The 3D printing sector grows in Q2 2026, but the results of publicly traded companies are uneven. Competitive pressure on margins and leadership, with SpaceX influential on Velo3D.

IMTS 2026 highlighted the growing integration between industrial robotics and 3D printing, with FANUC as a key player and cases such as Athena 3D Manufacturing, where a CRX robot automates plate changes and nearly doubles production.

A Chinese team has developed an automatic system that detects and corrects stringing in FFF 3D printing in real time, combining computer vision and closed-loop control to intervene during the process.

SNAP3D: from image to glue-free assemblable 3D printing A system developed at Carnegie Mellon University generates 3D models from a single photo and makes them physically assemblable. Six objects were printed in PLA and manually assembled without fasteners. 3D generators based on artificial intelligence

Creality launches the K3: four nozzles and waste-free multicolor printing

Creality has officially introduced the K3, a next-generation desktop 3D printer equipped with the four-nozzle KliTek system. The technology promises to reduce material waste by 85% and printing times

Alternating layers of PLA and TPU: mechanical strength without blending, but machine learning should be treated with caution

A group of researchers from the Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology in Hyderabad tested a simple approach to combine rigidity and flexibility in a single printed component: a

Salubrious brings 3D printed wheelchair cushions into serial production with Create It REAL's Programmable Foam

The Programmable Foam technology developed by the Danish company Create It REAL makes a significant leap: from customization of orthopedic devices to serial production.

Artificial intelligence against planned obsolescence: new life for abandoned 3D printers

**A German maker used AI to create alternative software that brings a 2017 3D printer back into operation that was left without support. The case opens up unprecedented scenarios on the longevity of

PLA filament with pine cone flour: the Romanian study that turns forest waste into 3D printing material

A team of Romanian researchers has developed a composite filament that incorporates ground Scots pine cones into traditional PLA. The study, published in the journal Sustainability, d

Balloon Banjo: the 3D-printed instrument that explores the physics of resonance

A 3D-printed banjo that uses an inflatable balloon as a resonance chamber. The project by Co:Creation Lab in Singapore turns a musical instrument into an accessible acoustics experiment.

A banjo s

Subaru uses color 3D printing to reduce errors in production

Subaru of Indiana Automotive has introduced a color-coding system for 3D-printed tools, turning color into an error prevention tool. The solution uses Onyx GF material from Mar

SPELL3D develops a compact extruder to bring FGF printing to desktop printers

A Maltese project aims to revolutionize desktop 3D printing with pellets instead of filament, reducing material costs by up to 90%.

SPELL3D, a collaboration between the University of Malta and the local company Inven