Reporting on 3D printing for industrial production

Production See All

9 Jan 2025
SPEE3D’S Cold Spray Technology Prints Metal Parts in Sub-zero Environments
The company’s XSPEE3D printer was tested as part of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Point of Need Manufacturing Challenge

7 Jan 2025
America Makes Announces $2.1M Project Call Winners
The project call, released in June 2024, consists of six topic areas of focus.

7 Jan 2025
For Production AM, Is Metal a Better Candidate Than Polymer?
Taking stock of the many AM successes we have covered on The Cool Parts Show, and what the breakdown by material type reveals.

19 Dec 2024
3D Printed Inconel Sleeve Protects Critical Valves from Thermal Shock
Valve manufacturer Velan has developed a double-walled sleeve using lattices as thermal insulation to protect critical severe service valves from thermal shock and stress.

12 Dec 2024
Two 12-Laser AM Machines at Collins Aerospace: Here Is How They Are Being Used
With this additive manufacturing capacity, one room of the Collins Iowa facility performs the work previously requiring a supply chain. Production yield will nearly double, and lead times will be more than 80% shorter.

12 Dec 2024
Endeavor 3D, CADmore Collaborate to Strengthen AM Foothold in Southeast US
Endeavor 3D and CADmore will work together to push forward new advancements in the additive design and manufacturing industry.
Enterprise See All

7 Jan 2025
For Production AM, Is Metal a Better Candidate Than Polymer?
Taking stock of the many AM successes we have covered on The Cool Parts Show, and what the breakdown by material type reveals.

6 Dec 2024
Siemens Expands U.S. Additive Manufacturing Research, Development Initiatives
The company plans to leverage its motion control, automation hardware, digitalization software and technology capabilities at its Charlotte Advanced Technology Collaboration Hub (CATCH) to serve as an ecosystem platform for machine builders, machine users and additive design engineers.

15 Oct 2024
Video: Enabling the Digital Inventory with 3D Printing
Würth Additive Group’s Digital Inventory Service (DIS) platform aims to make it easy and secure to store part files in digital inventory, and deploy the data for manufacturing as required. See a demo in this video filmed at IMTS 2024.

11 Sep 2024
6 First-Time Additive Manufacturing Exhibitors at IMTS
Find these companies that are exhibiting for the first time in IMTS’s Additive Manufacturing Sector (in the West Building). Their offerings include printers, parts and powder, with areas of expertise ranging from large-format to atmosphere control to supply chain solutions.

8 Feb 2024
At General Atomics, Do Unmanned Aerial Systems Reveal the Future of Aircraft Manufacturing?
The maker of the Predator and SkyGuardian remote aircraft can implement additive manufacturing more rapidly and widely than the makers of other types of planes. The role of 3D printing in current and future UAS components hints at how far AM can go to save cost and time in aircraft production and design.

2 Jan 2024
Why the Long View Favors AM: Manufacturers at Each Step Face a Choice to Rely Less on Tooling
Additive is now too well-established for its successes to be dislodged by market change. Meanwhile, the most important factor is the promise that will continue to drive adoption.
Sustainability See All

7 Jan 2025
America Makes Announces $2.1M Project Call Winners
The project call, released in June 2024, consists of six topic areas of focus.

4 Dec 2024
Consortium Building Metal 3D Printer With Large-Scale Build Volume, Enhanced Productivity
With dimensions up to 1.5 × 1.5 × 2 m, the printer is designed to offer a 12 times larger build volume and a 300% productivity boost compared to current AddUp machines.

23 Oct 2024
Partners Developing In Situ Optical Monitoring System to Enhance 3D Printing Process for Brass
The partners are working to optimize the 3D printing process for brass by detecting real-time defects during the selective laser melting process to enhance the quality and repeatability of produced components.

8 Oct 2024
3D Printing With Recycled Powders: Reducing Waste and Material Costs
Can you print high-quality parts using recycled thermoplastic powder? JawsTec saves 2 tons of waste per year by investing in SLS printers that reuse scrap to make new parts.

27 Aug 2024
Enabling Sustainable Production Through Measuring Energy Data
Airbus subsidiary CTC’s mobile technology measures machine energy use on new machines and helps optimize for sustainability and efficiency. Valuable for AM applications targeting sustainability.

16 Aug 2024
6K Additive Selected for Powder and Process Optimization Research Project
The project is designed to prove the sustainability and environmental benefits of additive manufacturing for next-generation production of aerospace and defense products with 6K Additive working alongside RTX Technology Research Center and the University of Arizona.
Materials See All

9 Jan 2025
SPEE3D’S Cold Spray Technology Prints Metal Parts in Sub-zero Environments
The company’s XSPEE3D printer was tested as part of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Point of Need Manufacturing Challenge

12 Dec 2024
Endeavor 3D, CADmore Collaborate to Strengthen AM Foothold in Southeast US
Endeavor 3D and CADmore will work together to push forward new advancements in the additive design and manufacturing industry.

10 Dec 2024
Shapeways Restarts with a Renewed Focus on Creating a Stable, Customer-centric Company
New leadership team acquires key assets, including the Shapeways name and its original Eindhoven production facility, and is set to take the company into its next chapter.

31 Oct 2024
7 Takeaways on 3D Printing As a Pathway to Polymer’s Future
The Cleveland section of SPE hosted “Additive Manufacturing: Printing the Path for the Future” on October 17, 2024. Speakers signaled where AM is and where it is headed with session topics ranging from pellet-based 3D printing to qualification and commercialization of additively manufactured products.

8 Oct 2024
3D Printing With Recycled Powders: Reducing Waste and Material Costs
Can you print high-quality parts using recycled thermoplastic powder? JawsTec saves 2 tons of waste per year by investing in SLS printers that reuse scrap to make new parts.

3 Oct 2024
Cranial Implant 3D Printed From Hydroxyapatite Ceramic: The Cool Parts Show #76
Cranial implants are typically made from titanium or PEEK; in this episode of The Cool Parts Show, we look at how implants made from a bioceramic can improve osseointegration and healing.
All Topics See All

Aerospace

AMWTF

AR/VR

Artificial Intelligence

Assembly Consolidation

Automation

Automotive

Basics

Binder Jet

Blockchain

Brackets

Bridge Production

Casting

Ceramic

Circular Economy

Composites

Construction

Consumer Goods

Contract Manufacturers

Cool Parts

DED

Defense

Depowdering

Design

Distributed Manufacturing

EBM

Education & Training

Electric Vehicles (EVs)

Energy & Power

Enterprise Issues

FFF

Foam

Formnext

Generative Design

Heat Exchangers

Heat treating

Hybrid manufacturing

Implants

IMTS

Inspection & Measurement

Inventors

Jigs, Fixtures, Hand Tools

LFAM

Lightweighting

LPBF

Machining

Mass Customization

Materials

Medical & Dental

Metal

Micro

Mold Tooling

MRO/Sustainment

OEMs

Oil & Gas

Photopolymerization/SLA

Polymer

Postprocessing

Product Development

Production

Prosthetics/Orthotics

Prototyping

Qualification/Certification

Recycling

Repair

Robots

Safety

Sand

SLS

Software

Space

Sporting Goods

Startups

Supply Chain

Sustainability

Tooling

Valves

WAAM
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Webinars See All

On Demand
Microstructural Control in Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion
For powder bed fusion technologies, electron beam powder bed fusion (EB-PBF) stands out for its high power and fast beam speed. This enables it to not only print challenging metals such as tungsten but also allows for direct control of the resulting microstructure. Join this webinar in which a demonstration of JEOL's EB-PBF technology — as well as its capability for microstructural control of Alloy 718 — will be shown with technical information on how this is achieved.

On Demand
Accelerating Product Development with Rapid Tooling
Attendees will learn how Mantle's technology enables production-quality tooling with unprecedented speed, precision and durability to produce production equivalent prototype molded parts. Rapid tooling allows teams to iterate designs faster, validate part functions earlier and scale into production seamlessly from prototype to production. If plastic parts are strategic to your organization, this is a must-attend event to learn how to bring products to market faster. Agenda: Common methods of how plastic parts are prototyped today How rapid tooling accelerates the product development process and when to use it Real-world case studies from manufacturers who have shortened product development cycles by up to 80%

On Demand
Understanding Material Transfer Options for DLP and SLA 3D Printing Systems
As printer technologies evolve, so does the need for users to handle the transfer of resin materials during the manufacturing process. Learn about the different transfer options and how to make informed decisions for simple, reliable and clean delivery into DLP and SLA 3D printing systems. Agenda: Comparison of the technologies Different material transfer options PPE essentials Tips and tricks for your system Considerations for intelligent connections

On Demand
Your Competitive Advantage with Metal 3D Printing
Discover how Rennscot MFG was able to further penetrate the aerospace and semiconductor sectors, by leveraging the EOS M300-4 to expand their production processes. David Bamforth, president and CEO of Rennscot MFG, will share his journey from a small machine shop to an advanced manufacturing powerhouse, highlighting the challenges and triumphs along the way. Gain firsthand knowledge from Fabian Alefeld of the EOS Additive Minds team, who will delve into the lessons learned from helping more than 1,000 companies to successfully enter AM, offering practical strategies for companies transitioning to additive manufacturing. Learn about the unique opportunities that metal 3D printing presents, from enhancing business development to meeting diverse customer requirements across various industries. Don't miss this opportunity to engage with our speakers and explore how metal additive manufacturing can elevate your business. Whether you're new to AM or looking to expand your capabilities, this webinar is your gateway to unlocking new possibilities in manufacturing.

On Demand
Metal Powder and Resin Extraction Using Vacuum Cycle Nucleation
Vacuum cycle nucleation (VCN) is an immersion cleaning and extraction process which takes place in a sealed processing chamber. The pressure in the chamber is lowered and raised at and below the vapor pressure of the heated cleaning liquid. When the vapor pressure is reached, vapor bubbles are formed on the solid surface and these bubbles collapse and exit the bulk fluid. As they exit, they carry the particles and solubilized material to be removed. This vacuum pressure cycle is repeated every two seconds until the desired cleanliness is achieved. VCN cleaning is followed by a VCN water rinse and vacuum drying. Agenda: What is VCN? How does VCN work? Videos of the process

On Demand
3D Printed Ceramics for MedTech: Multifeature Disruption
How can ceramic 3D printing provide a unique solution for every patient? What is the added value? Ceramic 3D printing is not about replacing well-established processes — it's here to complete them. In this webinar, Lithoz will look at several current applications in the medical field: first with silicon nitride manufacturer SiNAPTIC Technologies and then bioceramic experts Himed. With their years of experience in medical applications, this webinar will explain in full detail how ceramics can complement the metal materials conventionally used for implants and why ceramic is even sometimes the material of choice over metal. Agenda: Introducing the challenges in the medical industry today The powerful ceramic 3D printing technology for medical applications, explained by Lithoz An overview of ceramic medical applications already in use today by advanced ceramic materials expert SiNAPTIC Technologies An in-depth look at ceramic materials and their applications by experienced bioceramic manufacturer Himed
Events See All

10 Jan 2025
Detroit Auto Show
The Detroit Auto Show, formerly known as the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), is located squarely at the intersection of technology and mobility. It’s a global event filled with tangible advances ready to hit the pavement today. Here, the software is as revolutionary as anything out there, and the hardware always looks better with a good polish. You won’t find any devices that will fit in your pocket, but you will discover machines that will move you in the most literal sense. You’ll also connect with thought leaders from around the world, both in and outside the automotive industry, whose collective visions for the future of mobility will shape the way we move for years to come.

4 Feb 2025
Additive Manufacturing Strategies 2025
The eighth annual Additive Manufacturing Strategies (AMS 2025) networking business summit takes place February 4-6, 2025, in New York City. This 3D printing conference features keynote presentations and panel discussions surrounding growth, deployment and investment strategies in industrial additive manufacturing.

5 Mar 2025
National Surface Finishing Day
Each year Products Finishing partners with thousands of finishing operations in the U.S. to celebrate National Surface Finishing Day (NSFD) on the first Wednesday in March. NSFD is designed to celebrate and showcase the industry to trade schools, businesses, officials and media, as well as to celebrate employees and staff. The overarching goal of NSFD is to bring further awareness to the important roles plating and coating facilities play in their communities. Facilities are encouraged to host events and work with local media to build awareness about the contributions made by the surface finishing industry. For a helpful guide to reaching out to media outlets, download the NSFD toolkit here. How can you celebrate? Share your company’s story Hold an open house where the public can check out your facility –— either in person or virtual Offer student shop tours to local trade schools Invite local elected officials to visit and get to know your staff Celebrate your employees Share news about what you’re doing on social media and use the hashtag #NationalSurfaceFinishingDay or #NSFD

18 Mar 2025
PTXPO 2025
PTXPO 2025 is a comprehensive showcase of cutting-edge technologies and innovations within the plastics molding industry. Join fellow molders, moldmakers, brand owners, OEMs and their full suite of suppliers in Rosemont, IL for three days of non-stop networking, education and business development opportunities.

2 Apr 2025
Parts Cleaning Workshop
Critical Cleaning Hands-on Workshop Do it; learn it! The one-day workshop teaches how cleaning and cleanliness testing work. By participating in hands-on exercises of techniques for cleaning and cleanliness verification, attendees gain the understanding and knowledge to make practical, effective, and sustainable manufacturing decisions. While exercises are supplemented by demonstrations and tutorials, the workshop is not death by PowerPoint! Topics include aqueous, solvent, and “non-chemical” cleaning, including cleaning chemicals and cleaning processes (spray, ultrasonics, cyclic nucleation, in-line, batch). Most manufactured product and product contact surfaces require cleaning during (and sometimes after) manufacture and assembly. Examples of areas where effective cleaning is essential include: metal fabrication, product assembly, optics, electronics, microelectronics, wafer fab, medical devices, aerospace/aeronautics, military, and additive manufacturing. WHAT DO YOU CALL CLEANING? There are many different terms for cleaning. Cleaning Precision Cleaning Critical Cleaning Safety/Critical Cleaning Surface Prep for Finishing Technical Cleanliness Residue Removal WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THE WORKSHOP If you or your company fabricates, finishes, maintains or repairs product or product contact surfaces (like reaction vessels), this workshop is time well-spent. If you sell chemicals or cleaning equipment, this workshop will help you better understand and optimize the market for your products. Examples include: Manufacturing Engineers Product Designers Managers Sales and Marketing Managers Facilities Personnel Assemblers, operators Process Technicians Quality Control Personnel Regulatory Affairs Experts (industry, military, and government) Safety/environmental professionals Participants will receive a PDF Certificate of Completion with continuing education credits from Sam Houston State University.

8 Apr 2025
Rapid + TCT 2025
On April 8-10, 2025, RAPID + TCT will roar into the Motor City! The three-day event features the latest in 3D printing technology from the industry’s leading product and service providers, a full schedule of speakers including the returning Executive Perspectives Keynote Series, and over 125 hours of educational content. The expansive show floor will showcase over 400 exhibiting companies’ latest advancements. Start planning your trip to Detroit to experience North America’s largest additive manufacturing and industrial 3D printing event! Register
Video See All

9 Jan 2025 Energy & Power
3D Printed Spacer Grids for Nuclear Power: The Cool Parts Show #79
Westinghouse Electric Company is exploring laser powder bed fusion as a means of manufacturing spacer grids, critical parts of the fuel rod assemblies used in pressurized water reactors.

6 Jan 2025
Can an AM Factory Make 600 Artillery Rounds Per Day?
Yes, and Big Metal Additive sees how! In this video filmed at BMA's facility, I talk about the robot DED process able to make projectile housings productively.

24 Dec 2024 Cool Parts
The Cool Parts Show Fifth Anniversary Livestream: Watch the Recording
We discuss what the show reveals about the state of AM adoption so far. We share updates about cool parts we have covered. Join us in celebrating 5 years of the show about 3D printing for end-use part production.

11 Dec 2024 Production
Video Tour: Collins Aerospace AM Production Site in West Des Moines
The 12-laser powder bed fusion machines are at the heart of the company’s new production capacity for aircraft engine parts in both aluminum and nickel-based alloy.

10 Dec 2024
Intro to Multimaterial Laser Powder Bed Fusion — How Does This Work?
The key is precise layer-by-layer placement of separate metals. See our video discussing the Aerosint system.

5 Dec 2024 Aerospace
8 Cool Parts From Formnext 2024: The Cool Parts Show #78
End-use parts found at Formnext this year address various aspects of additive's advance, notably AM winning on cost against established processes.
News See All

9 Jan 2025 Materials
SPEE3D’S Cold Spray Technology Prints Metal Parts in Sub-zero Environments
The company’s XSPEE3D printer was tested as part of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Point of Need Manufacturing Challenge

7 Jan 2025 Production
America Makes Announces $2.1M Project Call Winners
The project call, released in June 2024, consists of six topic areas of focus.

3 Jan 2025
Dual Shaft Mixer for Robust Industrial Mixing
Dual Shaft Mixers cater to multiple industries including chemicals, composites, batteries, adhesives and coatings.

26 Dec 2024 Software
The Top 10 Additive Manufacturing Stories of 2024
Defense, space exploration, thermal management — these are some of the topics that captured the Additive Manufacturing audience’s interest in 2024. But there’s also an overarching theme: Don't wait for additive manufacturing to be perfect. Instead, leverage the applications perfect for AM.

23 Dec 2024 Polymer
NAVAIR AM Team Helps Coast Guard Maintain Operational Readiness
Every Coast Guard MH-60T will carry the additively manufactured spacer as a part of the outfitting.

13 Dec 2024 LPBF
Renishaw, Canada Makes Join Forces to Advance AM in Canada
Renishaw and Canada Makes will focus on applying AM technology to a broader range of sectors while scaling up production, helping advance the transition from prototyping to mass manufacture.
Suppliers See All

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New To AM? Start Here

Peter Zelinski Editor-in-Chief

Mold Tooling 10 Feb 2012

An Injection Molder in MMS?

By embracing additive manufacturing, injection molder Thogus is able to bypass mold suppliers.

Watch

19 Jan 2012

Redefining Plastics Manufacturing

When this company was solely an injection molder, job quantities had to be large. Now, with additive manufacturing, any quantity is right. The company's role and its range of customers have both expanded.

Machining 21 Nov 2011

Introducing "Additive Manufacturing," a New Publication from Modern Machine Shop and MoldMaking Technology

A new quarterly supplement to both magazines focuses on the production applications of equipment that builds parts layer by layer.

Metal 1 Oct 2009

Is Direct-Metal Manufacturing Ready for Production?

Not yet, says one manufacturer—but almost. This company is getting its customers ready for the day when additive manufacturing will be much more mainstream.

North America’s Premier Molding and Moldmaking Event