Velo3D, Inc., Fremont, Calif., a leading additive manufacturing company for mission-critical metal parts, and Linde AMT, Speedway, Ind., (formerly known as Praxair Surface Technologies), a global leader in metal powders and coatings, have signed an agreement to supply domestically produced CuNi (70-30 Copper-Nickel) powder in support of the U.S. Navy and the Maritime Industrial Base Program.
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ATL Turbine Services, Scotland, has expanded its technological capabilities by investing in the Surface Two thermal spray system from Oerlikon, Switzerland.
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Chromalloy, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., a global leader in the aerospace engine aftermarket, has received Federal Aviation Administration parts manufacturer approval for its CFM56-5B/7B high pressure turbine blade.
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There are two basic types of feed systems that feed materials that can be thermally sprayed (including polymers, metals, metal alloys, intermetallics, ceramics, and composites): one that feeds wires or rods and another that feeds particulates.
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New technology and foundry partnership between GlobalFoundries, Malta, NY., and Navitas Semiconductor, Torrance, Calif., expands U.S. capacity for advanced GaN technology, design, and at-scale manufacturing to support a wide range of power management applications.
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Allium Engineering, Billerica, Mass., founded by two MIT PhDs, is tripling the lifetime of bridges and other structures with a new technology that uses a stainless steel cladding to make rebar resilient to corrosion.
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For the first time, scientists have created a fully functional memory chip only a few atoms thick and integrated it into conventional chips, an advance from Fudan University in China that could pave the way for more powerful and energy-efficient electronic devices.
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The new inter-die gapfill tool from Lam Research Corp., Fremont, Calif., expands industry-leading portfolio of solutions for 3D integration and chiplet technologies; paves way for new, AI-accelerating architectures.
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Elmet Technologies, Lewiston, Maine, the last and only fully integrated, U.S.-owned and operated tungsten and molybdenum manufacturer, announced the issuance of U.S. Patent No. 12,359,290 titled “Tungsten Heavy Metal Alloy Powders and Methods of Forming Them.”
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Impact Innovations, German cold spray AM specialist, has reached a key milestone by installing over 100 Cold Spray systems across more than 30 countries.
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The Institute for Manufacturing at the University of Cambridge, England, has developed a groundbreaking additive manufacturing technique, laser-assisted cold spray.
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To meet the growing demand for metal in the U.S. military—estimated at 750 million tons annually for uses ranging from ship repairs to tank construction—the U.S. Army Research Laboratory is investing millions over five years in advanced manufacturing research.
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When producing ultra-strong steel parts for vehicles, military gear, and heavy manufacturing, even minor cracks or distortions during heat treatment can cause significant delays and material waste. Dr. Kingsley Amatanweze, a recent Ph.D. graduate from the Missouri University of Science and Technology, has developed new methods to reduce these costly issues by improving the induction melting, pouring, and cooling processes of steel.
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Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation and the WISE research program, Sweden, have launched a Proof-of-Concept Grant program with the purpose to bridge the gap from academic research to innovations in materials science for sustainability.
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Pratt & Whitney, East Hartford, Conn., has developed a new additive manufacturing repair for critical GTF engine components that will reduce process time by more than 60 percent.
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New research at Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., found that faster isn’t always better when it comes to high-speed materials science, showing that tiny metal particles bond best at a precise supersonic speed.
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The phenomena occurring during solution thermal spraying are of physical and chemical natures and are therefore more complex than those of suspension spraying.
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Engineers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have developed a high-performance, twisty high-temperature heat exchanger using a combination of topology optimization and advanced 3D metal printing. This innovative design significantly outperforms traditional straight-channel heat exchangers in terms of heat transfer, power density, and overall effectiveness. These heat exchangers are critical in industries such as aerospace, power generation, and aviation, where efficient heat dissipation is essential.
“Traditionally, heat exchangers flow hot fluid and cold fluid through straight pipes, mainly because straight pipes are easy to manufacture,” says Xiaoping Qian, a professor of mechanical engineering at UW–Madison. “But straight pipes are not necessarily the best geometry for transferring heat between hot and cold fluids.”
Additive manufacturing enables researchers to create structures with complex geometries that can yield more efficient heat exchangers. Given this design freedom, Qian set out to discover a design for the hot and cold fluid channels inside a heat exchanger that would maximize heat transfer.
He harnessed his expertise in topology optimization, a computational design approach used to study the distribution of materials in a structure to achieve certain design goals. He also incorporated a patented technique, called projected undercut perimeter, that considers manufacturability constraints for the overall design.
With an optimized design in hand, Qian worked with colleague Dan Thoma, a professor of materials science and engineering at UW–Madison, who led the 3D printing of the heat exchanger using a metal additive manufacturing technique called laser powder bed fusion.
From the outside, the optimized heat exchanger looks identical to a traditional version with a straight channel design—but their internal core designs are strikingly different. The optimized design has intertwining hot and cold fluid channels with intricate geometries and complex surface features. These complex geometric features guide fluid flow in a twisting path that enhances the heat transfer.
Collaborator Mark Anderson, a professor of mechanical engineering at UW–Madison, conducted thermal-hydraulic tests on the optimized heat exchanger and a traditional heat exchanger to compare their performance.
The optimized design was not only more effective in transferring heat but also achieved a 27% higher power density than the traditional heat exchanger. That higher power density enables a heat exchanger to be lighter and more compact—useful attributes for aerospace and aviation applications.
While previous research has used topology optimization to study two-fluid heat exchanger designs, Qian says this work is the first to harness topology optimization and impose manufacturability constraints to ensure the design can be built and tested.
“Optimizing design on the computer is one thing, but to actually make and test it is a very different thing,” Qian says.
“It’s exciting that our optimization method worked. We were able to actually manufacture our heat exchanger design. And, through experimental testing, we demonstrated the performance enhancement of our optimized design. The excellent work performed by the students, postdoctoral researchers and scientists in the three research groups made this advance possible.”
Sicheng Sun, a recent Ph.D. graduate from Qian’s research group, is the first author on the paper. Additional co-authors include Tiago Augusto Moreira, Behzad Rankouhi, Xinyi Yu and Ian Jentz, all from UW–Madison.
The researchers patented their projected undercut perimeter technique through the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.
For more information: International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer.
Image: A rendering of a topologically optimized unit cell for a heat exchanger core. The optimized design has hot and cold fluid channels with intricate geometries and complex surface features.
The University of Oklahoma and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have partnered to create an advanced additive manufacturing center in Norman, OK, leveraging OU’s Sooner Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory and ORNL’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility. This center aims to develop innovative metal additive manufacturing solutions for aerospace and national defense. The collaboration, involving OU’s Oklahoma Aerospace and Defense Innovation Institute (OADII) and ORNL, will enhance research, training, and workforce development in metal additive manufacturing, hybrid manufacturing, machining, and data analytics.
“This long-term partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory fully aligns with the recently published update of OU’s strategic plan,” said Gen Robin Rand (USAF, ret.), OADII’s executive director. “Our deliberate push to advance additive manufacturing research is fueling innovation and economic prosperity in Oklahoma and reducing risk to our nation’s defense.”
Through OADII and the Gallogly College of Engineering, the University of Oklahoma supports Department of Defense priorities such as sustainment and modernization, and ORNL brings unparalleled technical capabilities in materials science and advanced manufacturing, providing the partnership with the tools and talent to drive innovation.
“Our college is thrilled to enter into this partnership,” said Zahed Siddique, associate dean for research at the Gallogly College of Engineering. “Collaborating on cutting-edge manufacturing technology will enrich the student educational experience, expand research impact and enhance economic development opportunities in Oklahoma.”
The center is expected to play a key role in supporting sustainment and mission readiness at Tinker Air Force Base and other critical centers across the region, including the Air Force Sustainment Center and the Air Force Research Laboratory.
“This partnership between OU and ORNL will have substantial impact on our national security, particularly by advancing qualified additive manufacturing processes for the sustainment and readiness of U.S. Air Force assets,” said Moe Khaleel, ORNL associate laboratory director for National Security Sciences. “When the great people at our two institutions get together, with our collective resources, we will do big things for the nation.”
ORNL will leverage the capabilities and lessons learned in establishing the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility, the nation’s foremost advanced manufacturing research environment.
“By combining ORNL’s deep expertise in advanced manufacturing with OU’s strong academic and research foundation, we are creating a dynamic ecosystem for innovation,” said Craig Blue, ORNL’s chief manufacturing officer and director of Defense Manufacturing Programs. “This collaboration is not only about advancing technology—it’s about accelerating the transition of breakthrough solutions into real-world defense applications where speed, precision, and readiness matter most.”
For more information: Oklahoma Aerospace and Defence Innovation Institute
Image: Moe Khaleel, associate laboratory director, National Security Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, shakes hands with Carol L. Silva, interim vice president for research and partnerships, University of Oklahoma, during the signing ceremony.
Minnesota-based startup Maxwell Labs has entered into a cooperative research and development agreement with Sandia and the University of New Mexico to demonstrate laser-based photonic cooling for computer chips that may help save energy and water.
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New research from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Calif., aims to tackle the problem of corrosion, which costs trillions of dollars globally. Their solution is to predict failure and design better materials up front.
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UK-based Alloyed has secured £37 million in Series B funding to expand its manufacturing facilities in Abingdon, UK, and Seattle, USA, and to advance its digital alloy design platforms and product line. Founded in 2017 as an Oxford University spinout, Alloyed specializes in creating advanced, lightweight metallic alloys for additive manufacturing, with clients including Boeing, Microsoft, Anglo American plc, and BMW. Their materials are used in a variety of applications, from antennas and satellite structures to jet engine components, VR headsets, and smartwatches.
Japanese investment firm SPARX and the Development Bank of Japan led the £37M Series B round. Aviva Investors and Senningerberg-based Future Industry Ventures also provided funding. This adds to Alloyed’s existing backers, Oxford Science Enterprises, JX Advanced Metals, and Anglo American plc.
“We’re excited to welcome this exceptional group of new investors, enabling us to accelerate investment in our digital tools and expand our certified production facilities both in the UK and the US,” explained Alloyed’s CEO, Michael Holmes. “Automated design and manufacturing is an industry where the UK, with our expertise in materials science and world class engineering capability, has the potential to lead on the global stage and Alloyed is at the forefront of this transformation.”
Alloyed claims that its Abingdon HQ features “one of the largest fleets of Additive Manufacturing machines in Europe.” Across its UK and US facilities, it develops advanced metallic alloys optimized for metal 3D printing. The materials developer aims to capitalize on the emerging automated design and manufacturing with its portfolio, which includes copper alloys, alloy steels, stainless steels, and aluminum alloys.
Back in 2022, Alloyed showcased its 3D printed copper cooling plate designed for high-temperature computing systems and general liquid cooling systems. This device featured a complex 3D printed lattice structure that minimizes material usage while enhancing cooling performance. The monolithic plate was reportedly simpler and more efficient at transferring heat than its conventionally manufactured counterparts.
Looking ahead, the metal developer believes high-performance alloys will play a key role in global efforts to transition to sustainable energy. It anticipates that more companies will work to deploy increasingly stronger and lighter materials to develop “next-generation technologies.”
“Additive manufacture has great promise for the energy transition and future products across a range of industries, but has been held back by a range of engineering challenges,” explained Takaki Demichi, Director and Head of Investment for SPARX Asset Management’s Next-Generation Growth Division. He believes these barriers are “directly addressed by Alloyed’s materials, processing, design, and production technologies and its highly data-driven approach.”
Development Bank of Japan’s General Manager of Innovation Promotion Office, Yuki Takemori, added, “Alloyed is at the forefront of innovation in the manufacturing sector and a natural partner for us.” The Tokyo financial institution believes its collaboration with Alloyed will “enhance the sector even further” by creating a “model case for commercialising technology.”
Additive manufacturing is attracting the attention of global investors. According to IDTechEx data, approximately $650 million was invested into 3D printing across 40 deals in 2024. While the state of investing in 3D printing has not yet reached pre-pandemic levels, it remains stable amid a shift away from tech hype to disciplined funding.
For more information: Alloyed
Empa researchers have developed a 3D printing method to produce soft, elastic, yet powerful artificial muscles. These artificial muscles could one day be used in medicine, robotics, and other applications requiring movement at the touch of a button. While they hold potential for supporting people at work, aiding mobility, or replacing injured muscle tissue, creating artificial muscles that match the performance of real muscles remains a significant technical challenge.
In order to keep up with their biological counterparts, artificial muscles must not only be powerful, but also elastic and soft. At their core, artificial muscles are so-called actuators: Components that convert electrical impulses into movement. Actuators are used wherever something moves at the push of a button, whether at home, in a car engine or in highly developed industrial plants. However, these hard mechanical components do not have much in common with muscles just yet.
The dielectric elastic actuators (DEA) consist of two different silicone-based materials: a conductive electrode material and a non-conductive dielectric. These materials interlock in layers. “It’s a bit like interlacing your fingers,” explains Empa researcher Patrick Danner. If an electrical voltage is applied to the electrodes, the actuator contracts like a muscle. When the voltage is switched off, it relaxes to its original position.
3D printing such a structure is not trivial, Danner knows. Despite their very different electrical properties, the two soft materials should behave very similarly during the printing process. They should not mix but must still hold together in the finished actuator.
The printed “muscles” must be as soft as possible so that an electrical stimulus can cause the required deformation. Added to this are the requirements that all 3D printable materials must fulfill: They must liquefy under pressure so that they can be extruded out of the printer nozzle. Immediately thereafter, however, they should be viscous enough to retain the printed shape.
“These properties are often in direct contradiction,” says Danner. “If you optimize one of them, three others change … usually for the worse.”
In collaboration with researchers from ETH Zurich, Danner and Dorina Opris, who leads the research group Functional Polymeric Materials, have succeeded in reconciling many of these contradictory properties. Two special inks, developed at Empa, are printed into functioning soft actuators using a nozzle developed by ETH researchers Tazio Pleij and Jan Vermant.
The collaboration is part of the large-scale project Manufhaptics, which is part of the ETH Domain’s strategic area Advanced Manufacturing. The aim of the project is to develop a glove that makes virtual worlds tangible. The artificial muscles are designed to simulate the gripping of objects through resistance.
However, there are far more potential applications for soft actuators. They are light, noiseless and, thanks to the new 3D printing process, can be shaped as required. They could replace conventional actuators in cars, machinery and robotics. If they are developed even further, they could also be used for medical applications.
Opris and Danner are already working on it. Their new process can be used to print not only complex shapes, but also long elastic fibers. “If we manage to make them just a little thinner, we can get pretty close to how real muscle fibers work,” says Opris. The researcher believes that in the future it may be possible to print an entire heart from these fibers. However, there is still a lot to do before such a dream becomes a reality.
For more information: Advanced Materials Technologies
Image: Complexity on a small scale: A 3D-printed soft actuator or “artificial muscle.”
Researchers at Naton Biotechnology have advanced 3D-printed medical implants by developing the world’s first laser 3D-printed total knee implant, which has been approved by China’s National Medical Products Administration. Their study focused on enhancing the strength and consistency of cobalt-chromium-molybdenum (CoCrMo) alloy implants using laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). By optimizing heat treatment, they corrected material inconsistencies, resulting in stronger, more reliable, and safer implants for patients.
This research provides key insights into how 3D printing affects metal implants and lays the foundation for better quality control in orthopedic manufacturing, helping to advance the future of customized medical implants.
This research was led by Professor Changhui Song from South China University of Technology and Professor Jia-Kuo Yu from Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital as co-corresponding authors. The study was conducted in collaboration with Senior Engineer Renyao Li from Naton Biotechnology (Beijing) Co., Ltd and other members of the team.
The layer-by-layer manufacturing process of CoCrMo, a widely used implant material, occurs at extremely high cooling rates (~10⁵–10⁶ K/s). This rapid solidification often leads to anisotropy, meaning the material’s properties vary depending on the direction of force. The main causes include columnar grain structures, porosity, and residual stress, all of which are inherent to additive manufacturing.
While extensive research has been conducted on LPBF-fabricated CoCrMo alloys, most studies have only examined their performance in a single direction, overlooking how anisotropy affects overall durability. However, implants inside the human body must withstand forces from multiple directions. Then, if the material’s strength is inconsistent, weak spots can develop, increasing the risk of breakage or failure.
In mechanical tests, CoCrMo samples stretched significantly more in one direction (19.1% elongation) than in another (9.3% elongation)—a disparity of over 100%. This inconsistency makes the material unreliable for long-term medical use, as implants must perform uniformly and safely under everyday stresses.
The team found that a two-step heat treatment process significantly improved the uniformity of the metal’s structure and strength. The process included:
As a result, the metal’s strength and flexibility became nearly identical in all directions. The ultimate tensile strength reached 906.1 MPa and 879.2 MPa, while elongation values balanced at 20.2% and 17.9%, making the material stronger and more reliable for medical use.
With this breakthrough, scientists are now looking at surface treatments to further enhance the wear resistance and biocompatibility of implants. Methods like shot peening (where tiny metal beads are blasted onto the surface) and ultrasonic peening could improve the fatigue resistance of implants, helping them last longer under daily stress. These next-generation treatments could make 3D-printed joint implants even more durable and widely used in clinical settings.
This research offers new insights into how to improve 3D-printed metal implants, making them safer and more durable for patients. By addressing uneven strength and material quality, this breakthrough lays the foundation for better orthopedic implants, particularly for joint replacements.
For more information: IOP Science
Image: Diagrams illustrating how columnar grains develop during the LPBF, contributing to microstructural anisotropy; (b) Stress-strain curves showing significant improvements in the mechanical anisotropy after heat treatment; (c) Diagrams showing the recrystallization process, where equiaxed grains form to eliminate directional effects and enhance uniformity; (d) TEM images revealing the nanoscale interactions between martensite laths in the solution-annealed state; (e) Visual representation of the synergistic effects between annealing twins and martensite laths.
The acquisition of H.C. Starck Holding GmbH, Germany, by Mitsubishi Materials Europe B.V., a subsidiary of the Japanese Mitsubishi Materials Corporation Group, was formally concluded in December, 2024.
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The University of North Texas, Denton, Texas, has partnered with Titomic Limited, Australia, the world’s leading provider of cold spray solutions, to install a customized Titomic Kinetic Fusion Cold Spray System.
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Fleet Readiness Center Southwest, San Diego, Calif., received the People’s Choice Award at the 2024 Maintenance Innovation Challenge for its presentation on cold spray technology, a repair process designed to restore corroded and damaged naval aircraft components.
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The observation of splats obtained after a few passes of the torch over the substrate placed at different distances from the liquid injection enables visualization of those areas where droplets formed after a breakup of the liquid jet injected into the plasma jet, enabling description of the behavior of a slurry droplet within the plasma.
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Researchers at Xi’an Jiaotong University, China, have developed a new Template-Constrained Additive printing technology inspired by tree root systems that enhances the mechanical robustness and precision of flexible electronic circuits, allowing them to withstand extreme conditions like high temperatures and mechanical wear, expanding their applications in smart robotics and advanced sensing systems.
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Researchers at the University of New South Wales, Australia, have created a protective barrier on the front silver grid of a TOPCon solar cell using a 1 µm copper plating layer, which reduces corrosion susceptibility and significantly lowers contaminant-induced degradation compared to unprotected reference devices.
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