Ten years ago, in the first-ever issue of Metal AM magazine, Materials Solutions was featured as one of the industry’s rising stars. A decade on, with ongoing questions about the wider industry’s progress, we returned to see what the company’s journey reveals. Much has changed, including its acquisition by Siemens Energy (formerly Siemens AG), which fuelled significant growth. Yet the company remains firmly focused on its core expertise: processing nickel-base superalloys for high-temperature applications. Martin McMahon reports on its journey to large-scale series production, including a milestone agreement with Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace and a major investment in Nikon SLM Solutions’ NXG XII 600 machines.
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Artificial Intelligence is reshaping industries, and Additive Manufacturing is no exception. For CEOs, the challenge isn’t just understanding AI’s potential but strategically integrating it to drive efficiency, innovation, and competitive advantage. In this article, Henning Fehrmann, chairman and CEO of FEHRMANN Tech Group, considers AI’s real-world impact on AM. Drawing from personal experience, he offers insights on how AM industry leaders can leverage AI to strengthen their businesses, adapt to market shifts, and stay competitive
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AMS 2025, organised by 3Dprint.com and Additive Manufacturing Research, delivered a stark wake-up call for the Additive Manufacturing industry. Once hailed as a disruptive force, AM is struggling to meet high expectations, with large-scale industrial adoption progressing more slowly than anticipated. The event revealed a disconnect between bold financial projections and market realities, leading to a crisis of confidence among investors and stakeholders. Tali Rosman reports on an industry at a crossroads, facing hard truths and recalibrating for the future.
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As Additive Manufacturing pushes the boundaries of design, post-processing remains a major challenge – in particular powder removal in Laser Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB). But what if the digital twin of a part could not only optimise its design, but also predict and streamline powder removal? Here, Joseph Kowen explores how Solukon’s SPR-Pathfinder software achieves this, using advanced simulation to map powder flow and automate depowdering, ensuring that even the most intricate designs remain manufacturable.
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ValCUN’s Molten Metal Deposition (MMD) technology is a wire-based Additive Manufacturing solution designed to improve deployability and cost efficiency in aluminium part production. While applicable across various industrial sectors, it is also being explored for defence applications due to its potential for in-field manufacturing. With its inherent robustness, and the elimination of powder handling, MMD offers a deployable, user-friendly solution for producing critical parts in remote or demanding environments, as well as for seamless integration into industrial production settings.
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In metal Additive Manufacturing, precision and reliability are critical, particularly in highly regulated industries. Ensuring consistent quality requires meticulous laser calibration and process control. 3D Systems addresses this need by integrating advanced laser beam analysis and power measurement solutions from MKS’s Ophir brand. As the company reports, by leveraging Ophir’s high-precision sensors, 3D Systems enhances laser performance monitoring and process stability, helping its customers meet stringent industry standards and produce the highest-quality metal AM components.
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As high-performance computing (HPC) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications drive demand for more powerful processors, thermal management has become a critical challenge. This article explores the development of a generatively-designed and additively manufactured liquid nitrogen (LN2) heatsink, created by 3D Systems and Diabatix in collaboration with SkatterBencher and ElmorLabs, that achieves groundbreaking cooling performance. Thanks to Additive Manufacturing, the resulting pure copper heatsink promises to open up new markets for the technology in this rapidly growing market.
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The era of computational design is reshaping the engineering and product development landscape, enabling industries to tackle complex design challenges with unprecedented speed and efficiency. This article explores how NASA, using software from nTop, leveraged cutting-edge tools and methodologies in a unique application development. In combination with the capabilities of Additive Manufacturing, the project saw a scientific instrument component’s original material, beryllium, replaced with an aluminium alloy, providing a significant part cost reduction whilst exceeding all necessary performance requirements.
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Hydraulic systems are important across many industries, providing high power density in compact, efficient packages. However, conventional subtractive manufacturing methods restrict design and performance. Additive Manufacturing offers a solution, enabling the production of complex geometries that enhance flow dynamics whilst minimising material use. In this article, Valeria Tirelli, CEO of Aidro Srl, considers how AM is reshaping hydraulic component design and production, offering new possibilities for enhanced performance, sustainability, and application-specific customisation.
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Türkiye’s Vision 2025 roadmap places Additive Manufacturing at the core of its aerospace innovation strategy, with a view to driving innovation in aircraft production and beyond. This article explores Türkiye’s efforts to integrate AM technologies, driven by the country’s leading aerospace producer, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), and powered by the vital contributions of organisations such as EKTAM and ALUTEAM. With academia-industry collaboration, international partnerships, and advances in materials and processes, Ümit Aytar reports on how Türkiye is shaping a robust AM ecosystem.
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Aluminium has emerged as a pivotal material in Additive Manufacturing, revolutionising industries such as aerospace, automotive, and beyond. Overcoming early processing challenges, advances in AM machines and alloy designs are unlocking aluminium’s potential. Today, its lightweight, high strength and thermal properties, combined with advances in powder production and sustainability efforts, are driving its rapid adoption. As Dr Martin McMahon explains, with growing applications and ongoing materials development, aluminium is poised to play a transformative role in shaping the future of AM technologies.
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With seven structural titanium parts flying on every Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a Master Supply Agreement with Airbus for the A350, and projects with the likes of Northrop Grumman and General Atomics, Norsk Titanium is setting the pace when it comes to the production of airframe components by Additive Manufacturing. By using wire instead of powder and its own proprietary version of the Directed Energy Deposition (DED) process, the company combines high deposition rates with aerospace-grade materials properties. Martin McMahon visited the company on behalf of Metal AM magazine.
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