Written by AMPulse’s research pipeline. Sources are linked inline.
Defense procurement gravity is visible in three named contracts this week: IperionX's second U.S. Army task order worth $18.5 million for titanium production, Titomic USA's four purchase orders over A$750,000 for cold spray, and QTREX's first DragonFly IV system installed at a top-three Israeli defense contractor. These orders show Western machine vendors and powder suppliers capturing qualified positions through repeated government and prime-linked awards rather than one-off pilots. The pattern implies pure-play hardware OEMs without embedded defense qualification will face higher barriers to enter funded supply chains as contract scale concentrates around approved vendors.
US Army and defense primes placed new metal AM production orders
New named defense contracts this week for titanium production and cold-spray AM, including a second US Army task order for IperionX and four Titomic USA orders, with QTREX installing an electronics system at an Israeli defense contractor.
US Army and defense primes placed new metal AM production orders
IperionX received a second U.S. Army task order worth $18.5 million to scale domestic titanium production, following the $11.5 million SBIR task order announced September 2. Task Orders 1 and 2 carry a combined stated value of approximately $19.8 million, with $79.2 million remaining under the IDIQ ceiling, according to the company. The work covers titanium powder-to-part manufacturing including track pins, bolts, and fasteners at IperionX's Virginia campus, building on its June 2026 validation showing titanium fasteners exceeding Grade 8 steel in Army tests.
Titomic USA booked four purchase orders worth over A$750,000 across aerospace, defense, space, and energy customers within two weeks, per the company's September 2 release. The orders follow Titomic's August 10 award supporting EOS Defense Systems USA and its May 6 Iowa State University purchase order, continuing a pattern of small-dollar, named-customer cold spray wins rather than single large program awards. The customers are not individually identified.
QTREX installed its first DragonFly IV additively manufactured electronics system at a top-three Israeli defense contractor under a joint program with potential phased expansion, announced September 8. The installation marks the company's first defense-sector deployment of its AME platform, which uses multi-material 3D printing for electronics. QTREX's prior coverage in the last 180 days centered on patent filings and materials research, including an August 20 patent covering conversion of 3D-printed dielectric insulators into graphene-like conductors.
Separately, GKN Aerospace said its Project Otto UAV demonstrator, powered by a DED-printed engine and designed ITAR-free, is running ahead of schedule toward a 2027 first flight under the $15.8M FMV program, reported September 8. The ITAR-free design avoids U.S. export-control constraints by keeping the propulsion system and airframe outside ITAR jurisdiction.
Korea-US consortium launched WAAM program to print 5-meter ship propellers
3D Factory and major Korean shipbuilders began a government-backed R&D program to wire-arc print a five-meter ship propeller for US Navy MRO, alongside ORNL's MedUSA vessel and BMW's WAAM automotive part.
Korea-US consortium launched WAAM program to print 5-meter ship propellers
3D Factory began a Korea-US government-backed R&D program to wire-arc print and certify a 5-meter ship propeller, with Korean shipbuilders and research institutes as partners. The program targets entry into the US Navy MRO supply chain under the MASGA shipbuilding cooperation framework, per the company's announcements this week. The project follows the KRW 11 billion MOTIE award 3DFactory and UNIST won in August for the same 5-meter WAAM propeller demonstration, moving that award into an executed consortium phase with named shipbuilding partners.
The same week, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and partners used a three-robot wire-arc cell called MedUSA to print a 3-by-5-foot steel nuclear pressure vessel, and launched a joint effort with Idaho National Laboratory to standardize digital qualification for nuclear components. The lab framed the demo alongside large-format metal and polymer printing work, pairing the hardware milestone with a qualification-standardization pact. Both the propeller program and the ORNL vessel are wire-arc depositions aimed at large maritime or energy structures where post-machining and certification remain integral.
Separately, BMW said a WAAM-printed aluminum structural part now in final certification will cut weight 30-40% versus die casting on a 2027 model. The claim is a specific weight-reduction comparison against an incumbent process, though the vehicle model, part name, and certification body were not disclosed in the announcement. The three items — a maritime MRO qualification program, a nuclear vessel demo, and an automotive structural part in certification — each use WAAM/DED wire-arc processes but address different qualification regimes.
Metal AM advanced in nuclear service and feedstock qualification
Daegun Tech reported 18 defect-free months for a PBF impeller at a KHNP reactor, ORNL and INL launched a digital-qualification pact, and FOMAS extended ISO 19443 to its metal powders.
Metal AM advanced in nuclear service and feedstock qualification
Daegun Tech reported that its 316L powder bed fusion impeller completed 18 months of defect-free operation at KHNP's Saeul Unit 1, with the component installed in January 2025 and running through the July 2026 planned maintenance cycle. The Changwon-based manufacturer partnered with KHNP, KPS, and KEPCO Nuclear Fuel to localize the previously import-only reactor pump component, cutting part lead time from 18 months, according to a separate report. The company, which produces large-format LPBF systems and supplies cable harnesses for Korea's Nuri rocket, has been expanding its metal AM portfolio since unveiling PBF-LB printers at ME2026 in June.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory printed a steel nuclear pressure vessel using a three-robot wire-arc cell and announced a pact with Idaho National Laboratory to standardize digital qualification for nuclear components. The three-arm robotic cell produced the 3-by-5-foot vessel, paired with a joint ORNL-INL effort to build a faster AM qualification framework. Separately, A.J. Tuck Company and ORNL detailed a hybrid 3D printing-electroforming process for nuclear-grade HIP can production, combining additive manufacturing with electrochemical deposition to reduce machining and welding demands.
FOMAS Group extended its ISO 19443 nuclear certification to MIMETE gas-atomized metal powders, bringing the Biassono, Italy-based powder producer under the nuclear-safety-grade quality standard. MIMETE, founded by FOMAS in 2017, operates a VIGA facility and holds ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation; the certification covers powders used in nuclear-safety-grade AM applications. The move follows a strategic partnership in 2022 with CDP Venture Capital and PUNCH Torino.
The three announcements converge on materials and process qualification rather than machine capability. Daegun Tech's impeller demonstrates in-service reliability for PBF components; the ORNL-INL pact targets faster qualification pathways for large-format parts; FOMAS's certification extends nuclear-grade feedstock governance to powders. All involve energy-sector AM, but each represents a distinct stage of the qualification chain—field operation, standards development, and feedstock certification.
This Week in Brief
Funding
- Impossible Objects - Impossible Objects raised $40M Series B led by Inflection Equity, following five paid CBAM 25 orders.
- Xinjinghe - Xinjinghe secured equity investment led by CMC Capital's Huawen Qingneng Fund and Chuzhou government for aerospace hub.
- FibreSeek - FibreSeek opened a 500-unit pre-sale of its FibreSeeker 3 carbon-fiber printer after a $4.7M Kickstarter raise.
Product & Technology
- CG Model Network - CG Model Network launched a 3D printing model marketplace at Formnext Asia Shenzhen, backed by Visual China Group.
- Haitian Additive - Haitian Additive unveiled a powder-feed station connecting up to eight metal 3D printers for unmanned operation.
- Stratasys - Stratasys received a $7.8M America Makes award for real-time quality monitoring of F3300 and F900 systems.
- Meltio - UWE Bristol used Meltio Engine on a 5-axis HAAS machine to embed ruby seeds in wire-DED platinum.
- SprintRay - SprintRay launched FDA-cleared Midas Restore, a 75%-filled zirconia/glass-ceramic resin for same-visit crowns.
- Stratasys - Toyota and Rivian are piloting pre-commercial Stratasys F870 units for factory tooling and fixtures.
- Massivit3D - Massivit3D named Gabi Shachor board chairman, succeeding Yaron Yechezkel, to deepen defense and aerospace focus.
- Quantum Cyber - Quantum Cyber installed 80 printers at its Bridgeport facility, targeting 100,000 UAVs per year.
- ULT - ULT AG boosted its 200.1 extraction series filter area eightfold to 4 m², extending service intervals.
- Graphy - Graphy's 3D-printed aligner showed 2.1x higher initial tooth contact force than thermoformed rivals in a 30-day study.
Partnership
- ALM Ortho - ALM Ortho granted Shoulder Innovations exclusive US upper-extremity rights for bespoke titanium shoulder implants.
- Rosatom - Rosatom and PetroVietnam defined equipment and qualification scope for a Vietnam metal AM center using LPBF and DED.
- Elmet Technologies - Elmet Technologies plans 2026 LPBF production of C103 hypersonic heat exchangers on a DMP Flex 350 Triple.
Compiled from 31 sources across AMPulse's news index. Week 37 of 2026.
Stay Updated
Get the latest additive manufacturing (AM) market insights, company updates, and analysis directly in your inbox.
By subscribing, you agree to receive AMPulse emails and to our Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe any time.