This week across additive manufacturing: Integration of metal additive manufacturing in high-volume consumer electronics; Standardization and series production scaling in aerospace and defense metal AM.
Integration of metal additive manufacturing in high-volume consumer electronics
Consumer electronics OEMs including Apple and Oppo have adopted metal additive manufacturing to optimize material efficiency and refine complex mechanical components at scale.
Oppo is utilizing laser-based additive manufacturing to produce the titanium hinge mechanism for its Find N6 foldable smartphone series. The process employs high-precision laser scanning to calibrate hinge geometry, with the objective of reducing the visible display crease. Oppo is deploying this technology at its manufacturing facilities in China to achieve tolerances that exceed the capabilities of metal injection molding or CNC machining.
Apple is integrating Binder Jetting technology to manufacture aluminum device housings for future iPhone generations. This shift from traditional CNC milling aims to lower material waste and optimize the environmental footprint of production for 6000-series aluminum alloy components. Apple previously demonstrated the feasibility of metal additive manufacturing for consumer hardware in 2025, when it used 3D-printed titanium for USB-C connectors on the iPhone Air, a process that yielded a 33 percent material reduction.
Apple plans to scale its aluminum additive manufacturing processes by 2027, with a phased rollout starting with Apple Watch chassis production before transitioning to iPhone housings. The technical roadmap for this transition involves resolving thermal conductivity challenges inherent in aluminum during the laser powder bed fusion process. Success in this production cycle will depend on the implementation of high-speed, multi-laser systems to maintain the throughput required for high-volume consumer electronics.
Standardization and series production scaling in aerospace and defense metal AM
Aerospace and defense organizations including GKN Aerospace, Ursa Major, and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard have adopted standardized qualification and production protocols to transition metal AM from prototyping to certified flight-critical or mission-critical hardware.
GKN Aerospace will host the SAE International Aerospace Materials Specifications Additive Manufacturing Metals Committee in Trollhättan, Sweden, from May 5 to 7, 2026. The meeting focuses on establishing technical standards for metal additive manufacturing, specifically revisions to AMS7003 for laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) processes and AMS7032 for machine installation and operational qualification. Industry participants are scheduled to lead working sessions on in situ process monitoring, powder management, and AI integration into manufacturing workflows.
Separately, Ursa Major and the Air Force Research Laboratory completed a flight demonstration of the 3D-printed Draper liquid rocket engine on January 27, 2026. The project progressed from initial contract to flight-ready status in eight months. Ursa Major, which secured $100 million in Series E funding in November 2025 to scale propulsion production, utilized additive manufacturing to consolidate engine components. The engine is designed for mass-producible strike capabilities and maintains technical design heritage from the company’s Hadley liquid rocket engine.
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) has installed the first additively manufactured copper-nickel flange on the USS Washington. The component was integrated following successful inspection and weld qualification protocols directed by Vice Adm. Robert Gaucher. This project represents a shift toward decentralized, on-demand repair capabilities within the public shipyard system, utilizing additive manufacturing to address supply chain constraints for legacy maritime components that traditionally rely on casting and forging.
These developments occur as aerospace and defense organizations expand their focus on material and process certification. In April 2026, GKN Aerospace also launched the $8.4 million TITAN-AM programme with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory to industrialize Laser Metal Deposition with wire (LMD-w) for large-scale titanium aerostructures. Each of these initiatives prioritizes the formalization of non-destructive inspection protocols and material datasets to move additive manufacturing beyond prototyping toward certified mission-critical hardware.
This Week in Brief
Product & Technology
- Metal 1.0 - Metal 1.0 launched a desktop metal 3D printer via Kickstarter, priced at 8,500 Euro and featuring a 60-watt diode laser.
- Redwire - Redwire successfully printed live human heart tissue on the ISS, returning the samples to Earth for analysis in April 2024.
- La Candelaria University Hospital - La Candelaria University Hospital reduced mechanotherapy tool costs by 97.6% by using in-house FDM 3D printing to create custom devices.
- Cegar - Cegar developed Portfolio-CEGAR-SEQ, a software scheduler using parallel algorithms to optimize sequential FFF printing for part placement.
- 3D Vinci Creations - 3D Vinci Creations offers a binder jetting workflow for producing complex architectural elements from mineral materials like limestone and concrete.
- Shapeways - Shapeways integrated enhanced preflight and auto-heal tools into its platform to automate mesh repair and reduce print failures.
- Sound Particles - Sound Particles uses 3D printed anatomical head models to validate its spatial audio simulation algorithms for gaming and film.
- Spinal Elements - Spinal Elements secured FDA 510(k) clearance for a 3D printed porous Ti-6Al-4V titanium ALIF spinal fusion implant.
- Accumold - Accumold integrates micro-additive manufacturing as a validation tool to de-risk designs before high-volume micro-injection molding production.
- Horizon Microtechnologies - Horizon Microtechnologies produces monolithic 3D microfluidic structures using micro-AM, eliminating multi-step lithography and bonding.
- WASP - WASP printed the Ol Casel service building at Milan Bergamo Airport in seven days using its Crane platform and lime-based material.
- MIT - MIT and the MFA Boston are creating 100 playable instrument replicas using CT scanning and 3D printed molds for slip-casting.
- Mimaki - Mimaki demonstrated full-color figure production using AI-generated 3D models and its 3DUJ-553 material jetting system.
Partnership
- ICON - ICON partners with PALFINGER to integrate lifting technology into its Titan construction printer, aiming for easier site deployment.
- Farsoon - Farsoon qualified ALM's polymer powders for its open-platform PBF systems, expanding material options for industrial production.
M&A / Corporate
- Tethon 3D - Tethon 3D acquired Fortify's IP portfolio, gaining patents for anisotropic composites and dielectric materials for RF applications.
Compiled from 22 sources across AMPulse's news index. Week 13 of 2026.