Additive Manufacturing Media

Additive Manufacturing Media We are the media brand devoted to industrial applications of 3D printing technology. Instead, we speak to a manufacturing audience.

Additive Manufacturing is devoted to industrial applications of 3D printing and digital layering technology to make functional parts. We don’t cover 3D printing as it relates to making design models, movie props, sculpture or swimwear (sorry). We are exploring the use of additive manufacturing to make tooling, molds and functional prototypes, along with the ultimate aim of manufacturers: end-use p

roduction parts. We report on the promise of additive manufacturing in these applications. We also report on the pitfalls. Staff members write about successes with additive manufacturing and the hard roads that led to those successes.

The additive manufacturing talent gap is not simply a skills problem. It is also a question of communication, access, an...
09/08/2026

The additive manufacturing talent gap is not simply a skills problem. It is also a question of communication, access, and culture.

U.S. manufacturers may need as many as 3.8 million new workers between 2024 and 2033, with nearly half of those positions potentially going unfilled. In additive manufacturing, the challenge runs deeper than technical training.

Three interconnected gaps are shaping the pipeline:

- **Communication:** Employers, educators, and workforce development organizations lack sufficient alignment on the foundational skills industry actually requires
- **Access:** Students in under-resourced communities face structural barriers — transportation, financial instability, limited industry connections — that make career pathways harder to envision
- **Culture:** Retention depends on clear advancement opportunities; employees are 2.7 times less likely to leave when they believe they can grow within an organization

Effective storytelling and branding are also emerging as workforce tools. Without them, future talent may not recognize where they fit within the industry's transformation.

The core question may no longer be whether manufacturing jobs exist — but whether the industry can clearly communicate how workers participate in its future.

Read the full analysis to explore the frameworks being applied across education, mentorship, and organizational development. https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/articles/how-manufacturing-culture-shapes-todays-workforce-pipeline

Scaling personalized manufacturing is one of additive manufacturing's most compelling industrial applications.Superfeet,...
09/03/2026

Scaling personalized manufacturing is one of additive manufacturing's most compelling industrial applications.

Superfeet, a performance insole manufacturer operating since 1977, has leveraged 3D printing to address a fundamental production challenge: how to enable scale with a personalized process.

Partnering with HP in 2017, Superfeet integrated Multi-Jet Fusion (MJF) technology in-house to produce custom insoles based on individual biometric scans. The results have been measurable:

- Significantly reduced lead times
- Expanded design freedom
- Biometric data applied to mass production

A 2024 facility expansion brought all operations under one roof in Ferndale, Washington, where four HP MJF printers produce approximately 72 heel caps per build from nylon PA12 powder. The full design-to-distribution cycle spans 3-4 days.

The company's Me3D line, now accessible via online scanning, enables customers to submit foot scans remotely for custom insole production — extending personalized manufacturing to a global customer base.

"AM enables us to scale our efforts and get better," says Matt Gooch, VP of product and innovation at Superfeet.

Read the full report for a detailed look at Superfeet's in-house AM operations. https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/articles/superfeet-scales-production-customization-of-3d-printed-performance-insoles

The Navy has established a streamlined technical pathway for deploying metallic 3D-printed components across submarine c...
09/02/2026

The Navy has established a streamlined technical pathway for deploying metallic 3D-printed components across submarine construction, maintenance, and combat-ready repair.

Project Peculiar Document PPD 802-8436658 removes a longstanding bottleneck: historically, substituting a traditional cast or wrought part with an additively manufactured equivalent triggered part-by-part engineering assessments, manual drawing modifications, and repetitive first-article testing. The new requirements eliminate redundant approvals, allowing engineers and suppliers to field advanced components more rapidly.

Key elements of the framework:

- AM components are already performing in deep-sea operations aboard USS Washington and USS Nevada
- For Level I material control and SUBSAFE systems, rigorous quality and non-destructive inspection requirements remain in force
- Requirements are authorized for immediate use across design, construction, overhaul, and repair

The directive supports the national security mandate to build one Columbia-class and two Virginia-class submarines annually while sustaining the current fleet — using additive manufacturing to address supply chain constraints, part obsolescence, and long-lead sourcing gaps.

PPD 802-8436658 is indexed and searchable via the DLA Quick Search Portal and the Navy Digital Sea Resource Portal. https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/articles/us-navy-new-metallic-3d-printing-standards-accelerate-submarine-construction-and-repair

Additive manufacturing has a new home at IMTS 2026 — and its placement tells you something about where the technology st...
09/01/2026

Additive manufacturing has a new home at IMTS 2026 — and its placement tells you something about where the technology stands.

For the first time, the Additive Sector is housed in the South Building, directly alongside the Metal Removal Sector. The reasoning is straightforward: delivering a finished AM part often requires subtractive operations to machine features, tap threads, create smooth surfaces, and cut parts from build plates.

Six categories worth examining on the show floor:

- Large format additive manufacturing, including robot-mounted extruders and expanded powder bed systems
- Compact, lower-cost metal 3D printers suited for R&D and small-batch production
- Postprocessing equipment — wire EDM, depowdering, and surface finishing — in direct context with the printing workflow
- Hybrid platforms that combine additive and subtractive on a single machine
- Polymer systems, including mid-sized powder-based machines and metal-replacement applications
- AM service providers offering outsourced production and developed equipment of their own

The full exhibitor breakdown is worth reviewing before you arrive. https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/articles/plan-your-visit-to-the-additive-sector-at-imts-2026

Parts coming off a 3D printer rarely meet end-use requirements without further work.Layer lines, excess powder, support ...
08/27/2026

Parts coming off a 3D printer rarely meet end-use requirements without further work.

Layer lines, excess powder, support witness marks, and internal roughness are inherent to additive manufacturing — and there is no single surface finishing process that addresses them all. The right sequence depends on material, geometry, required surface roughness, and end-use requirements.

Nine of the most commonly used postprocessing techniques in AM today include:

- Media blasting for uniform matte finishes and powder removal
- Abrasive flow machining for internal passages in fuel nozzles and hydraulic blocks
- Tumbling and vibratory finishing for batch processing small-to-medium parts
- Manual grinding, sanding, and polishing for structural parts and support mark removal
- Chemical and electrochemical polishing for lattice structures and medical implants
- Laser polishing for high-value dental and aerospace components
- CNC machining for critical mating surfaces and tight-tolerance features
- V***r smoothing for polymer surface refinement
- Coatings and plating for wear resistance and cosmetic uniformity

Each method carries distinct trade-offs in cost, scalability, and geometric compatibility. Read the full breakdown to understand where each technique applies. https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/articles/surface-finishing-options-for-3d-printed-parts

The defense supply chain is navigating a critical inflection point in additive manufacturing adoption.At the AM+ Worksho...
08/25/2026

The defense supply chain is navigating a critical inflection point in additive manufacturing adoption.

At the AM+ Workshop: Aerospace & Defense on September 15, AM users and technology providers immersed in the defense supply chain will share firsthand perspectives on where additive manufacturing stands — and where it is heading — in one of the most demanding application environments in industry.

The session runs alongside IMTS — The International Manufacturing Technology Show — and can be added to an existing IMTS ticket or registered for independently.

For engineers and supply chain managers working in or adjacent to aerospace and defense, this is a focused opportunity to hear directly from practitioners operating within the sector's unique constraints: qualification requirements, part criticality, and the realities of scaling additive production for defense applications.

Register or add the workshop to your IMTS ticket to attend. https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/articles/am-for-defense-is-surging-get-up-to-speed-at-imts-

Large-format metal additive manufacturing is reshaping how space components are produced — and the numbers behind one NA...
08/20/2026

Large-format metal additive manufacturing is reshaping how space components are produced — and the numbers behind one NASA project illustrate why.

Contract manufacturer and metal AM solutions provider DM3D has leveraged its patented direct metal deposition (DMD) technology to produce some of the largest additively manufactured metal components for rocket engines, including NASA's RS-25 engine nozzle liner — 111 inches tall with a 97-inch-diameter base.

The results compared to conventional production methods:
- More than 50% reduction in lead time
- 25% reduction in cost

DM3D's multi-nozzle DMD system doubled throughput by operating two simultaneous process heads, with capacity to add more.

For low-volume industries like space and aerospace, where tool and die processes drive long lead times, directed energy deposition offers a cost-effective alternative for complex, large-format parts — across stainless steel, Inconel, copper alloys, aluminum, and titanium.

With titanium castings becoming increasingly difficult to source, the case for metal AM in these applications continues to grow.

Read the full piece to understand how DED technology is being scaled for space-grade production. https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/articles/powering-space-missions-with-metal-lfam-parts

Thermal management components for liquid cooling applications present a clear case for additive manufacturing's precisio...
08/18/2026

Thermal management components for liquid cooling applications present a clear case for additive manufacturing's precision capabilities.

Farsoon Technologies has 3D printed two copper alloy components — a heat dissipation cold plate and a finned heat sink — using its Fine Laser Spot metal AM technology, which leverages laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) to produce near-net-shape or end-use compact parts with minimal finishing requirements.

Key design and performance details:

- The CuCrZr cold plate is printed in one piece, reducing leakage risks, with triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) structures combined with traditional cooling designs at a minimum wall thickness of 0.2 mm
- The copper alloy finned heat sink achieves a part density greater than 99.5%, with fins as thin as 0.25 mm to enable consistent airflow across an expanded surface area
- Both components are designed for applications demanding microscopic precision, including heat exchangers

For a closer look at the specifications and geometry behind these components, the full piece is worth reviewing. https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/articles/3d-printed-cold-plate-heat-sink-for-thermal-management-pic-of-the-week

A front wing component redesigned in 34 seconds. That is the result when AI-driven design and large format additive manu...
08/13/2026

A front wing component redesigned in 34 seconds. That is the result when AI-driven design and large format additive manufacturing converge on a Formula SAE application.

The University of Cincinnati Bearcats Motorsports team faced a familiar engineering challenge: reduce weight and simplify construction without sacrificing structural performance. Their original carbon fiber and aluminum front wing second element required approximately 65 hours of design, manufacturing, and assembly and weighed 621 g.

Working with three industry partners, the team replaced that process with a faster, lighter alternative:

- Vixiv's AI engine generated an optimized, lattice-infill design in 34 seconds
- GZero Additive manufactured the part on its LFAM platform using graphene-reinforced nylon filament from Lyten
- The printed component weighed 395 g — a 36% reduction — and eliminated assembly time entirely

At FSAE Michigan, the part sustained structural loads of 60 to 80 lbf and held a broken assembly together after an impact that snapped the first element's endplates.

The full account of this design-to-competition process is worth reading for engineers evaluating AI-assisted lightweighting and advanced materials in motorsport applications. https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/articles/ai-assisted-racing-front-wing-component-weighs-36-less-pic-of-the-week

Defense manufacturing is perhaps the fastest growing market for additive manufacturing today — but how is 3D printing al...
08/11/2026

Defense manufacturing is perhaps the fastest growing market for additive manufacturing today — but how is 3D printing already being used to serve defense needs, and what opportunities exist for newcomers?

The AM+ Workshop: Aerospace & Defense, held September 15 at IMTS (McCormick Place, Chicago), brings together suppliers and manufacturers already immersed in this supply chain to address those questions directly.

Sessions cover:

- Tungsten 3D printing for defense applications
- Affordable methods for improving AM reliability
- AI-accelerated slicing and data processing for LPBF
- Agentic physical AI for additive manufacturing, from factory to field
- Scalable, compliant drone production using additive manufacturing

The half-day program runs 1–4 p.m. CT and is priced at $250, which includes session proceedings and full-week access to the IMTS exhibit halls.

Whether you are new to additive or an established user evaluating this market, the workshop addresses materials, processes, tools, and the role AI is playing in what AM can deliver for defense.

Reserve your seat at the link. https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/articles/ai-drones-defense-join-the-am-workshop-at-imts-

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