AM Weekly · Week 16: Software & workflow integration adopted to scale production and quality control

The defense procurement gravity of programs like TITAN-AM and AUKUS, targeting titanium supply chains, validates a capital-intensive path for Velo3D and Nikon SLM that sidelines commoditized hardware players. This industrialization demands vertical integration of software and digital twins, a pattern where 3D Systems and HP are betting their futures against pure-play vendors. For VCs, the clear implication is that funding must now flow to systems proving serial production, not just prototyping potential.

Software & workflow integration adopted to scale production and quality control

Major hardware OEMs (HP, 3D Systems, Axtra3D) & software providers (Materialise, InnovMetric, Euler) integrate software/digital twins and factory management systems to enable serial production.

Toray Industries integrated material data for its Tremil PPS resin powders into the Hexagon MSC Software Digimat-MX database. The update provides anisotropic characterization for both unreinforced and glass-fiber reinforced PPS grades used in powder bed fusion, enabling engineers to run structural simulations that account for fiber orientation and build orientation without physical trial-and-error.

3D Systems introduced the SLA 825 Dual stereolithography printer and its AddiTrak factory management software at RAPID + TCT 2026. The dual-laser hardware is designed for higher throughput, while the software provides centralized monitoring and data-driven process control for printer fleets. Earlier this quarter, on March 13, 3D Systems reported Q4 2025 revenue grew 16% sequentially to $106.3 million, driven by aerospace and med-tech adoption of its production systems.

Separately, Axtra3D reported a 41% annual revenue growth rate and a 55% customer repeat rate, while announcing a new European manufacturing facility. The company’s Lumia X1 uses Hybrid PhotoSynthesis technology to increase production throughput by 20 times compared to standard SLA. In March, the company expanded its North American footprint with three new functional elastomers and launched its Axtra.Workflow ecosystem, which uses over 155 sensors for data traceability.

InnovMetric acquired its long-term German partner Duwe-3d, transitioning the distribution channel into a direct subsidiary to unify European sales and support for its PolyWorks metrology platform. Earlier this quarter, on March 19, Materialise, another software provider, reported executing a €30 million share buyback program following a 6.8% year-over-year revenue increase in Q4 2025. On April 1, Materialise also spun off its RapidFit jig and fixture manufacturing unit into an independent company.

Icelandic software startup Euler launched a free, browser-based Euler Viewer for metal LPBF. The tool allows operators to upload machine-generated layer images to visually review builds for defects without hardware integration, serving as a gateway to the company’s paid machine vision platform.

Defense & aerospace metal AM industrialization programs launched for supply chain resilience

GKN Aerospace with AFRL (TITAN-AM), L3Harris, MX3D JOSCAR, and AUKUS initiatives focus on large-scale titanium, niobium, and WAAM production for naval and satellite propulsion.

GKN Aerospace and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory have launched an $8.4 million TITAN-AM program to industrialize Laser Metal Deposition with Wire (LMD-w) for large-scale titanium aerostructures. The five-pillar program, based at GKN's Fort Worth Global Technology Centre, focuses on process scale-up, material datasets, simulation, inspection, and final structural demonstration. GKN Aerospace has a focus on large-format, structurally critical additive manufactured components, including serial production of parts for Pratt & Whitney GTF engines.

In the same week, MX3D secured JOSCAR certification, qualifying the company as a supplier to major UK aerospace and defense prime contractors like BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce. The certification is for its robotic Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) systems, used for large-scale metal component production and repair. In the prior 180 days, MX3D concluded an EU-funded project validating WAAM for civil engineering and established a production hub in Finland with its M1 system.

Separately, L3Harris is utilizing Laser Powder Bed Fusion to manufacture satellite engine components like nozzles and combustion chambers at its Daytona Beach facility, aiming to reduce production lead times by 12 months. The company confirmed the use of high-temperature materials including Niobium for space propulsion systems. Kristin Houston, President of Space Propulsion and Power Systems, leads the initiative to scale output using multiple LPBF machines.

Also this week, AUKUS identified additive manufacturing as a strategic industrial priority for submarine production at the UDT 2026 conference. A representative confirmed the trilateral partnership is accelerating industrial pathways to address supply chain bottlenecks and accelerate the production of complex naval components for nuclear-powered submarines.

Vertical-specific software & materials integration for niche applications

Providers (Optomec, Inkbit/Stratasys Direct, Paderborn University, MedCAD) tailor AM solutions for electronics, elastomers, tool steel, and medical orthotics.

Optomec has launched the Aerosol Jet Education Platform, a hardware and software suite sold through a distribution agreement with YUNS Technology. The platform includes a modular curriculum with 10 hands-on laboratory outcomes for academic training in printed electronics. The company has deployed over 700 industrial systems globally.

Inkbit has integrated its TEPU 30A and TEPU 50A elastomers into the Stratasys Direct manufacturing service portfolio. The partnership allows industrial customers to source functional elastomeric parts printed with Inkbit's Vision-Controlled Jetting technology without investing in hardware. The materials are processed using the system's closed-loop, vision-based feedback for dimensional accuracy.

Separately, MedCAD has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its AccuStride system, a patient-specific surgical guide for tibia and fibula procedures. The guides are manufactured from titanium using Laser Powder Bed Fusion to support a reported 5-day US delivery cycle.

In material development for LPBF, researchers at Paderborn University have engineered a proprietary tool steel alloy. The material, meant to address trade-offs between hardness and thermal conductivity in tooling, has been transitioned to a startup, Addition GmbH, for commercialization.

This Week in Brief

Funding

• Elmet — Elmet Group began its Nasdaq IPO roadshow to raise capital for its refractory metals production.

Product & Technology

• Bambu Lab — Bambu Lab launched its X2D FDM 3D printer in Japan via distributor APPLE TREE.
• Nano Dimension — Nano Dimension targets decentralized electronics manufacturing in the DACH region with its DragonFly 3D printing systems.
• HP — HP introduced the compact MJF 1200 printer and a Craftcloud-powered portal for small workshops.
• HP — HP announced the MJF 1200 printer and a 20% productivity boost for its Jet Fusion 5600 series.
• HP — HP unveiled its compact Multi Jet Fusion 1200 3D printer at the Rapid + TCT 2026 event.
• AMAREA — AMAREA Technology won a TCT Award for its multi-metal and ceramic additive manufacturing system.
• AtomForm — AtomForm launched the Palette 300 FDM printer with a 12-nozzle architecture for multi-material printing.
• Fixie — Fixie released a comparative guide on additive manufacturing versus CNC machining for rapid prototyping.
• Global Business Outlook — Global Business Outlook reports that enterprises are using digital CAD libraries to cut inventory costs by 20-35%.
• All3DP — All3DP published its 2026 evaluation of on-demand 3D printing service providers worldwide.
• Thomasnet — Thomasnet highlighted the defense sector's use of metal AM for part consolidation and supply chain resilience.
• HP — HP launched the Multi Jet Fusion 1200, a 12-liter industrial 3D printer priced at 60,000 Euro.
• LZH — Laser Zentrum Hannover presented industrial AM solutions for SMEs at Hannover Messe 2026.

Partnership

• Caracol — Caracol partnered with CNC Robotics to deploy its large-format robotic AM systems in the UK market.

M&A / Corporate

• SME — SME and TCT held a joint awards gala at RAPID + TCT 2026, honoring industry leaders.

Compiled from 32 sources across AMPulse's news index. Week 16 of 2026.