A #3DBenchy has been produced on the RepRap Micron.
News
New news and reviews
Polymaker Introduces CoPE, a Fast-Printing Alternative to PLA and PETG
Polymaker has introduced an entirely new material: CoPE.
Xolo Shrinks Its Volumetric 3D Printer for a Possible Trip to Orbit
Some news from Xolo: they want to go into outer space!
Design of the Week: Black Hole Lamp
This week’s selection is the Black Hole Lamp by Printables contributor NAM_3.
Bambu Lab Patent Uses Printer Housing To Switch Hot Ends
What if a dual-hotend 3D printer could switch nozzles without carrying around another motor?
Who’s The Biggest In 3D Printing, September 27, 2026
Once again we take a look at the valuations of the major 3D printing companies over the past week.
IMTS 2026 Chicago Day Two: Where 3D Printing Meets Real-World Production
Charles R. Goulding takes readers inside IMTS 2026’s booming additive manufacturing section, where Nikon SLM, Renishaw and Farsoon demonstrate how 3D printing is moving from prototypes to sophisticated end-use production.
The Stratasys–Bambu Lab Patent Verdict Could Reshape Desktop 3D Printing
After the announcement of the Bambu Lab / Stratasys patent infringement case, there are some implications.
XYZO Combines Resin and FFF 3D Printing, CNC and More, But is that a Good Idea?
A new UK-based startup is to launch a hybrid machine that includes not only resin and FFF 3D printing, but also post-processing, CNC milling, and more.
Anycubic Patent Thickens Color Contours Before Printing
A single colored line may be too little color.
Can Creality’s US$309 Sparkx i8 Solve the Purge Poop Problem?
Creality launched orders for their new Sparkx i8 3D printer.
Divergent Patent Uses Magnetic Fields To Stir Metal 3D Printing
A metal 3D printer patent from Divergent Technologies proposes using changing magnetic fields to stir the melt pool and break up structures that can become pores or cracks.
How MakerGear and LulzBot Are Adapting to Survive in Heavy Competition
Two veteran American 3D printer manufacturers seem to be finding remarkably similar ways to stay in business.
Has Atlas Cracked The Dirty Plastic Problem?
A very interesting new 3D printing company has emerged from MIT, but there may be more going on here than first appears.
Bambu Lab Patent Puts The Heater Inside The 3D Printer Bed
What if the heated bed were designed around its heater, instead of simply having a heater stuck underneath it?
HERMLE Goes Big at IMTS 2026 in Chicago
Charles R. Goulding takes readers inside HERMLE’s exciting IMTS 2026 showcase, highlighting the company’s latest machining and additive manufacturing technologies and discovering why there’s plenty to look forward to from HERMLE.
Could Paper, Sawdust and Gypsum Become a 3DCP Material?
Could an old recipe for making classroom models turn into a material for 3D printed construction?
Stratasys Patent Rethinks The Multi-Material Purge Tower
A purge tower usually looks like a boring chunk of plastic beside the part. Stratasys is proposing something a lot more organized.
When Stolen 3D Printers Become Worth Stealing
Someone stole a batch of 3D printers in Calgary, Canada.
Prusa Makes Lightweight Printing Easier by Keeping it PLA
Prusa has introduced a lightweight filament, but the strange part is that it’s still PLA.
Stratasys and GM Show What It Takes to Scale Additive Manufacturing Across the Factory Floor
Charles R. Goulding explains what happens when a global automaker turns 3D printing from a prototyping tool into a standardized manufacturing capability, like Stratasys and GM are demonstrating.
Carbon Dots Could Make PLA Conductive
A carbon dot filled PLA filament has shown a potentially useful combination of better mechanical behavior and steadier dielectric performance in FFF printed test parts.
Snapmaker and Phaetus Launch Liber High-Flow Hot End for the U1 3D Printer
Snapmaker announced an intriguing new hot end for their U1 series: the Liber.
Bambu Lab Patent Combines Bowden and Direct Drive Extrusion
Bambu Lab has patented an unusual extrusion arrangement that seems particularly good for printing soft materials like TPU in FFF systems.
Flashforge Finally Ships the CJ270 With Millions of Colors
Flashforge finally shipped the elusive CJ270 full-colour 3D printer.
Kelly Johnson’s Impossible Factory: What Skunk Works Can Teach 3D Printing
Charles R. Goulding describes how Josh Dean’s new book chronicles the remarkable career of Lockheed engineer Kelly Johnson and the Skunk Works culture that transformed aerospace. Its lessons about rapid development, manufacturing and innovation remain remarkably relevant to 3D printing today.
UV Skins Could Enable Support Free Lunar Printing
A UV cured skin may let lunar construction printers deposit unsupported structures before their flowable material collapses.
RIMPAC 2026 Brings 3D Printing into Fleet Logistics
Charles R. Goulding and Andressa Bonafe explore how RIMPAC 2026 is transforming 3D printing from an onboard repair tool into a fleet-wide logistics network powered by digital manufacturing and autonomous delivery.
Stratasys Wins $27.6M Verdict Against Bambu Lab, But It’s Not Over Yet
Stratasys has scored a significant patent victory against Bambu Lab in the US.
Snapmaker Launches 3D Model Ecosystem in Open Beta
Snapmaker announced today that their new ecosystem, Snapmaker Space, is entering open beta state.
AI Agent 3D Printing Project Shows Automated Printer Control
I ran into a fascinating open-source project that attempts to automate some of the work to perform 3D print jobs.
Design of the Week: Delta Dart
This week’s selection is the Delta Dart by Eclipson.
PINN Model Predicts Laser Melt Pools In Milliseconds
What if an LPBF system could predict what its melt pool was about to do in less than 50 milliseconds?
Who’s The Biggest In 3D Printing, September 20, 2026
Once again we take a look at the valuations of the major 3D printing companies over the past week.
Robots Take Center Stage at IMTS 2026 – and 3D Printing Is Along for the Ride
Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi take readers inside IMTS 2026 to explore how companies ranging from FANUC and Boston Dynamics to Standard Bots, KUKA and Yaskawa are helping transform robots from factory-floor tools into increasingly versatile manufacturing platforms.
Shining 3D’s Patent Takes On The Resin Peel Problem
Shining 3D has been thinking about a new way of getting each cured layer to let go in resin 3D printing.
Elegoo Wants to Solve the Hard Part of 3D Printing
Elegoo has launched something that isn’t a 3D printer.
Atlant 3D Patent Proposes Atomic Scale Multi Fluid Printing
A printer head that dispenses three different fluids through the same tiny nozzle could bring atomic layer processing closer to a genuinely three-dimensional workflow.
PrusaSlicer 3.0 Rebuilds Its Foundations for Multi-Tool Printing and Plugins
Prusa Research has released the first public preview of PrusaSlicer 3.0, and this one goes a lot deeper than just moving buttons around.
Can Modified HDPE Finally Behave Itself On An FFF 3D Printer?
HDPE ought to be a very useful 3D printing material.
Impossible Objects Raises US$40M to Expand High-Speed CBAM 3D Printing
Impossible Objects just raised a massive US$40M.
Visitech Replaces LED With Laser Tech in New Light Engine
We could see some very interesting DLP systems appear in the coming months.
Nanogrande Patent Combines Binder Jetting With Laser Precision
Why use one 3D printing process for an entire part when different areas need different levels of accuracy?
El Segundo’s Manufacturing Revolution: AI for Physical (ATOMS) Things versus Bits
Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi make a compelling case for how El Segundo represents a new generation of Southern California innovation, that resonates nationally.
The UAE, Desalination in Times of Conflict, and 3D Printing
Charles R., and Charles G. Goulding connect the dots between the recent geopolitical conflicts and the vulnerability of desalination infrastructure, emphasizing the key role 3D printing can play.
Mixed Input Network Targets FFF Stringing Defects
Researchers have proposed an online, closed-loop way to spot and correct FFF stringing before a build is finished.
AI CAD Models Approach 100% Accuracy on BenchCAD Benchmark
Are we getting dangerously close to 100% accurate AI CAD?
Unreleased QIDI 3D Printer Appears in FCC Filing
QIDI seems to have another machine on deck.
Creality Patent Proposes Induction Heating For FFF Nozzles
A Creality patent proposes heating an FFF nozzle with electromagnetic induction instead of relying only on a conventional heater.
Resin Printing’s Air Quality Problem May Not Be Inside The Printer
Here’s an uncomfortable thought for resin 3D printing shops: the printer may not be the only thing worth worrying about.
Creality Reveals K3 3D Printer With Four-Nozzle KliTek Multicolor System
Creality has officially announced the K3 desktop 3D printer.
Zellerfeld Patent Smooths Shoe Textures With Continuous Infill
A 3D printed shoe could change from mesh to solid-looking surface without creating a stiff seam, according to a new Zellerfeld patent application.
Mosaic Manufacturing Launches Orion 3D Printer for Custom Orthotics
Mosaic Manufacturing surprised everyone with a new 3D printer, one designed specifically for orthotics.
From Recycling to Upcycling: 3D Printing and the New Value of Old Aluminum
Charles G. Goulding highlights how advances in additive manufacturing, alloy traceability, and recycling technologies are redefining the future of sustainable aluminum production.
X-Hinges Print Motion Sensors Into Flexible Joints
MIT CSAIL and Tianjin University researchers have devised a way to print flexible joints that know how they are bending.
xBUILD Rebranding by Atlix Reflects the Industrial Gap
It’s time for some rebranding, again.
Researchers 3D Print Titanium That Floats Even If Damaged
Metal does not have to sink.
Researchers Build 56-Part 3D Printed Mountain for Avalanche Testing
Some disasters are too large to study directly.
Design of the Week: Working Piano
This week’s selection is the Working Piano by YouTuber dovetail.
A Simple TPU/PLA Sandwich Shows Promise
Here’s an interestingly simple idea: don’t blend TPU and PLA together. Just stack them.
Who’s The Biggest In 3D Printing, September 13, 2026
Once again we take a look at the valuations of the major 3D printing companies over the past week.
How Single-Piece Automation Could Transform 3D Printed Orthopedic Implant Manufacturing
Anthony Palumbo and Charles R. Goulding examine how automated single-piece production offers a practical blueprint for moving 3D printed orthopedic implants toward responsive, just-in-time manufacturing.
3DEVO Launches Filament Maker X10 for Automated Filament Production
3DEVO has quietly launched what seems to be a compact filament production system.
Why 3D Printer Manufacturers Like Meltio Are Moving Assembly to the US
Some 3D printer providers are setting up manufacturing operations in the US, but is this a good approach?
Miltenyi Patent Could Make Two-Color Volumetric Printing Much Larger
Here’s an interesting approach to volumetric 3D printing: instead of focusing light into a tiny point, stretch it into a thin sheet and sweep that sheet across the print.
Stalled Windsor 3D Printed Residence Project Demonstrates 3DPC Risks
A major 3DCP project appears to have failed, and the cause is a bit mysterious.
Why Aren’t We 3D Printing More Medicines Yet?
A recent paper surveys advances, challenges, and future directions for pharmaceutical 3D printing, a field with clear potential for personalized dosage forms but substantial manufacturing, regulatory, and validation hurdles.
Could PCTG Be Ready for a Breakthrough?
PCTG is a wonderful 3D print material, and it just might be ready to explode in popularity.
Nissan Patent Uses Magnetic Pillars To Help Release Resin Prints
Here’s a rather strange idea from Nissan: put tiny magnetic pillars in the bottom of a resin 3D printer vat and wiggle them around to help release each layer.
Stratasys Launches F870 Large-Format Industrial 3D Printer
Stratasys announced a new 3D printer, the F870.
New York’s US$300M Quantum Internet Initiative and Additive Manufacturing
Charles Goulding and Ari Willick discuss how Stony Brook’s $300 million quantum investment could accelerate the growth of quantum computing and advanced manufacturing in the Northeast.
Why PET Bottle Shape Matters When Making Recycled 3D Printer Filament
A study of pultrusion based recycling examines how the geometry of discarded PET bottles affects filament quality, highlighting a frequently overlooked variable for anyone turning packaging waste into material for FFF 3D printing.
Ugee Funbox 3D Printer for Kids Goes on Sale
Remember the Funbox 3D printer? It’s now available for purchase.
IBM Patent Uses Seed Crystals To Control 3D Printing
Here’s an unusual idea from IBM: what if a 3D printer could decide exactly where crystals should begin growing inside a print?
A 3D Printer That Makes Ice By Removing Air
Here’s an interesting way to 3D print with ice: don’t make the room colder. Make the pressure lower.
The End of the One-Alloy Part and 3D Printing
Charles G. Goulding explains how breakthroughs in 3D printing are ending the era of one-alloy parts, allowing engineers to design materials that change composition within a single component for unprecedented performance.
Rotating Nozzle Steers Fibers Inside FFF Parts
A new study examines a rotating nozzle FFF system for short fiber polymer composite manufacturing.
Modix Generation 5 Adds INDX Toolchanging and Pellet Extrusion to Large-Format 3D Printers
Modix announced a key upgrade to their BIG series of large-format 3D printers.
Lawrence Livermore Patent Proposes Multimaterial Two-Photon 3D Printing
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory appear to have found an unusual way to 3D print multiple materials with a two-photon system: change the light instead of changing the resin.
California AB 2047 3D Printer Bill Passes Legislature, Awaits Governor’s Decision
It appears that California AB2047, the proposed law to control 3D printers, has passed the California legislature.
Home Depot’s Hidden Advantage is Turning Contractor Expertise into Product Innovation
Charles R. Goulding and Nimra Shakoor explain how Home Depot’s expanding Pro ecosystem, strategic acquisitions, and emerging manufacturing technologies could reshape the future of construction products.
Could Construction 3D Printing Keep People Out of Dangerous Worksites?
Construction 3D printing is usually sold on these benefits: fewer workers, faster construction, less waste and the ability to produce unusual geometries.
Printreon Offers Patreon-Style Monthly Memberships for 3D Model Designers
You’ve heard of Patreon — but now there is Printreon!
Salubrious AireRx Personalized Cushions Use Create It REAL’s Programmable Foam
Create It REAL just productionized a new 3D print application: personalized cushions.
Printables Users Targeted by Scam Through Compromised Accounts
It appears there are scams circulating on Printables.
Design of the Week: TwinJet Speedboat
This week’s selection is the TwinJet Speedboat by Printables contributor 3_Dave.
Can Electropolishing Reach the Roughest Parts of an LPBF Lattice?
Here’s a really common problem in metal 3D printing: LPBF can make shapes that are almost impossible to machine — and then you discover they’re also almost impossible to finish.
Who’s The Biggest In 3D Printing, September 6, 2026
Once again we take a look at the valuations of the major 3D printing companies over the past week.
How 3D Printing Turned Simple Fidget Clickers into a Thriving Business While Helping Neurodivergent Users
Charles R. Goulding and Preeti Sulibhavi describe why 3D printing proved to be the perfect manufacturing solution for customizable fidget toys that are making a meaningful difference for neurodivergent users.
3D Printed Tornado Storm Shelters?
I’m reading about a potential application for 3DCP: tornado shelters.
Could AI-Generated Software Keep Aging 3D Printers Operational?
Could the aging software barrier be broken in 3D printing?
UltiMaker Emphasizes NATO-Aligned Security as Competition Intensifies
Is UltiMaker going “secure”? I’ve watched the desktop 3D printing industry since it began more than 15 years ago, and in the years following, almost all of the original companies have disappeared. Some suddenly, while others gradually faded away. One that’s still around is UltiMaker. They have been quite successful in the past, developing robust… Continue reading UltiMaker Emphasizes NATO-Aligned Security as Competition Intensifies
Chinese Patent Proposes Swappable Hotends For Multimaterial FFF
Changing filament in a multimaterial FFF printer usually means pushing the new material through the old hotend until the previous material is gone. A Chinese patent proposes a different solution: leave the extruder in place and swap the hotend underneath it.
Single Laser Tracks Tame 200 Micron Aluminum LPBF Lattices
A single laser pass per wall produced 200µm aluminum lattices that behaved remarkably close to their computer models.
MAASS Developing Full-Color Six-Vat Resin 3D Printer
There’s a full-colour resin 3D printer in the works.