Additive Manufacturing Media

Tungsten is one of the most demanding materials in manufacturing — and one of the hardest to process.

With a melting point above 3,000°C, tungsten is heat resistant, dense, and non-reactive, making it a candidate for nuclear fusion components like divertor tiles. But its brittleness and ductile-to-brittle transition temperature make conventional machining and press-and-sinter methods severely limiting when complex geometries are required.

Electron beam melting (EBM) addresses this directly:

- The process preheats the powder bed to 1,600°C, keeping tungsten above its ductile-to-brittle transition temperature and reducing microcracks
- EBM operates at up to six kilowatts of power with beam speeds thousands of times faster than laser-based systems, enabling precise thermal control
- Because CT scanning is ineffective on dense tungsten, JEOL has developed layer-by-layer inspection using the electron beam itself as a scanning electron microscope

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and engineers at JEOL are developing process parameters and demonstrator components — including tungsten divertor tiles designed for remote handling in fusion reactors.

Full episode linked below. https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/articles/electron-beam-melting-with-tungsten-the-cool-parts-show-bonus

Scaling 3D printed bioceramic implants from prototype to production remains one of the practical barriers facing medtech manufacturers.

Himed, a producer of bioceramic materials, and Adva Cera, a company specializing in advanced ceramic additive manufacturing, have announced a strategic partnership to create a complete development-to-production pathway for 3D printed calcium phosphate components used in dental, orthopedic, and spinal applications.

The partnership addresses a specific gap: moving from a fully optimized implant design into qualified, production-scale ceramic AM without requalifying materials, restarting development cycles, or making significant capital expenditures in printing infrastructure.

Key elements of the partnership include:

- A domestic, vertically integrated pathway from R&D through serial production
- Access to Himed's 35 years of materials expertise through its Bioceramics Center of Excellence
- Adva Cera's serial production and near-net-shape manufacturing capabilities

Because calcium phosphate is the mineral phase of bone itself, CaP implants can bond directly to surrounding tissue in ways inert metals and polymers cannot — making scalable, reliable production increasingly consequential for the orthopedic and dental sectors.

Read the full article for complete details. https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/articles/himed-and-adva-cera-partnership-streamlines-path-from-3d-printed-bioceramic-prototypes-to-production

Depowdering is often overlooked as a pain point in additive manufacturing production — but it may need to be addressed as early as the design phase.

Solukon debuted a special configuration of its SFM-AT350-E automated depowdering system at RAPID + TCT 2026, specifically reconfigured to accommodate the EOS M4 Onyx 3D printer and enabling the depowdering of compact metal parts.

Key capabilities of this configuration include:

- Two-axis swivel and flexible rotary table for precise motion control
- High, self-regulating ultrasonic vibration via piezoelectric excitation for gentle, thorough cleaning
- Manual depowdering through sealed glove ports using compressed air or inert gas
- Optional integration with SPR-Pathfinder software, which uses a part's CAD file and digital twin to determine optimal powder removal sequences for complex interior structures

The system is designed for parts with a Z-height below 250 mm and weighing up to 100 kg — suited for delicate applications such as medical components.

"Our most important challenge is to grow with the printers," notes Marina Haugg of Solukon — a directive that extends across part sizes, from compact geometries to assemblies exceeding two tons.

Full coverage linked below. https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/articles/ultrasonic-vibration-enables-automated-depowdering-of-compact-parts

Designing a functional metal multi-tool through additive manufacturing is harder than it looks.

At RAPID + TCT 2026, a team of students from the University of Texas at El Paso — competing as Borderland Steel — took first place in the third annual AM in Steel competition, organized by America Makes. Their entry: a 3D printed stainless steel 316L multi-tool produced using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) technology.

The process was far from linear. The team navigated:

- A failed first print caused by support structure issues
- A design that expanded to 20 parts before being consolidated to five through feature integration and lattice structures
- Postprocessing challenges requiring wire EDM, sandblasting, drills, pliers, and a lathe

What the experience demonstrated is the practical value of metal AM's design flexibility — the ability to iterate orientations, geometries, and configurations without disrupting final production.

The finished multi-tool performed across more than ten functionalities, evaluated live before a panel of judges.

Full details on the design, fabrication process, and lessons learned are available to read now. https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/articles/utep-students-win-2026-am-in-steel-competition-with-3d-printed-multi-tool-

U.S.-based binder jetting contract manufacturer Azoth 3D has scaled metal additive manufacturing for end-use components through partnerships with Elnik Systems and DSH Technologies.

The company identified sintering as the central challenge when producing corrosion-resistant parts for automotive, medical and defense applications. Meeting strict purity and qualification requirements across multiple alloys required precise equipment and process expertise.

Azoth addressed these demands by working with Elnik for batch furnaces with all-metal retorts and atmospheric control, and with DSH for debinding and sintering development. These collaborations supported consistent results and reduced operational risk.

Read the full article to examine how these relationships enabled production-scale binder jetting. https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/articles/strong-partnerships-mean-success-for-binder-jetting-manufacturer

Additive manufacturing is expanding beyond in-the-field repair to serve as an alternative or supplemental process in the defense supply chain.

Conversations with exhibitors and attendees at RAPID 2026 identified specific niches where the technology is now a critical capability. These include armored vehicle components made from refractory materials, hypersonic engine parts produced with niobium and Inconel, and drone components that benefit from rapid development cycles and lightweighting through design for additive manufacturing.

Additional applications cover on-demand repair and replacement parts that reduce complexity and downtime, expeditionary manufacturing systems for deployment in depots and aboard ships, and suppressors that take advantage of geometric complexity for efficient batch production.

The full article examines these use cases in greater detail. https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/articles/what-roles-is-am-playing-in-the-defense-supply-chain-rapid-2026-takeaways

Additive manufacturing enables the precise redesign of assistive medical devices that demand both structural performance and user comfort.

Three M Tool and Machine has applied its in-house capabilities to rethink mouthsticks for individuals with restricted hand or arm mobility. The devices must remain stiff and lightweight while supporting accurate interaction with touchscreens during everyday use.

- Carbon fiber tubes are used for the adaptor that connects to the stylus tip.
- Markforged Onyx and a polycarbonate blend have been evaluated for the mouthpiece to balance rigidity and weight.

Recent work has extended and strengthened the mouthpiece tips. The company is also collaborating with an external design service to refine material selection and overall configuration. Several models are now in active use. https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/articles/post-cure-3d-printed-plastic-composite-mouthstick-designs-assists-limited-mobility-users-2

Large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM) is enabling faster, stronger production of marine structures.

We're covering five stories detailing LFAM’s growing role in the marine sector:

- Newsfender EU launches 3D printed, sustainable boat fenders using industrial large-format 3D printers from BigRep for on-demand, customizable production of protective hardware made from recyclable TPU material.

- Nugae leverages LFAM technologies to 3D print a structural component for a 43-foot catamaran, made of 70% recycled material.

- Budapest-based Rapid Prototyping integrates LFAM into production processes for manufacturing plugs used to build fiberglass molds for boat hulls.

- Caracol utilizes its Heron 300 system to 3D print a 4,200 × 400 × 400 millimeter, 40 kilogram side air intake grille for Pershing Yachts’ GTX116 sports utility yacht.

- A collaboration between V2 Group and Caracol AM produces a full-sized, functional catamaran 3D printed in under six days.

Read more about these applications. https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/articles/5-examples-of-lfam-in-the-marine-sector

OEM and social enterprise re:3D develops large-format 3D printers in the U.S. with a focus on sustainability, upgradability and enabling economic independence anywhere.

The company addresses manufacturing challenges like equipment obsolescence and material waste by designing open-source Gigabot machines that offer perpetual upgrade paths, ensuring no printer becomes a paperweight.

As a social enterprise, re:3D empowers users through initiatives such as the GigaPrize, donating machines to community innovators, and Gigalab systems that convert plastic waste into valuable products.

Local sourcing and U.S.-based production support applications from defense to space, including compact printers for recycling in microgravity.

Read the full profile to explore how these choices foster local problem-solving. https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/articles/making-(and-re-making)-with-large-format-additive-manufacturing

K-Rain shaved 20% off the cycle time for a high-volume product with a new conformally cooled insert printed by Zero Tolerance using Xact metal technology.

Unhappy with the cycle times and part aesthetics achieved with existing sprinkler-head tooling, K-Rain Manufacturing sought a conformally cooled alternative after conventional methods, including stainless steel water lines and thermal pins, provided insufficient improvements.

Partnering with Zero Tolerance, Xact Metal, and Reaction Plastics Solutions, the team applied direct metal laser sintering to print inserts in Uddeholm Corrax stainless tool steel. Post-printing heat treatment and machining achieved 50 HRC hardness and an A2 surface finish.

The inserts reduced cycle time from 52 to 41 seconds, with eight seconds attributed to the conformal cooling circuit, and eliminated sink from the part’s surface. Moldex3D simulations confirmed combined fill, pack/hold, and cooling time dropped from 26.39 to 24.05 seconds, with maximum temperature reduced from 128°F to 96°F.

Read the full article for details on this tooling optimization. https://www.additivemanufacturing.media/articles/sprinkler-head-mold-feels-more-flow-with-conformal-cooling-2