November 2024 was a transformative month within the 3D printing trade, marked by important product launches, strategic company acquisitions, insightful market analyses, and noteworthy trade collaborations. Formnext Frankfurt 2024 served as a central stage for unveiling cutting-edge applied sciences, whereas information from CONTEXT highlighted a stark distinction between the booming entry-level 3D printer phase and a subdued industrial market. This evaluation is a rundown of the month’s notable happenings.
Formnext 2024: Defining Improvements in Additive Manufacturing
In November, Formnext attendees had been launched to the CBAM 25 from Unimaginable Objects, marking its European industrial debut after a world unveiling in June. Constructed on Composite-Based mostly Additive Manufacturing (CBAM), the system provides speeds as much as fifteen instances sooner than sure present polymer 3D printing applied sciences. Firm founder Robert Swartz indicated that the CBAM 25 printed a 60-micron layer each 4 seconds, concentrating on high-throughput markets like aerospace. CEO Steve Hoover reported sturdy curiosity from producers looking for to provide high-strength elements with out the warping or shrinkage challenges present in standard strategies.
November additionally noticed Prusa Analysis launch the CORE One, a completely enclosed CoreXY 3D printer that includes energetic chamber temperature management of as much as 55 °C. Designed to deal with supplies comparable to PLA and PETG behind a closed enclosure, the system built-in a 250×220×270 mm construct quantity with an exoskeleton design for elevated rigidity. Josef Prusa emphasised the CORE One’s all-in-one versatility, which aimed to cut back the necessity for a number of specialised machines. Prusa Analysis deliberate to start delivery in January 2025, with a conversion equipment for MK4S homeowners following in March 2025.
At Formnext, nLight unveiled the Corona AFX-2000 beam-shaping laser meant to considerably improve laser powder mattress fusion (LPBF) 3D printing. In response to nLight, one aerospace and protection shopper had already used the AFX-2000 to 3D print aluminum parts at 3 times the pace of typical large-format 3D printers. The laser’s dynamic beam-shaping expertise allowed for ring-shaped profiles, which reportedly enabled excessive construct charges whereas sustaining precision within the soften pool.
Guests exploring high-performance supplies encountered Fiberthree’s F3 PA ESD filament. Developed via greater than thirty formulations, it boasted a floor resistance of 10⁵–10⁷ Ω/cm—assembly DIN EN 61340-5 necessities—whereas delivering an 84 MPa tensile power. The filament’s electrostatic discharge capabilities had been anticipated to serve industries needing each conductivity and mechanical sturdiness.
Formlabs launched its Creator Sequence, a safer, extra inexpensive resin line for hobbyist LCD and DLP 3D printers. Priced at $45/kg, these resins averted ACMO, a chemical typically linked to dangerous odors in finances photopolymer supplies. The preliminary choices, Powerful Resin and Tremendous Clear Resin, had been validated for machines from Elegoo, Anycubic, and different desktop manufacturers. This launch sought to present cost-conscious customers larger materials high quality with out incurring well being or security trade-offs.
One other spotlight at Formnext was Renishaw’s up to date RenAM 500 collection steel AM system, augmented by TEMPUS expertise. By permitting a number of lasers to function concurrently throughout your complete powder mattress, construct instances might drop by as much as 50%. Renishaw aimed these enhancements at producers in aerospace and automotive looking for greater throughput with out sacrificing half integrity.
Wayland Additive featured its NeuBeam course of through the Calibur3 machine. Working with a stabilized electron beam, NeuBeam minimized residual stress via a “hot-part” strategy, simplifying powder removing. Wayland’s Head of New Applied sciences, Martyn Hussey, offered developments in pace, stability, and powder morphology, emphasizing how these enhancements may gain advantage industrial prospects requiring constant metallurgical properties.
Lastly, Sheffield-based Fyous demonstrated its PolyMorphic 28K, a mold-making system utilizing 28,000 adjustable pins that fashioned customized molds in about 20 minutes. The corporate claimed this method was as much as fourteen instances sooner than utilizing standard 3D printing to manufacture molds, lowering each price and storage overhead for functions comparable to vacuum forming, composite layup, or polyurethane molding.
Strategic Developments and Market Dynamics
Amid the flurry of Formnext information, Siemens introduced the deliberate acquisition of Altair Engineering Inc. for about $10 billion in November 2024. CEO Roland Busch acknowledged that the merger goals to combine Altair’s superior simulation and AI-driven computational instruments with Siemens’ Xcelerator platform, creating the “world’s most full AI-powered design and simulation portfolio.” Founder James Scapa highlighted the complementary strengths of each corporations, emphasizing the enhancement of digital twin applied sciences and AI-based optimization for protection and industrial functions. Siemens projected an 8% enhance in its digital enterprise income, including round €600 million to the €7.3 billion reported in FY 2023, and anticipated price synergies of $150 million in EBITDA inside two years post-acquisition. The deal is predicted to shut within the second half of 2025, topic to customary circumstances.
On the supplies entrance, KIMYA, the additive manufacturing supplies subsidiary of the ARMOR GROUP, ceased filament manufacturing and withdrew from the 3D printing market in November 2024. Hubert de Boisredon, Chairman and CEO of ARMOR GROUP, introduced the closure, citing weaker-than-expected market development and the financial disaster, which led to declining gross sales of latest machines. KIMYA had invested round €15 million since its 2017 launch and provided high-performance filaments to corporations like Stratasys, Ultimaker, and AON3D. The exit affected 15 workers, who would obtain help to transition to new alternatives; The choice adopted related strategic withdrawals by corporations comparable to BASF.
November’s market information from CONTEXT revealed an explosive 65% year-over-year development in shipments of entry-level 3D printers for Q2 2024, now accounting for 48% of world 3D printer revenues. This surge was predominantly pushed by Chinese language producers, with Creality, Bambu Lab, AnyCubic, and Elegoo collectively representing 94% of all sub-$2,500 3D printer shipments. Bambu Lab achieved an unprecedented 336% cargo development, securing 26% of the worldwide entry-level market share, whereas Creality maintained the most important share at 47%. In distinction, the economic 3D printer phase skilled a 25% year-over-year decline, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of decreased shipments. CONTEXT attributed this stagnation to excessive rates of interest and delayed capital expenditures, which hampered investments in large-scale additive manufacturing techniques. Chris Connery, VP of World Evaluation at CONTEXT, famous that affordability and superior options fueled consumer-level adoption, whereas industrial segments awaited extra favorable financial circumstances for a rebound in 2025.
Recognizing Management and Collaboration
In November, Joe Allison, Principal of 3D Ventures and CEO of Light Big Studios, was awarded the AMUG Innovators Award in November 2024, recognizing his 34-year profession in additive manufacturing. Allison’s contributions embody main important developments in stereolithography and selective laser sintering via his roles at Strong Ideas and Stratasys Direct Manufacturing. Below his management, Strong Ideas grew to become the primary third-party provider to Boeing for flight-certified SLS elements and promoted Direct Steel Laser Sintering (DMLS) for prototyping and manufacturing. AMUG President Shannon VanDeren praised Allison’s affect on the trade, whereas Bruce LeMaster, AMUG’s Director at Massive, highlighted Allison’s mentorship and pioneering efforts in growing automated help era software program.
In the meantime, SME and America Makes introduced their strategic partnership to co-locate the Spring Technical Evaluation and Trade (TRX) with RAPID + TCT 2025 in Detroit, scheduled for April 8-10, 2025. This collaboration goals to unite key leaders and stakeholders from aerospace, protection, and client items sectors, fostering deeper connections and accelerating the adoption of next-generation additive manufacturing applied sciences. John Wilczynski, Govt Director of America Makes, emphasised the partnership’s position in driving innovation by bringing collectively trade specialists, researchers, and practitioners underneath one roof. Steve Prahalis, COO of SME, highlighted the advantages of consolidating these occasions to facilitate the trade of concepts and publicity to numerous additive manufacturing functions. This strategic transfer leverages Detroit’s sturdy manufacturing heritage, aiming to reinforce the protection sector’s manufacturing capabilities via additive applied sciences.
Conversely, Formnext Chicago 2025 was postponed as a consequence of scheduling conflicts with RAPID + TCT 2025 and the AMUG Convention, together with ongoing financial and geopolitical uncertainties. Sascha Wenzler, Vice President at Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH, defined that the choice aimed to keep away from the conflict of main trade occasions, making certain higher alignment with exhibitors’ commitments and market wants.
World Tendencies and Rising Challenges
November additionally underscored China’s rising position in AM, as advisor Dirk Simon offered insights on China’s globalization of additive manufacturing on the Mobility Goes Additive Annual Assembly. Simon, with in depth expertise working with Chinese language AM corporations like Farsoon Applied sciences, Bambu Lab, and Vivid Laser Applied sciences (BLT), highlighted China’s important developments in lowering AM half prices via improvements comparable to multi-laser setups, closed-loop powder dealing with, and user-friendly machine designs. He famous that Chinese language corporations are actually coming into large-scale collection manufacturing, with corporations like BLT exporting steel elements to main aerospace corporations like Airbus. Simon emphasised the significance of Western corporations forming partnerships with Chinese language AM corporations to leverage their cost-effective manufacturing capabilities whereas navigating cultural and technical challenges. He really helpful strong buying processes, together with benchmarking, acceptance assessments, and complete contract clauses, to mitigate dangers related to provide chain interruptions and mental property considerations.
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Featured picture exhibits the brand new Prusa Core One. Picture through Prusa Analysis.
