{"id":44099,"date":"2026-10-27T09:58:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T08:58:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/?p=44099"},"modified":"2026-10-27T09:58:33","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T08:58:33","slug":"what-to-expect-at-formnext-2026-7-additive-manufacturing-trends-to-watch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shapeways.com\/blog\/what-to-expect-at-formnext-2026-7-additive-manufacturing-trends-to-watch","title":{"rendered":"What to Expect at Formnext 2026: 7 Additive Manufacturing Trends to Watch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Every November, Frankfurt becomes a global meeting point for additive manufacturing. From November 17\u201320, <\/strong>Formnext 2026<\/strong> <\/a>will bring together manufacturers, technology providers, and industry leaders to explore the latest developments in industrial 3D printing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the conversation is evolving. Additive manufacturing (AM) <\/a>is no longer just about what can be printed. It’s increasingly about how technologies can deliver consistent quality, scalable production, and measurable value across the manufacturing lifecycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For companies developing next-generation hardware in medical, defense, robotics, and industrial markets, this shift creates new opportunities to accelerate innovation, improve product performance, and build more resilient supply chains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are seven additive manufacturing trends to watch at Formnext 2026, and what they mean for manufacturers.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Industrialization: From Prototyping to Repeatable Production<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the defining additive manufacturing trends in 2026 is the continued transition from prototyping to industrial production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While 3D printing has long supported rapid product development, manufacturers are increasingly evaluating it for functional, end-use components. This requires more than printing technology. Repeatability, process control, quality assurance, and traceability are essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For manufacturers, the question is changing from “Can we print this part?”<\/em> to “Can we manufacture it consistently, at the required quality and cost?”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opportunity for manufacturers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Industrial additive manufacturing can support recurring production of complex components, particularly where traditional tooling is too costly or inflexible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Shapeways<\/a>, our ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified quality management and environmental processes<\/a> support reliable manufacturing. Through established process controls, material testing, and inspection, we help customers transition from individual prototypes to repeatable low-volume production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal isn’t simply to manufacture a part once. It’s to manufacture it reliably throughout its lifecycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Automation: Making Low-Volume Manufacturing More Efficient<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Automation is becoming an increasingly important factor in the industrialization of additive manufacturing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advancements in automated build preparation, production planning, powder handling, post-processing, and inspection are helping manufacturers reduce manual intervention and improve consistency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, automation isn’t just about producing higher quantities. It’s also about making smaller production runs more efficient and predictable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opportunity for manufacturers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For companies developing specialized equipment or next-generation hardware, demand often doesn’t justify large-scale production or significant tooling investments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital and automated manufacturing workflows can help make production in quantities of tens, hundreds, or thousands of parts more practical, depending on the application and process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shapeways focuses on flexible, low-volume manufacturing, helping customers produce the quantities they need without committing prematurely to traditional mass-production methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is particularly valuable for robotics, industrial equipment, and specialized hardware manufacturers managing evolving product designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Design for Additive Manufacturing: Building Better-Performing Products<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Design for Additive Manufacturing (DfAM) continues to gain importance as engineers look beyond conventional manufacturing constraints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By designing specifically for additive processes, manufacturers can explore lighter structures, consolidated assemblies, internal channels, and complex geometries that would be difficult or expensive to produce through traditional methods.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But design freedom alone doesn’t guarantee better products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opportunity for manufacturers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Successful DfAM must balance functionality with material properties, tolerances, finishing requirements, production costs, and manufacturability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, consolidating multiple components into a single printed part may simplify assembly and reduce potential failure points. However, another component may benefit more from CNC machining because of its dimensional or mechanical requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Shapeways, we believe the best manufacturing strategy starts with the application, not the technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By combining additive manufacturing, CNC machining<\/a>, and engineering expertise, we help customers identify the most suitable production approach for their hardware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The objective isn’t just to make a printable design. It’s to manufacture a better product.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Artificial Intelligence: Improving Manufacturing Decisions and Process Control<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly important area of innovation across industrial 3D printing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AI-enabled software and data analytics are being developed to support design optimization, build preparation, defect detection, predictive maintenance, and process monitoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These developments could help manufacturers identify production issues earlier, improve repeatability, and reduce material waste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opportunity for manufacturers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For industrial applications, the value of AI lies in making manufacturing processes more predictable and data-driven.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Combining machine data, process monitoring, and quality information can support better production decisions, particularly for companies moving toward recurring manufacturing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Shapeways<\/a>, established production controls, material expertise, and inspection processes already play an important role in manufacturing consistency.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As AI technologies mature, their integration into industrial workflows presents further opportunities to improve efficiency and quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The future of manufacturing won’t be defined by AI alone, but by how effectively digital intelligence supports real production processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Advanced Materials and Sustainability: Choosing the Right Solution<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Material innovation<\/a> continues to expand the possibilities of additive manufacturing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Developments in engineering polymers, high-performance materials, and metal additive manufacturing are enabling new applications across demanding industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, manufacturers are evaluating how material selection, production waste, energy consumption, and product lifecycle decisions affect their environmental footprint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opportunity for manufacturers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Selecting the right material means considering mechanical strength, thermal resistance, chemical compatibility, dimensional stability, weight, and surface finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Technologies such as Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) <\/a>and Multi Jet Fusion (MJF)<\/a> provide manufacturing options for complex polymer components, while CNC machining<\/a> offers alternatives when tighter tolerances or specific material properties are required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shapeways helps customers evaluate these trade-offs and select materials and processes based on application requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through our ISO 14001 environmental management framework, we also work to support responsible manufacturing operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sustainable manufacturing requires a lifecycle perspective. Additive manufacturing can reduce waste or eliminate tooling in certain applications, but the environmental benefits depend on the material, process, production volume, and application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Digital Supply Chains: From Physical Inventory to On-Demand Manufacturing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Supply chain resilience<\/a> remains a priority for industrial manufacturers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long lead times, minimum order quantities, obsolete parts, and dependence on geographically concentrated suppliers can introduce significant operational risks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additive manufacturing creates opportunities for more flexible supply chains through on-demand production and digital inventories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of stocking every possible replacement part, companies can evaluate which components are suitable for digital storage and production when needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opportunity for manufacturers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For industrial equipment manufacturers and organizations managing complex hardware portfolios, this approach can help reduce selected inventory requirements and improve responsiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can be particularly relevant for low-demand spare parts, tooling, and components with unpredictable replacement cycles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, effective digital supply chains require more than storing CAD files. Materials, manufacturing specifications, quality requirements, and production partners must also be considered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shapeways supports this shift by bringing together additive manufacturing, CNC machining, and additional production services within a flexible digital manufacturing model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rather than managing multiple suppliers and processes independently, customers can work with a partner that supports their hardware throughout its lifecycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Real-World Applications: Proving the Business Value of Additive Manufacturing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the most important theme for Formnext 2026 is the growing focus on real manufacturing applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Across medical technology, defense, robotics, and industrial equipment, companies are evaluating AM based on measurable production benefits rather than technological novelty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Can it reduce development time? Improve functionality? Avoid unnecessary tooling? Support economical low-volume production?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are the questions that determine whether additive manufacturing creates real business value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opportunity for manufacturers<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In medical technology<\/a>, additive manufacturing supports specialized devices, patient-specific applications, and complex functional components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One example is OHD<\/strong>,<\/a> which has used Shapeways’ additive manufacturing capabilities to produce custom adapters and components for respirator fit-testing equipment. This approach helps OHD<\/a> respond to changing product requirements without the delays associated with traditional tooling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In defense<\/a>, additive manufacturing can support faster design iterations, lightweight components, and selected spare-parts applications, subject to the necessary qualification and performance requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In robotics and industrial equipment<\/a>, it creates opportunities for complex geometries, lightweight structures, tooling, and flexible low-volume production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These applications demonstrate an important shift: the value of additive manufacturing comes from solving real engineering and production challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At Shapeways, we bring together industrial 3D printing, CNC machining, finishing, inspection, assembly, and other production services to support companies developing next-generation hardware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You focus on the hardware. We are the manufacturing system behind it.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond Formnext 2026: The Future Is Integrated Manufacturing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The seven trends shaping Formnext 2026 point toward a broader transformation in industrial manufacturing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additive manufacturing is becoming an increasingly established production option, supported by automation, materials innovation, digital workflows, and improved quality control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the future isn’t about replacing every traditional manufacturing process with 3D printing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s about integrating the right technologies, processes, and expertise to manufacture products more effectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For companies developing next-generation hardware, success depends on having a manufacturing strategy that can evolve alongside their products, from early development to ongoing low-volume production.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s where Shapeways comes in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a digital manufacturing partner for next-generation hardware<\/strong>, we provide the technologies, manufacturing expertise, and production services needed to turn complex designs into production-ready products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meet Shapeways at Formnext 2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Shapeways <\/a>will be in Frankfurt from November 17\u201320, 2026<\/strong>, exploring the latest developments in additive manufacturing and connecting with companies shaping the future of hardware.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whether you’re exploring industrial 3D printing, evaluating low-volume production, looking to improve your supply chain, or planning your manufacturing strategy for 2027, we’d welcome the opportunity to discuss your challenges<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s talk<\/a> about how to manufacture your next generation of hardware.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Book a meeting with Shapeways at Formnext 2026<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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