Knowledge for Industrial Metal Additive Manufacturing
Metal additive manufacturing is continuously evolving. Our whitepapers and technical articles provide in-depth engineering and economic knowledge to support companies in technology and investment decisions.
Industrial Metal 3D Printing 2026 – The Complete Guide
Technologies, market developments and strategic implementation in mechanical engineering and manufacturing.
WAAM vs. DED vs. PBF – The big technology comparison
Which process is suitable for which application? A detailed technical and economic comparison.
Metal 3D printing materials at a glance
Stainless steel, titanium, Inconel and aluminum in additive manufacturing.
The best metal 3D printing systems
An independent market overview of the leading machines for industry.
Cost comparison: Additive manufacturing vs. CNC
Break-even analysis and TCO calculation for series production.
When is metal 3D printing worthwhile?
Decision matrix for component identification and ROI calculation.
Industrial applications in mechanical engineering
Additively manufacture spare parts, grippers and structural components.
Additive manufacturing in aviation
Lightweight construction, certifications and special alloys.
Additive manufacturing in tool making
Conformal cooling and repair welding with laser cladding.
Future of metal 3D printing by 2035
Trends, hybrid manufacturing and automation in the AM industry.
Post-processing in metal 3D printing
The hidden cost block: depowdering, support structures, heat treatment and surface finish.
Quality assurance & certification in 3D printing
Non-destructive testing, in-situ monitoring and regulatory requirements for series use.
Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM)
Correctly apply design guidelines, topology optimization and bionic design.
Sustainability & CO2 reduction in metal 3D printing
Material efficiency, metal powder recycling and the green transformation of the manufacturing industry.
Hybrid manufacturing: CNC and 3D printing merge
The combination of additive and subtractive manufacturing in one machine.
Copper 3D printing for e-mobility
Green lasers and mastering the challenge of thermal conductivity.
Metal 3D printing in medical technology
Patient-specific implants, biocompatible surfaces and MDR approval.
Aluminum in 3D printing for automotive
Lightweight construction, AlSi10Mg and high-performance alloys such as Scalmalloy.
Metal Binder Jetting vs. PBF
The path to true mass production (batch size > 100,000).
Software & Simulation in Metal 3D Printing
Avoid construction errors virtually: From CAD to slicing to thermal simulation.
Occupational safety & HSE in metal 3D printing
Powder handling, explosion protection (ATEX) and argon hazards.
Calculation: How much does a 3D printed part really cost?
Machine hourly rates, powder losses and post-processing costs are calculated transparently.
Powder production for additive manufacturing
From gas atomization to plasma atomization to the perfect degree of sphericity.
Metal 3D printing in the maritime industry
WAAM propellers and spare parts “on-demand” on the high seas.
Multi-material 3D printing in metal
Combination of different alloys (e.g. copper and steel) in one component.
Micro Laser Sintering (Micro 3D Printing)
Extremely precise metal parts for the watch industry, electronics and medical technology.
Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing (CSAM)
Metallic 3D printing and repair at supersonic speeds without melting.
Refractory metals in 3D printing: Tungsten & Molybdenum
Processing metals with extremely high melting points for extreme applications.
Additive manufacturing of metallic glasses (amorphous metals)
Highly elastic, extremely hard and corrosion-resistant: Bulk Metallic Glasses (BMGs).
Copper-chrome-zirconium (CuCrZr) in 3D printing
The perfect symbiosis of extreme strength and maximum thermal conductivity for high-tech applications.
In-situ alloying in metal 3D printing
How completely new high-entropy alloys are created by directly mixing element powders during printing.
Shape memory alloys (Nitinol) in 3D printing
When components come to life: 4D printing of superelastic nickel-titanium structures.
Artificial intelligence (AI) in process monitoring
In-situ monitoring, computer vision and the digital twin for zero-defect production.
Hot isostatic pressing (HIP)
The essential post-processing step to eliminate pores and maximize fatigue strength.
Electron Beam Melting (EBM)
High vacuum and enormous heat: 3D printing of titanium and brittle high-performance materials.
Plasma electrolytic polishing (PeP)
The perfect surface finish for complex and rough 3D printed metal parts.
Additive manufacturing of magnesium
Ultimate lightweight construction and resorbable implants from the PBF-LB printer.
Friction Stir Additive Manufacturing (MELD)
Huge metal components print in a solid state - completely without melting or distortion.
Generative design vs. topology optimization
How AI algorithms create bionic lightweight structures for 3D printing.
Lattice structures
Gyroid, Trabecula and BCC: Tailored Porosity for Heat Exchangers and Medicine.
Thermal simulation & warping prevention
Predict residual stresses and prevent pressure failures through virtual simulation.
ISO/ASTM 52900 certification
The rocky road to standardizing additively manufactured components for aerospace and medical technology.
Additive manufacturing of precious metals
3D printing of platinum and 18K gold for haute horlogerie and medical technology.
Scalmalloy: The high-end aluminum alloy
The titanium killer of aviation: High-strength scandium aluminum from the powder bed.
Ultrasonic Additive Manufacturing (UAM)
Metal 3D printing without heat: How sound waves weld foils and embed electronics.
Invar 36 in 3D printing
The measure of all things: almost zero thermal expansion for precision optics and CFRP tools.
Electropolishing vs. laser polishing
Chemistry or heat? The search for the ultimate surface finish for AM components.
Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) for AM
From CAD file to finished part: How AM-MES software scales additive manufacturing.
Computed tomography (CT) in 3D printing
The high-resolution X-ray view into the heart of titanium and Inconel components.
Additive manufacturing of copper-nickel alloys
Corrosion resistance and biofouling protection for the maritime industry and offshore applications.
Aerosol jet printing for electronics
Print sensors, antennas and conductor tracks conformally on 3D geometries.
Support Structures: Construction and Removal
The biggest cost driver in the PBF-LB process and how to avoid it through clever DfAM.
Laser Metal Deposition (LMD-w) with wire
Clean, cheap and 100% efficient: Why wire lasers often outperform powder blowing.
Recycling of metal powder (sieving & blending)
How closed powder circuits and screening machines save the profitability of AM centers.
Copper-chromium-niobium (CuCrNb) for space engines
NASA's GRCop superalloys and how PBF-LB is revolutionizing the construction of rocket combustion chambers.
Safety in 3D printing (HSE): Argon, laser and particulate matter
Dust explosions, suffocation hazards and laser protection: why ATEX guidelines are life-saving in AM.
Additive manufacturing of tool steel (H13 / 1.2709)
Conformal cooling in injection molds for extremely shortened cycle times.
Multi-laser systems: challenges with overlap zones
Stitching, plume and heat build-up: How 12 lasers control a building board at the same time.
Additive manufacturing in the nuclear industry
Zirconium, boron steel and radiation: 3D printing of components for nuclear and fusion reactors.
Automated powder removal (de-powdering)
The end of manual tapping: two-axis rotation and ultrasound for cleaning delicate lattices.
Influence of powder morphology on component density
Why satellites, agglomerates and trapped argon gas in the powder grain lead to fatal pores.
Work hardening and shot peening in AM
The fatigue killer: How residual compressive stresses prevent cracking in titanium components.
Hybrid machines: milling and printing in one cell
All-in-One: LMD laser heads in 5-axis milling centers for in-situ repairs and final contour production.
Digital rights management (DRM) for 3D printing data
Pay-per-print and encryption: How manufacturers protect their IP from theft by contract manufacturers.
In-Situ Monitoring: Process monitoring in real time
Melt pool monitoring and optical tomography on the way to freedom from errors.
Titanium Grade 23 (Ti6Al4V ELI) in orthopedics
Highly pure titanium powder for perfect osseointegration in spine and hip implants.
Laser powder deposition welding (LMD-p) for coatings
The scalpel of heavy industry: repairing and armoring tools with carbide.
Additive manufacturing of tungsten (tungsten)
Printing X-ray collimators: The fight against the brittleness of the most heat-resistant metal.
Surface alloying by Laser Metal Deposition (LMD)
Laser hardening and mixing customized gradient materials (graded materials).
Copper 3D printing for inductors
More precise magnetic fields and longer service life thanks to conformally cooled hardening coils.
The future of binder jetting in the automotive industry
Printing millions of pieces: The fight against sinter shrinkage and foundries.
Friction Surfacing
Porous metal deposition in the solid state: How friction welds incompatible metals.
Additive manufacturing of shape memory alloys (Nitinol)
4D printing in medicine: self-expanding stents and superelastic robotic arms.
Wire-Laser Metal 3D Printing in Space (Zero-G)
In-Space Manufacturing: Pushing rocket boundaries with wire laser printing on the ISS.
Additive manufacturing for hydrogen turbines
Micromix burners and effusion cooling: How AM prevents H2 flameback.
Quality assurance through acoustic emissions
When the melt pool speaks: Microphones and AI filter pores and cracks from the machine noise.
Cold Metal Transfer (CMT) in the WAAM process
Cold, spatter-free and precise: How oscillating welding wires tame large-format printing.
Design for Additive Manufacturing: Bionics and Fluid Mechanics
The end of milling head thinking: topology optimization and lossless CFD channels.
Laser shock hardening (laser peening) of 3D printed parts
Plasma shock waves instead of bullets: Maximum fatigue resistance for titanium turbine blades.
Additive manufacturing of copper-tungsten pseudoalloys
Liquid phase sintering for spark erosion electrodes and semiconductor heat sinks.
The digital twin in the AM factory
From thermomechanical simulation to a complete data file in Industry 4.0.
Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) of 3D printed copper
How extreme pressures and temperatures maximize the density and conductivity of PBF-LB copper.
Hot Isostatic Pressing (HIP) in Additive Manufacturing
The key to maximum component quality and fatigue strength in printed metals.
Machine Learning for Parameter Determination in 3D Printing
How AI shortens the process window trial-and-error cycle for new metal alloys.
Classic Car Restoration & Reverse Engineering with 3D Printing
From the obsolete component to the digital twin and the printed metal spare part.