LEGO reveals first mass-produced 3D printed piece in new holiday set
The 3D printed train piece is part of the LEGO Icons Holiday Express Train
In a truly huge announcement from the consumer AM segment, the LEGO Group has unveiled this season’s festive sets, one of which—the LEGO Icons Holiday Express Train—features the company’s first mass-produced 3D printed piece. The piece in question is a functional train that combines LEGO connectors with “an internal functionality only possible with AM.”
Every year, LEGO’s holiday sets are an anticipated release, with parents rushing to purchase them for Christmas gifts or AFOLS (adult fans of LEGO) eagerly adding the kits to their collections. This year, we expect that the buzz around the Holiday Express Train set will extend to another crowd—that of the 3D printing enthusiast.
The 3D printed train is one of 956 pieces in the LEGO Icons Holiday Express Train set and represents the first ever LEGO product to be released on a mass scale. “This set makes a stunning centrepiece to a seasonal display, with a 16-piece circular track that can be set up on a tablescape or around a holiday tree. Fans can even motorize the locomotive using the LEGO Powered Up kit,” the company writes in its press release.
A LinkedIn post by Ronen Hadar, Head of Additive Design & Manufacturing at The LEGO Group, reveals a few more details about the 3D printed train piece, including the fact that it is manufactured using an EOS 3D printer based on its Fine detail resolution (FDR) technology. FDR is a powder-based polymer 3D printing technology that integrates a ultra-fine CO laser that makes ultra-fine details and high-precision printing possible. According to Hadar, this system was central to achieving “high accuracy and quality… on par with [LEGO’s] standard quality and safety requirements.”
The announcement represents a big step in LEGO’s interest in 3D printing, which we’ve followed for the past few years. In 2022, LEGO unveiled its first official 3D printed piece: a LEGO duck that was gifted to guests at a LEGO House adult fan event. At the time, Hadar said: “The team has been working hard to develop, approve and manufacture this super cool element, in collaboration with our talented designers. This is an important milestone for the team.
We are looking forward to sharing more news with you in the near future.” The duck was not, however, released to the general public or made on a mass scale. The holiday train set is an important first in this way.
The LEGO Icons Holiday Express Train set (recommended for ages 18+) will officially become available to LEGO Insiders from October 1st, 2025, while the general release will follow on October 4, 2025. The set is priced at USD 129.99 (EUR119.99/GBP109.99).
