Generative design in practice, and why it is now the same as topology optimization
In practice, generative design and topology optimization now describe the same thing. I explain how the software arrives at a shape, why the result looks...
Topics
Aerospace
Analysis by Svetozar Kolesar
High-Volume Production of 3D Printed Parts That Ship in the Final Product. Who's Already Doing It, at What Scale, and Who Didn't Want to Admit It Until Recently?
In at least ten industries, 3D printed parts go into end products in series from thousands to millions of units a year. Only confirmed examples, with sources, and rumors kept clearly apart.
How a single part gets qualified for production
A qualified process does not mean every part is good. How the scope of verification follows the part's criticality, the three acceptance stages in ISO/ASTM 52901, and what is actually tested on the part.
Latest news
Aurora Labs raises A$6 million to move 3D printed turbojets into series production
Aurora Labs, an Australian metal additive manufacturing company, is raising A$6 million through a share placement to expand production of its AU4 turbojet engines for defence and aerospace customers. The money will fund production lines, commercial metal printing equipment and staff. The raise shows a shift from selling printing technology to manufacturing engines, while the company's annual revenue remains small.
Horizon Microtechnologies targets volume production of metallised micro parts for satellite RF
Horizon Microtechnologies is working to produce metal-coated 3D printed micro components for satellite radio frequency systems in larger quantities. After talks at European Microwave Week in London, the company reports growing interest in concrete applications and in solid qualification data. The focus is on antenna parts, where mass, geometry and electrical behaviour are closely linked.
GKN Aerospace's Trollhättan wire laser DED process earns Nadcap accreditation
GKN Aerospace has received Nadcap accreditation for its laser wire directed energy deposition (L-DED-w) process at its Trollhättan site. The review covered process controls, procedures, personnel qualifications, equipment, and materials handling and traceability. The company expects it to speed up use of the process in full-scale aircraft production.
CMS to show robot-based large-format polymer printer Krearob at Formnext
Italian machine builder CMS will present Krearob at Formnext 2026 in Frankfurt. The six-axis system is a large format additive manufacturing (LFAM) platform for thermoplastic materials. CMS targets applications such as molds, production tooling and parts for the aerospace and automotive sectors. Unlike gantry-based printers, Krearob moves its extrusion head with a robot arm, which allows a different reach and orientation of the deposited material. The teaser does not give build volume, pricing or availability, so these details remain open for now.
Turku adds a three-drum recoater to print several metals in one LPBF layer
The University of Turku in Finland has fitted a Schaeffler Aerosint multi-material recoater to its Aconity MIDI+ laser powder bed fusion printer. It can deposit powders from three drums within one layer, so the metal can change by location in a part. The work, funded through the AM4Plasma project, targets plasma-facing parts for fusion and aerospace propulsion.
Metal share of funded Chinese AM suppliers rises as US aerospace funding holds steady
An AMPulse analysis of equity financing from 2021 to 2025 shows diverging patterns in China and the United States. In China, the number of funded AM suppliers fell from 117 in 2021-2022 to 100 in 2024-2025, while metal-focused companies rose from 49 to 53. Their share grew from about 42% to 53%, and polymer-focused recipients dropped from 46 to 16. In the US, metal's share stayed near 28%. The number of funded US companies fell from 90 in 2021 to 61 in 2025, but aerospace and defense recipients held between 18 and 21 each year, rising to about 34% of the 2025 cohort. The analysis counts recorded recipients, not invested sums. It also notes that services make up about 53% of the $16 billion AM market in 2025 per AM Research, while service companies show a much lower rate of recorded funding events than hardware companies.
Rolls-Royce orders printed titanium structural part from Norsk Titanium
Rolls-Royce has placed a purchase order with Norsk Titanium for a structural Ti-6Al-4V part made with Rapid Plasma Deposition, a possible fit for current civil engine programmes. The part was printed in Norway and will be machined in Germany. Norsk is now an approved supplier for Rolls-Royce development work, but the order is exploratory and no series decision is attached.
Stratasys to reveal new series production polymer system at Formnext, F870 debuts in Europe
Stratasys will unveil a new polymer system aimed at series production on 17 November at Formnext 2026 in Frankfurt, but has not yet named it or given specifications. The booth in Hall 12.1 will also show the F870 large-format FDM printer for the first time in Europe, along with tooling applications from Toyota and GM.
Reinforce3D brings fiber-injection reinforcement for printed drone parts to North America
Spanish company Reinforce3D reinforces printed parts after the build by pushing continuous fiber through channels designed into the geometry. Impac Systems Engineering in Texas is now its exclusive distributor for the US and Canada and runs a CFIP Delta system for demonstrations. A documented VTOL drone project shows the weight and cycle time figures.
Kratos adds large-format AMCM M 8K metal printer for hypersonic work in Indiana
US defence technology company Kratos has purchased a metal 3D printer of the AMCM M 8K type. The machine is to be installed at its facility in Odon, Indiana. The company plans to expand its capacity for large metal components, particularly for development and test programmes in hypersonic technology. The report describes the AMCM machine as a large-format system, but the source excerpt is cut off before giving further technical specifications such as build volume or process details.
Turku fits three-powder recoater to its LPBF system for multi-metal parts
The University of Turku has integrated a Schaeffler Aerosint multi-material recoater into its Aconity MIDI+ laser powder bed fusion system. Funded through the EUREKA AM4Plasma project, it will be used to study how different metals can be combined within one printed part, starting with plasma generator hardware.
X-Bow and Leidos to build printed rocket boosters for US Army low-cost missile
X-Bow Systems, a maker of solid rocket motors that uses additive manufacturing, has agreed with Leidos to develop and build boosters for the US Army's Low-Cost Containerized Munition (LCCM) programme. The programme sits under the "Arsenal of Freedom" initiative to rebuild the US defence industrial base. X-Bow says it has already produced more than 2,100 combat-ready motors.
Bath graduates fly printed model jet and build larger Kingchaser for speed record
Graduates of the University of Bath, working as The Mach Initiative, have flown a mostly PETG printed model aircraft powered by a miniature jet turbine. They are now building a larger airframe, the Kingchaser, aimed at a Mach 0.8 model aircraft speed record. No date for the record attempt has been announced.
Stratasys Q2 2026: record consumables and 17% aerospace growth, flat total revenue
Stratasys reported second quarter 2026 revenue of $137.6 million, roughly level with the prior year and up 3.7% from the first quarter. Consumables hit a record $66.3 million and aerospace and defense revenue grew 17%, while the company still booked a GAAP net loss of $16.9 million. Management keeps its full-year targets but no longer expects positive operating cash flow for 2026.