, defense, and manufacturing, Joseph has led AMT’s growth into a profitable global hardtech company. Its patented PostPro technologies are now deployed in over 50 countries, helping manufacturers transition additive manufacturing from prototyping to true industrial production.&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;At &#60;a href=&#34;https://additivemanufacturingstrategies.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Additive Manufacturing Strategies (&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;AMS) 2026&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/a&#62;, Joseph will participate in a panel on “Advances and Trends in Software and Automation for AM” on February 24th, and give a talk about “The Commoditization of Hardware and the Rise of AI in AM” on February 25th. &#60;/em&#62;&#60;em&#62;These sessions are part of the broader AMS 2026 conference, which brings together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators from across the global AM ecosystem. Learn more and register &#60;a href=&#34;https://additivemanufacturingstrategies.com/register/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;here&#60;/a&#62;.&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62;</content>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <title>Uptool Emerges from Stealth</title>
        <id>http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6/14291</id>
        <updated>2026-02-11T13:00:27Z</updated>
        <author>
            <name>surdeus</name>
            <uri>http://127.0.0.1:3001/user/1</uri>
        </author>
        <link href="http://127.0.0.1:3001/post/6/14291" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/>
        <content>&#60;article class=&#34;message is-info&#34;&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-header&#34;&#62;
                            &#60;p&#62;Info&#60;/p&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-body&#34;&#62;
                        This post is auto-generated from RSS feed &#60;b&#62;3DPrint.com | Additive Manufacturing Business&#60;/b&#62;. Source: &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323862/uptool-emerges-from-stealth/&#34;&#62;Uptool Emerges from Stealth&#60;/a&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                    &#60;/article&#62;
                    &#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://uptool.com&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Uptool&#60;/a&#62; has come out of stealth mode. The company has raised $6 million from prominent investors and hopes to become an indispensable tool for manufacturing. For now uptool is providing quoting software for small to medium manufacturing services.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;By creating faster workflow software that automates calculations that have to be done by people, the company hopes to make small businesses more efficient. Small businesses are often bogged down by a lack of people, a few key people being nodes where a lot of processes come together, and lots of stupid work like responding to RFQ´s again and again. The small and versatile small business often struggles to cope with being overloaded or repetitive, tedious workflows. If those workflows also have to be carried out by your key finance person, Tom, or your CEO, Jane, and only they, critical people can be kept from sales, improving the business, and interacting with customers. Instead, they are bogged down by invoicing, filling out forms, or other rote work. This is painful for them and the business. Not only is it annoying, but it is also making a flexible firm less flexible and less able to improve itself.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Based in San Mateo and founded in 2024, Uptool has raised $6 million from notable VC’s &#60;a href=&#34;https://eclipse.capital/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Eclipse&#60;/a&#62;, &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.kleinerperkins.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Kleiner Perkins&#60;/a&#62;, &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.bessemertrust.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Bessemer&#60;/a&#62;, and &#60;a href=&#34;https://khoslaventures.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Khosla Ventures&#60;/a&#62;. The founder of Uptool is &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/279780/3dpod-episode-53-benny-buller-velo3d-founder-and-ceo/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Velo3D founder Benny Buller&#60;/a&#62;, who said,&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;“We are building an AI platform to boost their business and bring their entire operations into the modern era. It’s been incredibly rewarding to see our initial customers rapidly grow their sales and free them from their desks so they can spend more time with their customers or on the shop floor manufacturing parts.”&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The company gives people a tool that they can sign up for and reportedly set up in an hour. Quoting, revisions, and communications are available through dashboards with AI tools organizing CAD and other files, BOMs, and other key bits of data. At the same time, calculation tools are supposed to make quoting easier.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/uptool2.png&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/uptool2-931x1024.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;931&#34; height=&#34;1024&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://velocitycnc.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Velocity CNC&#60;/a&#62; CEO Nathan Dillon noted,&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;div class=&#34;&#34;&#62;
&#60;div class=&#34;&#34;&#62;
&#60;div class=&#34;&#34;&#62;
&#60;div class=&#34;&#34;&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;“I would spend hours a day quoting — time we don’t charge for, Uptool has enabled me to cut my quoting time 10x in 2025, contributing to my biggest sales year to date – more than double the previous year.”&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The other founder is &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/319842/the-business-case-for-binder-jet-in-an-uncertain-world-on-a-jet-plane-part-2/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Alex Huckstepp&#60;/a&#62;, previously of &#60;a href=&#34;https://machinalabs.ai/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Machina Labs&#60;/a&#62;, &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.surfboard.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Arris&#60;/a&#62;, &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.digitalalloys.com/technology/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Digital Alloys&#60;/a&#62;, and &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.carbon3d.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Carbon&#60;/a&#62;.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Eclipse partner Charly Mwangi explained,&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;
&#60;p&#62;“Nearly 98% of U.S. manufacturing firms are SMBs — representing over 40% of the industrial workforce — but their capacity is fragmented and largely invisible, Uptool digitizes this long tail of manufacturers, injecting speed and transparency into the supply chain. That’s the only way reindustrialization actually scales.”&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;div class=&#34;&#34;&#62;
&#60;div class=&#34;&#34;&#62;
&#60;div class=&#34;&#34;&#62;
&#60;div class=&#34;&#34;&#62;
&#60;p&#62;An AI-powered Salesforce, but for manufacturing, sounds like a tempting play. There is real pain, waste, and annoyance at small firms around quoting and communication management. Often, many RFPs/RFQs receive fewer responses than they should, and firms are often unable to quote on or respond to all opportunities. By making CEOs themselves more efficient and lightening their workload, the firm places itself closer to money and the decision maker. Paul will decide if he wants to pay this fee. If Paul’s workload decreases, he decides to purchase the tool and picks up the phone when someone calls. This means that Uptool’s uptake could be quick. The tool could also be highly cost-effective since it is meant to be a bridgehead to more complex value-added products that will connect the client to more tools.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/uptool3.png&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/uptool3-1024x1019.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1024&#34; height=&#34;1019&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The company can afford to be a great tool at low cost as long as it becomes the connective tissue for machine shops and manufacturers. Once it is, it can become very sticky and difficult to dislodge. Then it can slowly offer more sophisticated tools at higher rates and make a mint. It’s beautiful, a great play. I really hope that this tool goes on to make it easier for small manufacturers to become more efficient and win.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;/div&#62;</content>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <title>Lockheed Martin Ventures Make Strategic Investment in Perseus Materials’ Large-Format Composite 3D Printing Vision</title>
        <id>http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6/14228</id>
        <updated>2026-02-10T15:00:26Z</updated>
        <author>
            <name>surdeus</name>
            <uri>http://127.0.0.1:3001/user/1</uri>
        </author>
        <link href="http://127.0.0.1:3001/post/6/14228" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/>
        <content>&#60;article class=&#34;message is-info&#34;&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-header&#34;&#62;
                            &#60;p&#62;Info&#60;/p&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-body&#34;&#62;
                        This post is auto-generated from RSS feed &#60;b&#62;3DPrint.com | Additive Manufacturing Business&#60;/b&#62;. Source: &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323825/lockheed-martin-ventures-make-strategic-investment-in-perseus-materials-large-format-composite-3d-printing-vision/&#34;&#62;Lockheed Martin Ventures Make Strategic Investment in Perseus Materials’ Large-Format Composite 3D Printing Vision&#60;/a&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                    &#60;/article&#62;
                    &#60;p&#62;The VC shift towards increased funding in geopolitical bottlenecks looks less and less like a fleeting fad and more like a tectonic shift in where global investment dollars are placing their bets for the long haul. &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323354/e73-million-investment-round-into-swissto12/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;SWISSto12’s €73 million haul&#60;/a&#62; at the end of January is an excellent example: as Joris Peels noted, the satellite component disruptor is attracting the sort of investor who looks at the global manufacturing order and asks themselves, “…what if you could use 3D printing as a lever to change the world? What if you can own an application and, in so doing, help nations determine their own fate?”&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Another good example was &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/321402/40m-round-propels-caracols-large-format-3d-printing-ambitions/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Caracol’s $40 million Series B round&#60;/a&#62; last year, which reinforced the momentum that’s carrying a wave of large-format, robotic-arm systems to a position of higher stature within the additive manufacturing (AM) industry. We’re seeing this wave continue &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323583/printerior-launches-circdal-to-build-a-sustainable-architectural-ecosystem-w-3d-printing/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;in 2026&#60;/a&#62;, and the latest proof is that &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/who-we-are/lockheed-martin-ventures.html&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Lockheed Martin Ventures&#60;/a&#62; has made a strategic investment in large-format robotic arm composite AM company &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.perseusmaterials.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Perseus Materials&#60;/a&#62;, a Knoxville-based startup that has been backed since its early stages by &#60;a href=&#34;https://roadrunnerventurestudios.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Roadrunner Venture Studios&#60;/a&#62;.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Roadrunner Venture Studios in fact epitomizes this environment in which VC is moving from “virtual,” software-driven plays to “physical,” hardware-centric investments. The studio’s co-founder, &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.americasfrontier.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;America’s Frontier Fund&#60;/a&#62; (AFF), ambitiously states that its mission is nothing less than “…to build the capacity needed for America to endure as the world’s best place for innovators to reach for new frontiers.”&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Perseus Materials certainly fits that description, with the company’s co-founder and CEO, Daniel Lee, telling 3DPrint.com’s Vanesa Listek &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/322825/perseus-materials-is-rethinking-how-large-parts-are-made/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;in a recent interview&#60;/a&#62;, “We’re not trying to make 3D printing a little better. We were asking why some of its core limitations exist in the first place.” Specifically, as Listek describes, Perseus leverages a principle known as ‘frontal polymerization’ to accelerate the resin’s drying process without a need for costly peripheral infrastructure like curing ovens.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Perseus Materials plans to use the Lockheed investment to begin expanding both its physical footprint and its personnel, as the startup begins to fulfill its first orders. In addition to Perseus’ focus on wind turbines, the company has also been exploring the viability of its tech for naval applications.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/IMG_2149.jpeg&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/IMG_2149.jpeg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;860&#34; height=&#34;484&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;In a press release about Lockheed Martin Ventures’ strategic investment in Perseus Materials for an undisclosed amount, Lockheed Martin Ventures’ VP and general manager, Chris Moran, said, “Our work at Lockheed Martin Ventures supports promising companies that expand the U.S. industrial base and advance innovative technologies for the future of national defense. Perseus’ innovative composite production process can help accelerate design and prototype manufacturing while reducing costs and eliminating tooling, helping Lockheed Martin accelerate its ability to meet the needs of the Department of War and our nation’s warfighters.”&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Adam Hammer, CEO and co-founder of Roadrunner Venture Studios, said, “Perseus is exactly the kind of company Roadrunner exists to build — a breakthrough technology born from deep science with clear implications for security and competitiveness. Dan and his team are solving a foundational manufacturing bottleneck that has held back entire industries. This is the kind of innovation that can reshape how America builds at scale.”&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The most intriguing angle to Lockheed’s investment here is that there’s no need to view it as a sign that Perseus will be pivoting from wind to defense. First off, Lockheed has extensive experience in providing clean energy solutions, including &#60;a href=&#34;https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2017-02-23-First-Tidal-Energy-Turbine-with-Lockheed-Martin-Technology-Deployed-Off-Scotland-Coast#:~:text=PENTLAND%20FIRTH%2C%20Scotland%2C%20Feb.,in%20a%20given%20tidal%20stream.&#38;amp;text=Atlantis%20Resources%20has%20deployed%20the,for%20up%20to%20175%2C000%20homes.&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;offshore wind energy&#60;/a&#62;, which would combine both of Perseus’ key areas of interest, maritime and cleantech.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Secondly, via Lockheed’s &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed-martin/mfc/documents/acore/ACORE-GSF-Introduction-V1.pdf&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;GridStar Flow technology&#60;/a&#62;, the defense prime has already demonstrated an exemplar of the fact that there is increasingly no distinction between defense and energy resilience. At the end of 2024, for instance, Lockheed completed installation of a GridStar Flow system &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.army.mil/article/281763/erdc_celebrates_milestone_with_gridstar_flow_battery_installation_at_fort_carson&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;at Colorado’s Fort Carson&#60;/a&#62;. This aligns with the argument I made in a recent post about how AM should be utilized as &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323564/am-demand-signals-global-grid-resilience/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;an enabler of sustainability-as-security&#60;/a&#62;.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Thus, by focusing on grid resilience, Perseus is already leaning into the contemporary national security imperative in its truest form. If that technology can also at some point be used for structural components of U.S. naval vessels, that will be icing on the cake.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;There are many companies trying to do similar things to what Perseus is doing in terms of its core tech, but there aren’t nearly as many as you’d think who are applying it to the precise areas of the economy that Perseus is targeting — and that’s what counts. If you factor in the proximity of Perseus’ headquarters to both &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/302246/new-ornl-crossroads-entrepreneurs-shake-up-3d-printing-and-beyond/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Oak Ridge National Laboratory&#60;/a&#62; (ORNL) and the &#60;a href=&#34;https://iacmi.org/our-story/about-us/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation&#60;/a&#62; (IACMI), the company is perfectly positioned to capitalize on the emerging public-private consensus surrounding the need for enhanced grid stability.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Images courtesy of Perseus Materials&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62;</content>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <title>The Real ROI of Personalized 3D Printed Medtech in Oncology</title>
        <id>http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6/14227</id>
        <updated>2026-02-10T14:30:22Z</updated>
        <author>
            <name>surdeus</name>
            <uri>http://127.0.0.1:3001/user/1</uri>
        </author>
        <link href="http://127.0.0.1:3001/post/6/14227" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/>
        <content>&#60;article class=&#34;message is-info&#34;&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-header&#34;&#62;
                            &#60;p&#62;Info&#60;/p&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-body&#34;&#62;
                        This post is auto-generated from RSS feed &#60;b&#62;3DPrint.com | Additive Manufacturing Business&#60;/b&#62;. Source: &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323812/the-real-roi-of-personalized-3d-printed-medtech-in-oncology/&#34;&#62;The Real ROI of Personalized 3D Printed Medtech in Oncology&#60;/a&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                    &#60;/article&#62;
                    &#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Discover&#60;/em&#62; &#60;i&#62;how patient-customized 3D printed devices like Stentra&#60;img src=&#34;https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png&#34; alt=&#34;™&#34;&#62; significantly reduce high toxicity-related treatment costs and improve workflow efficiencies to handle more cases more effectively overtime.&#60;/i&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h3&#62;Introduction: The Economic Paradox in Oncology&#60;/h3&#62;
&#60;p&#62;For years, the Additive Manufacturing (AM) industry has battled a persistent myth: that customization is an expensive luxury. While this may hold true in consumer markets, the opposite is often the case for healthcare. In oncology, where precision, consistency, and efficiency directly affect outcomes, a one-size-fits-all approach can quietly cost health systems billions.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;For radiation oncology, generic solutions frequently generate &#60;i&#62;failure demand&#60;/i&#62;: the downstream clinical and operational burden of managing avoidable complications. The return on investment (ROI) of personalized 3D printing is therefore not limited to improved clinical accuracy; it represents a financial strategy that converts inefficiency, rework, and toxicity into measurable savings. By shifting from generic tools to patient-specific solutions, hospitals can improve patient experience, support clinicians, and strengthen their bottom line.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h3&#62;The Hidden Cost of “One-Size-Fits-All”&#60;/h3&#62;
&#60;p&#62;As an example, in Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) radiation therapy, the standard of care often involves rudimentary tools like cork and standard bite blocks. While inexpensive to purchase, these devices are costly in practice. Inconsistent immobilization and inadequate tissue displacement introduce variability between fractions, increasing unnecessary radiation exposure to healthy tissue.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The downstream consequence is &#60;i&#62;financial toxicity&#60;/i&#62;. Patients exposed to unintended radiation frequently develop severe oral mucositis (SOM)—a painful, debilitating complication that extends far beyond discomfort. Studies show that mucositis and pharyngitis in HNC and lung cancer patients are associated with approximately &#60;b&#62;&#60;i&#62;$17,000 in mean additional cost per patient&#60;/i&#62;&#60;/b&#62;, driven by unplanned hospitalizations, feeding tube placement, and intensive supportive care (Elting LS et al.).&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;For patients, this means avoidable suffering during an already difficult journey. For clinicians and administrators, it translates into resource strain, unpredictable workflows, and escalating costs.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h3&#62;The Value of Custom-built AM Solutions&#60;/h3&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;How&#60;/strong&#62; &#60;b&#62;can scalable customization reduce hospital costs? By preventing the complications that drive high-acuity spending.&#60;/b&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Kallisio’s &#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://kallisio.com/stentra/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Stentra&#60;img src=&#34;https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/72x72/2122.png&#34; alt=&#34;™&#34;&#62; platform&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/span&#62; illustrates how patient-specific AM solutions can be integrated seamlessly into real-world clinical workflows. Using a fast, standard intraoral optical scan, patient anatomy is captured with minimal burden on staff. Design is automated, manufacturing validated, and &#60;b&#62;&#60;i&#62;a customized device can be&#60;/i&#62;&#60;/b&#62;&#60;i&#62; &#60;/i&#62;&#60;b&#62;&#60;i&#62;delivered in as little as 72 hours&#60;/i&#62;&#60;/b&#62;&#60;i&#62;.&#60;/i&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Kallisio-stentra-72hr-turnaround.png&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Kallisio-stentra-72hr-turnaround.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;2240&#34; height=&#34;1240&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Because each device is engineered to match a patient’s unique anatomy and treatment plan, Stentra consistently immobilizes and displaces tissue across therapy sessions. Published clinical data indicates this approach can &#60;b&#62;&#60;i&#62;reduce the incidence of severe oral mucositis by 77.6%&#60;/i&#62;&#60;/b&#62; (&#60;a href=&#34;https://www.joms.org/article/S0278-2391(20)30124-5/abstract&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/a&#62;). Preventing these severe cases helps hospitals avoid the cascading $17,000 per-patient cost associated with toxicity management—demonstrating that modest upfront investment yields substantial downstream savings.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;How&#60;/strong&#62; &#60;b&#62;can personalized devices improve operational velocity?&#60;/b&#62;&#38;nbsp; &#60;b&#62;By saving an estimated 3–4 hours of expensive machine time per patient course.&#60;/b&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Linear accelerators (LINAC) are among the most capital-intensive assets in oncology. Every minute of delay or rework erodes throughput. Generic immobilization devices often require repeated setup adjustments and repositioning, introducing unpredictability into tightly scheduled treatment slots.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Patient-specific solutions such as Stentra fit reliably and reproducibly, reducing setup time and variability. Data shows that&#38;nbsp;3–7 minutes per fraction are saved by using Stentra&#38;nbsp;[Kallisio Value Analysis]. Over a standard 30-fraction course for head and neck cancer therapy, this accumulates to&#38;nbsp;&#60;b&#62;&#60;i&#62;3–4 hours of LINAC time saved per patient&#60;/i&#62;&#60;/b&#62;&#60;i&#62;.&#60;/i&#62; The resulting efficiency releases capacity to treat more patients without adding shifts or staff.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Kallisio-stentra-operational-efficiencies-scaled.png&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Kallisio-stentra-operational-efficiencies-scaled.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;2560&#34; height=&#34;1300&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Similarly, poor fit with standard devices contributes to simulation re-scan rates approaching 10%&#60;b&#62;.&#60;/b&#62; Custom 3D-printed solutions reduce this to &#38;lt;1% [Kallisio Value Analysis], minimizing delays, patient inconvenience, and unnecessary imaging costs.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h3&#62;Conclusion: The Business Case for Personalized 3D Printing in Oncology is Clear&#60;/h3&#62;
&#60;ol&#62;
&#60;li&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Clinical Effectiveness&#60;/strong&#62;
&#60;ul&#62;
&#60;li&#62;
&#60;p&#62;By improving patient compliance and treatment accuracy, hospitals mitigate the risk of expensive complications like mucositis.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;/li&#62;
&#60;/ul&#62;
&#60;/li&#62;
&#60;li&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Operational Efficiency&#60;/strong&#62;
&#60;ul&#62;
&#60;li&#62;Minimizing errors, interruptions, replanning and expensive treatment time allows centers to increase patient volume on existing infrastructure.&#60;/li&#62;
&#60;/ul&#62;
&#60;/li&#62;
&#60;/ol&#62;
&#60;p&#62;As value-based care models continue to penalize complications and reward efficiency, AM technologies like Stentra demonstrate that personalized medicine is no longer a luxury, it is the most fiscally responsible path forward.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;Kallisio is a Gold Sponsor for &#60;a href=&#34;https://additivemanufacturingstrategies.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;Additive Manufacturing Strategies&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/span&#62;&#38;nbsp;&#60;/a&#62;(AMS), a three-day industry event taking place February 24–26 in New York City. The conference brings together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators from across the global AM ecosystem. Kallisio’s CEO Rajan Patel will also participate in a panel on “3D Printing for Oncology.” Registration is open via the &#60;a href=&#34;https://additivemanufacturingstrategies.com/register/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;AMS website&#60;/a&#62;.&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62;</content>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <title>“A More Complete End-to-End Solution”: Stratasys Launches Post-Processing Partnership Program</title>
        <id>http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6/14226</id>
        <updated>2026-02-10T14:00:01Z</updated>
        <author>
            <name>surdeus</name>
            <uri>http://127.0.0.1:3001/user/1</uri>
        </author>
        <link href="http://127.0.0.1:3001/post/6/14226" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/>
        <content>&#60;article class=&#34;message is-info&#34;&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-header&#34;&#62;
                            &#60;p&#62;Info&#60;/p&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-body&#34;&#62;
                        This post is auto-generated from RSS feed &#60;b&#62;3DPrint.com | Additive Manufacturing Business&#60;/b&#62;. Source: &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323593/a-more-complete-end-to-end-solution-stratasys-launches-post-processing-partnership-program/&#34;&#62;“A More Complete End-to-End Solution”: Stratasys Launches Post-Processing Partnership Program&#60;/a&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                    &#60;/article&#62;
                    &#60;p&#62;I think it’s safe to say that &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/guides/?category=post-processing&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;post-processing&#60;/a&#62; is no longer considered the “dirty little secret” of 3D printing that it once was, with users realizing that finishing is just as important to the workflow as the materials, software, machines, etc. But, that’s not to say it’s without its issues. Often, this portion of the workflow is still treated with less importance: systems not purpose-built for specific AM technologies, companies having to piece together post-processing solutions.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/318574/3dpod-259-am-at-stratasys-with-rich-garrity-chief-business-unit-officer/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Rich Garrity&#60;/a&#62;, Chief Industrial Business Officer at &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.stratasys.com/en/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Stratasys&#60;/a&#62;, told me that their customers care less about the printer itself, and more about the finished part, and total cost of ownership (TCO), as they move from prototyping to final production. That’s why Stratasys just launched a &#60;a href=&#34;https://support.stratasys.com/en/Printers/Post-Processing-Partnership-Program&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Post Processing Partnership Program&#60;/a&#62; to make AM workflows simpler, and improve the customer experience with regards to post-processing.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;“We’ve been investing heavily in software and materials, and material partnerships and software partnerships as well,” Garrity told me in an interview. “Post-process is an area that for us, up until now, has not had that same level of attention. And in more recent times, our customers have become louder and louder about the cost of post-process as it relates to the total cost of ownership and the variability and manually post-processing parts. And they wanted to see from Stratasys a more complete end-to-end solution.”&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_318053&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/1726077668133.jpg&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/1726077668133.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1280&#34; height=&#34;853&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;p&#62;Rich Garrity. Image courtesy of Stratasys via LinkedIn.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Garrity explained that customer feedback is what really drove the decision to create this. Under the program, Stratasys has put together an extensive validation process for third-party post-processing solutions. To really ensure that the solutions its program offers are up to snuff, the company even validates them itself.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;“We looked at different vendors’ solutions and really validated them, not only with customers, but also with our own Stratasys Direct Manufacturing. We’ve been using, for example, PostProcess Technologies products in our own SDM for the past year. So we were able to see firsthand results and prove out that impact on total cost of ownership. So that’s important,” Garrity said. “And then we do everything else in terms of supplier quality, to make sure that what we’re representing, the partner will be there and can stand behind it the right way that they need to.”&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The program is designed to make it easier for customers to access post-processing solutions that have been validated for Stratasys technology. As such, &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.postprocess.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;PostProcess Technologies&#60;/a&#62; is the first partner in the new program. Several of its solutions are &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/320682/postprocess-technologies-does-resin-removal-for-the-stratasys-neo800/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;guaranteed&#60;/a&#62; to &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/322243/formnext-2025-polyjet-support-removal-resale-fundraising-more/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;work with Stratasys printers&#60;/a&#62;, making it a great first partner. It will expand Stratasys customer access to intelligent, automated, and validated post-print solutions across the FDM, SLA, PolyJet, and P3 platforms.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;“Our solutions are widely used across prototyping and production environments where operator safety, consistency, and throughput are critical. As part complexity and volumes continue to grow, traditional tools and manual finishing methods do not scale. This agreement deepens our alignment with the clear industry leader, extending our commercial reach and making it easier for customers to deploy proven post-processing solutions as part of a unified additive manufacturing workflow,” &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/318731/postprocess-ceo-on-why-the-dirty-little-secret-of-3d-printing-cant-be-ignored-anymore/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Jeff Mize&#60;/a&#62;, PostProcess Technologies CEO, &#60;a href=&#34;https://investors.stratasys.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/968/stratasys-launches-post-processing-partnership-program-to&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;said&#60;/a&#62; in a Stratasys press release.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_320685&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/SSYS-Neo-PPT-D4K-2-1.png&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/SSYS-Neo-PPT-D4K-2-1.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1191&#34; height=&#34;570&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;p&#62;Stratasys Neo800+ 3D printer and PostProcess Technologies DEMI 4100 resin removal system&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Garrity said that PostProcess was the “natural” choice to kick off this new partnership program, because the two companies have worked so well together already.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;“We’ve really liked the products they have in terms of the predictability and reliability and how they’re going about that. And our aerospace customers, automotive customers, industrial customers have also been adopting those products, and at the same time have been saying, ‘Hey, we’d rather work with less vendors than having to work with several. And so, if Stratasys can be the integrator, so to speak, to the workflow, we’d prefer to work with you, Stratasys, and have more of that one-stop shop and ensure that you’re doing the validation and everything that we need to have the confidence to adopt it.’ So that’s what drove it, and that’s what drove PostProcess Technologies being the first partner.”&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The key with PostProcess, as Garrity explained, is its industrial approach to post-printing technologies like resin and support removal and other finishing methods. All of these can be complicated, and add a lot of lead time, especially when customers are having to research multiple vendors, possibly make separate purchases, and cross their fingers that it all works well together. PostProcess offers a “software-driven workflow,” which equals validated recipes that help cut out the complexity.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;“We see potential to link the software chain together from our GrabCAD to the PostProcess software in a way that further iterates that loop and helps customers upfront in the process. So those are the benefits that we saw,” Garrity said. “We felt that ultimately, a unified workflow is going to result in the customer cost of ownership going down.”&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;p&#62;I asked him how ecosystems like this one can change adoption economics of additive. He explained that as customers move more into production use cases, many of them are still having the post-processing steps done manually, which opens the workflow up to unpredictability.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;“So to have repeatability in performance, part after part after part after part after part, it’s very hard to do that manually, and also very hard to scale economically that way,” Garrity said.&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;div id=&#34;attachment_322292&#34; class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/DEMI520_Rendering-scaled.png&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/DEMI520_Rendering-scaled.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;2560&#34; height=&#34;1920&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;p&#62;PostProcess Technologies DEMI X 520&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/div&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Customers wanted automated post-processing solutions, and PostProcess Technologies is a leader in this. Removing manual labor through automation can significantly reduce the time it takes to complete post-processing, which can majorly impact the total cost of ownership.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;“We saw it firsthand at Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, and that’s the reason we invested and put systems on site at different locations. And we’ve seen the ROI on that firsthand.”&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Garrity said that, depending on the additive technology and the site, SDM has seen a 30-50% reduction in ROI, thanks to PostProcess and its automated solutions.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;blockquote&#62;&#60;p&#62;“This new program and PostProcess Technologies for us made sense given their purpose-built approach and overlap and synergy with the type of customers that we’re focused on. So for the customer, having a unified workflow over time is going to reduce the amount of time and labor in the process, which helps their TCO,” Garrity concluded. “Also, for our own partner reseller network, they’ll now be able to quote all of this in one place so the customer gets one quote, one invoice: again, a one-stop shop versus having to go navigate multiple vendors.”&#60;/p&#62;&#60;/blockquote&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Through its commercial agreement with PostProcess as part of this new partnership program, Stratasys will offer validated PostProcess solutions via its global sales channels. This way, customers can purchase printers and post-processing equipment under one Stratasys purchase order. PostProcess Technologies will provide installation, service, and ongoing support to ensure that its systems remain optimized for use with Stratasys platforms. All told, this program should reduce deployment time, procurement friction, and integration risk, making everything much more efficient.&#60;/p&#62;</content>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <title>Why SiC-Dedicated Additive Manufacturing Is Gaining Industrial Relevance</title>
        <id>http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6/14225</id>
        <updated>2026-02-10T13:30:34Z</updated>
        <author>
            <name>surdeus</name>
            <uri>http://127.0.0.1:3001/user/1</uri>
        </author>
        <link href="http://127.0.0.1:3001/post/6/14225" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/>
        <content>&#60;article class=&#34;message is-info&#34;&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-header&#34;&#62;
                            &#60;p&#62;Info&#60;/p&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-body&#34;&#62;
                        This post is auto-generated from RSS feed &#60;b&#62;3DPrint.com | Additive Manufacturing Business&#60;/b&#62;. Source: &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323794/why-sic-dedicated-additive-manufacturing-is-gaining-industrial-relevance/&#34;&#62;Why SiC-Dedicated Additive Manufacturing Is Gaining Industrial Relevance&#60;/a&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                    &#60;/article&#62;
                    &#60;p&#62;&#60;strong&#62;Silicon carbide is not a material problem—it’s a manufacturing one.&#60;/strong&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Silicon carbide (SiC) has become a critical material across semiconductors, aerospace, energy, and defense. Its exceptional thermal stability, chemical resistance, and mechanical strength make it indispensable for extreme operating environments.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Yet despite its advantages, the industrial adoption of SiC has lagged behind expectations. The reason is not the material itself, but the lack of manufacturing systems capable of producing SiC components efficiently, reliably, and at scale.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/semiconductor_concept_feature_760470.png&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/semiconductor_concept_feature_760470.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;760&#34; height=&#34;470&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h3&#62;Why SiC Has Always Been Difficult to Manufacture&#60;/h3&#62;
&#60;p&#62;From a manufacturing perspective, SiC presents fundamental challenges. SiC powders are typically non-spherical, with low flowability that makes uniform powder spreading difficult. Forming consistent, defect-free layers is far more complex than with conventional ceramic powders.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;In addition, SiC’s extremely high hardness accelerates equipment wear and significantly increases the difficulty of post-processing. These characteristics narrow the process window and amplify sensitivity to even small variations in operating conditions.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;As a result, SiC components have traditionally relied on slip casting, CIP(Cold Isostatic Pressing), and machining-intensive processes—methods that provide stability, but at the cost of long lead times, high tooling requirements, and limited design flexibility.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h3&#62;Why Generic Ceramic 3D Printers Struggle with SiC&#60;/h3&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Additive manufacturing has long been viewed as a potential solution, but adoption for SiC has been slow. Most ceramic 3D printers are designed as general-purpose systems optimized for oxide ceramics such as alumina or zirconia.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Oxide ceramics typically use more spherical powders with stable flow behavior and wider processing windows. SiC, by contrast, demands precise control over powder deposition, binder penetration, green strength, and IR curing conditions.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;In generic ceramic AM systems, this mismatch often leads to uneven powder layers, insufficient green strength, distortion or cracking during curing and post-processing, and poor process repeatability.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/sic_mirror_article_885590.png&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/sic_mirror_article_885590.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;885&#34; height=&#34;590&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h3&#62;What Changed with MADDE’s SiC-Dedicated Printing&#60;/h3&#62;
&#60;p&#62;To address these constraints, &#60;a href=&#34;http://www.madde.co.kr/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;MADDE&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/a&#62; pursued a different approach: developing a binder jetting platform engineered specifically for SiC, rather than adapting existing ceramic printers. Printer architecture, powder handling, binder delivery, and IR curing parameters were all designed around the realities of non-spherical, high-hardness SiC powders.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;This material-focused approach has delivered tangible industrial results. Lead times that once stretched over several months have been reduced to a matter of weeks, while manufacturing costs have been significantly lowered by eliminating tooling and reducing machining requirements.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;For industries such as semiconductor equipment and extreme-environment applications—where low-volume, highly customized parts are common—these improvements are not incremental. They fundamentally change how SiC components can be sourced, designed, and deployed.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/printing_ir_article_885590.png&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/printing_ir_article_885590.png&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;885&#34; height=&#34;590&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Today, SiC additive manufacturing is moving beyond experimental trials and becoming a viable production option, offering predictable quality, repeatability, and economic benefits. With dedicated systems and optimized processes, the traditional advantages of additive manufacturing—design freedom, rapid iteration, and flexible production—are finally being realized for SiC.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h3&#62;From Capability to Scale&#60;/h3&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Building on its SiC-dedicated additive manufacturing capability, MADDE has been rapidly expanding its customer base across industries such as semiconductor equipment and space applications. This capability has moved beyond technical validation and is now translating into repeatable industrial production and stable supply.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;On this foundation, MADDE is preparing to scale its manufacturing operations, with plans to expand production capacity toward 2027 in response to growing industrial demand.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;em&#62;MADDE is a Platinum Sponsor for &#60;a href=&#34;https://additivemanufacturingstrategies.com/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;&#60;span class=&#34;&#34;&#62;Additive Manufacturing Strategies&#60;/span&#62;&#60;/span&#62;&#38;nbsp;&#60;/a&#62;(AMS), a three-day industry event taking place February 24–26 in New York City. The conference brings together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators from across the global AM ecosystem. MADDE’s CEO Shinhu Cho will also present a talk on “Silicone Carbide Binder Jetting for Extreme-Environment Applications.” Registration is open via the &#60;a href=&#34;https://additivemanufacturingstrategies.com/register/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;AMS website&#60;/a&#62;.&#60;/em&#62;&#60;/p&#62;</content>
    </entry>
    
    <entry>
        <title>3D Printing at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics</title>
        <id>http://127.0.0.1:3001/inn/6/14206</id>
        <updated>2026-02-10T13:00:37Z</updated>
        <author>
            <name>surdeus</name>
            <uri>http://127.0.0.1:3001/user/1</uri>
        </author>
        <link href="http://127.0.0.1:3001/post/6/14206" rel="alternate" type="text/html"/>
        <content>&#60;article class=&#34;message is-info&#34;&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-header&#34;&#62;
                            &#60;p&#62;Info&#60;/p&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                        &#60;div class=&#34;message-body&#34;&#62;
                        This post is auto-generated from RSS feed &#60;b&#62;3DPrint.com | Additive Manufacturing Business&#60;/b&#62;. Source: &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/323762/3d-printing-at-the-2026-milano-cortina-winter-olympics/&#34;&#62;3D Printing at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics&#60;/a&#62;
                        &#60;/div&#62;
                    &#60;/article&#62;
                    &#60;p&#62;For the summer Olympics, we are well aware of the extensive 3D printing that goes on in service of track cyclists, road cyclists, and runners. In athletics, custom 3D printed shoes have already been offered to athletes for many years. Custom bike accessories or components, like stems, frames, and handlebars by &#60;a href=&#34;https://additive-engineering.co.uk/sport/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;companies like Metron&#60;/a&#62;, help set up bicycles specifically for one cyclist as well. These optimized, customized, and lightweight 3D printed parts have led to hundreds of medals awarded over the decades.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h2&#62;Winter Olympics 3D Printing&#60;/h2&#62;
&#60;p&#62;With the Winter Olympics, 3D printing success has been more guarded. We know that for a number of years, bobsleigh teams have used 3D printed components. Last year, &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/311690/going-for-gold-3d-printing-scanning-for-the-olympic-games/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Sarah Saunders wrote an article showcasing many of the ways that 3D printing was being used at the Olympics&#60;/a&#62;. Bobsleds were 3D printed, especially steering components but also entire composite bodies. BMW and other firms helped optimize the shape and performance of 3D printed bobsleighs, as well as the spikes on the bobsleigh shoes. The Chinese team 3D printed a helmet for its riders, and the &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/203737/us-luge-team-3d-printing/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;US Luge team worked with Stratasys&#60;/a&#62; in a similar vein.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;On the ice, skating blades and gloves have been made. Easier bindings have been crafted for skiing and snowboarding olympic athletes also.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;h2&#62;2026 Milan Cortina Olympics&#60;/h2&#62;
&#60;p&#62;The US team is also making bobsled components for this year’s Olympics &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.crp-group.com/case-studies/3d-printed-bobsled-parts-windform-support-winter-olympics-athletes/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;with CRP&#60;/a&#62;. We would expect significant carbon fiber work to be undertaken on the bobsleighs, and similar events such as the luge. Metal weight-saving components will also be used, as would balance components to improve control and performance.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/usaluge3.webp&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/usaluge3-1024x682.webp&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1024&#34; height=&#34;682&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;This year, &#60;a href=&#34;https://www.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/how-nascar-is-helping-team-usa-as-they-aim-for-gold-in-the-winter-olympics/10795118/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;NASCAR&#60;/a&#62; is getting in on the game. The sports giant is making life-sized 3D printed copies of athletes to make better wind tunnel tests, and using CFD work to optimize their gear and performance. Luge and other athletes were scanned in the right position for their sports. Honda and Totalsim helped out as well, analyzing the models, and Stratasys printers will be used to make models of equipment for wind tunnel testing.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;On a related note, the BBC created a stop motion video for its &#60;a href=&#34;https://lbbonline.com/news/bbc-creative-nomint-olympics-animation-behind-the-work&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Olympics advert series&#60;/a&#62;, featuring 700 individually 3D printed athletes, as well as live combustion techniques.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;A more surprising move is the use of &#60;a href=&#34;https://pebbleheads.com&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Pebbleheads&#60;/a&#62;. Using copper ice makers, curling officials add ice droplets to smooth ice surfaces. This is to add more difficulty, but also to make the indoor ice resemble the natural ice conditions of yesteryear. A Canadian firm has developed Pebbleheads: 3D printed ice droplet spreaders made with an ABS blend, which are lighter than the copper units they replace. &#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/314277/gas-and-watertight-3d-prints-with-diamant-sealant/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;Finished with Diamant,&#60;/a&#62; a gas and watertight sealant, they have been engineered to specifically work in spreading droplets in the right pattern. The company has reported selling 21 sets of its Pebbleheads to the Olympics.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;Now of course, if I get the best and the brightest from BMW to engineer an expensive bobsled, it could work and marketing could power the effort. But, this is a fantastic case where a functional and cost-effective product, made on desktop machines, is making it to the Olympics. Weighing in at 35 grams, these heads will be lighter than their predecessors, and more uniformly deliver droplets to the ice. At $600 Canadian dollars for a full set, it’s also an amazing business. I think this is a wonderful example of a type of product that more people should launch. Niche, effective, and profitable. The inventor has a &#60;a href=&#34;https://printandplay.ca/&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;3D printing shop&#60;/a&#62; and has worked on making curling movies for 13 years. His inside knowledge, connections, and contact with professionals let him develop the perfect tool.&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;&#60;a href=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Pebbleheads_0022_20250216_162351.jpg&#34; rel=&#34;noopener noreferrer&#34;&#62;&#60;img src=&#34;https://3dprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Pebbleheads_0022_20250216_162351-1024x1024.jpg&#34; alt=&#34;&#34; width=&#34;1024&#34; height=&#34;1024&#34;&#62;&#60;/a&#62;&#60;/p&#62;
&#60;p&#62;This is really a great story. Desktop 3D printing is very accessible. In creating specific parts to fit a specific purpose, CAD coupled with 3D printing can innovate austerely and quickly. We know that winning cyclist Tadej Pogačar has 3D printed parts on his bikes. As well as the power meters and other components made in metal by cycling firms, he has small desktop 3D printed components as well. These components have been made specifically for him, to alter controls for him, to change some balance annoying him, some specific purpose for him alone. Many more athletes, especially in sports such as speed skating, should look at small iterative improvements to make them go faster, higher, and further.&#60;/p&#62;</content>
    </entry>
    
</feed>