📰 Industry News
Desktop Metal Files for Chapter 11; Plans Asset Sale to Anzu — On July 29, Desktop Metal entered Chapter 11 to facilitate a sale of substantially all assets to Anzu Partners, aiming to stabilize operations after a prolonged cash burn and market headwinds. For customers, the main question is continuity of support across binder jet and photopolymer lines; the court process sets timelines that should reduce uncertainty relative to an open-ended restructuring. Watch for carve‑outs around ExOne entities and how service/warranty obligations transfer in the sale. (Metal Additive Manufacturing)
Court Approves Anzu’s Acquisition of ExOne GmbH and ExOne KK — A related August 1 ruling greenlit Anzu’s purchase of Desktop Metal’s German and Japanese ExOne units, an early signal the buyers will preserve critical binder jet expertise and service networks in Europe and Asia. That continuity could keep industrial users on path for production ramp‑ups in sand and metal binder jetting despite Desktop Metal’s bankruptcy. (Metal Additive Manufacturing)
AMCM Ships Its 150th Custom Metal 3D Printer — EOS’s custom machine arm, AMCM, hit its 150‑unit milestone with a bespoke M 8K delivered to a long‑standing client, underscoring steady demand for high‑power, application‑specific LPBF systems. The sustained cadence of special‑build platforms points to maturing series production workflows in aerospace and energy where standard machines don’t fully fit part envelopes or throughput targets. (TCT Magazine)
Framatome Plans AM Centre in France for Nuclear & Defence — Announced July 31, the Romans‑sur‑Isère facility will employ PBF‑LB and DED to produce qualified components “from a few kilograms to several tons,” plus support R&D and training. For nuclear OEMs, in‑house AM plus qualification capability promises shorter lead times on safety‑critical spares and improved supply‑chain sovereignty—an increasingly strategic priority. (Metal Additive Manufacturing)
Hanger to Acquire Point Designs (3D‑Printed Partial‑Hand Prosthetics) — Announced August 2, the deal brings Point Designs’ rugged, 3D‑printed titanium finger prostheses under Hanger’s 900‑clinic footprint. Commercial integration could accelerate access to durable, field‑proven partial‑hand solutions and expand customized O&P offerings where additively manufactured kinematics and patient‑specific geometry deliver clear functional gains. (3DPrint)
🧪 New Products & Technologies
3D Systems Commercializes FDA‑Cleared NextDent Jetted Denture Solution in U.S. — Following 510(k) clearance in September 2024, 3D Systems opened U.S. orders on July 29 for its NextDent 300 printer and dual‑material Jet Teeth/Jet Base resins. Labs report one‑day turnaround and up to 50% less manual labor versus analog workflows, with first U.S. unit shipments targeted for August—meaning near‑term capacity gains for production dentures. (TCT Magazine)
EOS & NASA Team on a Metal AM Master Class — Announced August 7, EOS Additive Minds will host a three‑day, hands‑on course in Texas led by NASA’s Paul Gradl and others, covering LPBF, DED, post‑processing, and build development on M 290/M 300‑4/M 400‑4 systems. The limited‑seat format targets aerospace/defense engineers seeking practical lessons learned to shorten qualification cycles and reduce iterating costs. (TCT Magazine)
PyroGenesis Secures Ti‑6Al‑4V Powder Order — The Aug 6 announcement highlights recurring demand for aerospace‑grade titanium powders as LPBF and EBM programs scale. Consistent order flow for Ti‑6Al‑4V—still the workhorse alloy—signals ongoing production uptake and underscores the importance of stable powder supply for throughput and cost control in serial AM. (Metal Additive Manufacturing)
📏 Regulatory & Standards Updates
3MF File Format Becomes ISO/IEC 25422:2025 — On July 31, ISO formally standardized 3MF’s core spec and key extensions (materials/properties, production, beam lattice, slice, secure content, boolean ops). The move should reduce interoperability issues and ambiguous STL‑era data loss, improving traceability and repeatability across design‑to‑production, from desktop FFF to multi‑laser LPBF cells. (Metal Additive Manufacturing)
🔬 Research & Academic Insights
RMIT Unveils Lower‑Cost, Stronger AM Titanium Alloy — Published July 31 (Nature Communications), RMIT’s approach replaces costlier elements like vanadium while suppressing columnar grains that hurt mechanical uniformity. Early tests show strength/ductility improvements vs. Ti‑6Al‑4V and a projected one‑third material cost cut, offering a promising path for aerospace/medical parts if scale‑up and qualification bear out. (Metal Additive Manufacturing)
NASA’s GRX‑810 Alloy Named “Commercial Invention of the Year” — The Aug 5 recognition reflects momentum in oxide‑dispersion‑strengthened superalloys designed for AM, with GRX‑810 enabling higher‑temp turbine components and longer life via novel microstructures. While an award, not a new paper, it signals NASA’s intent to translate lab alloys into commercial applications with OEM partners. (Metal Additive Manufacturing)
✈️ Sector Applications
Aerospace: Safran Installs Second NXG XII 600 for Serial Production — Adding a second 12‑laser system addresses bottlenecks and equipment redundancy at Safran’s Additive Manufacturing Campus, pointing to sustained ramp‑up of qualified aluminum engine and aircraft components. (TCT Magazine)
Defense/Maritime: US Navy Ship Valve Produced via LPBF — Marotta Controls’ certified, end‑use valve demonstrates how qualified AM parts can enter fleet service, with implications for spares agility and lifecycle sustainment in harsh environments. (Metal Additive Manufacturing)
Rail/Transport: Alstom Uses GEFERTEC WAAM for Yaw Damper — WAAM delivered a cast‑steel replacement in ~100 days from feasibility start, passing static/dynamic tests—evidence that large DED can de‑risk obsolescence and reduce costly re‑tooling for legacy fleets. (TCT Magazine)
Energy/Hydrogen: Nikon SLM Solutions & RINA Launch H2AM Open Lab — The August 6 LOI establishes an applied research hub focused on hydrogen embrittlement/HTHA, corrosion‑resistant alloys, and process parameters for hydrogen infrastructure—laying groundwork for qualified AM parts in green steel and O&G systems. (TCT Magazine)
Medical/Dental: 3D Systems’ Jetted Dentures Enter U.S. Market — With shipments planned from August, labs gain a monolithic, dual‑material workflow that can cut labor and cycle time materially versus traditional methods—an adoption catalyst in dental prosthetics. (TCT Magazine)
🧠 Analyst’s Note: Three themes defined the period. First, consolidation with continuity: Desktop Metal’s process plus early approvals for Anzu’s ExOne units suggest customers may avoid major service disruption in binder jet programs, though roadmap clarity is still needed. Second, industrialization beats novelty: AMCM’s 150th custom machine, Safran’s second NXG XII 600, and Framatome’s new center all point to sustained capital allocation where AM demonstrably shortens lead times or unlocks geometries in regulated sectors. Third, standards and skills catch up: making 3MF an ISO standard and EOS’s NASA‑led master class both target persistent bottlenecks—data fidelity and workforce know‑how. Near‑term, watch for: (1) which DM assets Anzu prioritizes; (2) early production metrics from U.S. denture labs adopting jetted workflows; and (3) tangible hydrogen‑service AM results from the RINA hub that could de‑risk energy infrastructure components. (Metal Additive Manufacturing, TCT Magazine)