Optomec announced another important milestone in its continued growth, with the delivery of its 600th industrial 3D printer. The company has now installed more than 250 of its proprietary LENS Systems for 3D Printed Metal and over 350 of its patented Aerosol Jet Systems, with the majority of its recent machines being used for high ROI production applications.

This premium article delves into new products and developments in 3D printing materials in Q1 2022. It will also explore current partnerships and funding for additive manufacturing materials companies in Q1 2022.

Printed Solid, based in Newark, Delaware, became Prusa Research's first official distribution partner for corporate customers, educational segments and government institutions in the US in early 2022.

Laser powder bed fusion, a 3D-printing technique, offers potential in the manufacturing industry, particularly when fabricating nickel-titanium shape memory alloys with complex geometries. Although this manufacturing technique is attractive for applications in the biomedical and aerospace fields, it has rarely showcased the superelasticity required for specific applications using nickel-titanium shape memory alloys.

6K Additive has announced that Morf3D are collaborating to qualify metal powders for additive manufacturing. Through this partnership, 6K Additive's metal powders will be approved for use by Morf3D's aerospace and defense application customers.

Flexible plastics such as Thermoplastic Polyurethane and Polypropylene are gaining relevance and offer a variety of new applications.

Stratasys Ltd subsidiary MakerBot has entered into a definitive business combination agreement with NPM Capital-backed Ultimaker to form a new entity.

3D Systems has been selected by Airbus Defence and Space to produce critical components for its industry-first satellite innovation, OneSat.

For years, scientists have been attempting to engineer tiny, artificial cilia for miniature robotic systems that can perform complex motions, including bending, twisting, and reversing. Building these smaller-than-a-human-hair microstructures typically requires multi-step fabrication processes and varying stimuli to create the complex movements, limiting their wide-scale applications.

Chinese scientists are planning to build a hydroelectric plant on the Yangqu dam, according to reports, using unmanned excavators and equipment controlled by artificial intelligence and using the same additive manufacturing process of 3D printing.

Velo3D Inc has qualified the copper-chromium-niobium alloy GRCop-42 for use in its Sapphire family of printers.

It is impossible to avoid headlines about the "graphene battery"; the concept of this Nobel Prize winning nanomaterial revolutionizing the energy storage market is naturally very enticing, but it is graphene's older sibling carbon nanotubes that have progressed beyond the hype and disillusionment phases of their commercial journey by finding a value-add high volume energy storage adoption.

Researchers have developed the capability to use recycled glass in 3D printing, opening doors to a more environmentally sustainable way of building and construction.

Stratasys Ltd has announced the industry's first 3D printer designed specifically for printing direct-to-textile. The Stratasys J850™ TechStyle™ 3D printer, the company's newest PolyJet™ printer, is being launched to meet the unique needs of design and fashion manufacturers, which include 3D printing for high-end, premium textiles and clothing, bags and accessories and footwear.

Since 3D Systems commercialized stereolithography 30 years ago, 3D printer manufacturers who invented their own proprietary technology predominantly followed the same business strategy: selling their printers to customers. Until recently, it was the norm for established and rising 3D printing players, both in metal and polymer additive manufacturing, to follow the same path.

Xerox Elem Additive Solutions announced that the Rochester Institute of Technology recently purchased and installed a Xerox ElemX3D printer at their AMPrint Center in Henrietta, NY. RIT will utilize the printer in their collaborations with manufacturers for research and product development as they focus on next-generation metal 3D printing technologies.

Replique has announced the creation of a partner network of authorized materials vendors. The move represents an important step in the company's objective to make its 3D printing platform accessible to more OEMs and provide best-in-class and tailored materials to industrial customers.

Stratasys today introduced three new color resin materials for the Stratasys J7 and J8 Series of PolyJet 3D printers. The three new materials - Agilus30 Cyan, Agilus30 Magenta and Agilus30 Yellow - allow users to achieve a level of design realism beyond what was previously possible.

Morf3D Inc has received National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (Nadcap) certification. Morf3D is now one of 10 companies across the globe with this highly coveted certification for additive manufacturing.

As electronics being increasingly ubiquitous, there is a clear trend toward greater integration. Rather than simply making space for a rigid 2D circuit board (PCB) within the product, electronic functionality will be either mounted conformally onto surfaces or incorporated within the structural materials.