--- title: "Reinforcing the foundations for the next decade of growth in metal AM" url: https://www.voxelmatters.com/reinforcing-the-foundations-for-the-next-decade-of-growth-in-metal-am/ date: 2025-11-26 modified: 2025-12-15 lang: en author: "Davide Sher" description: "We talked about polymer AM in part one of this article. Now forget everything you read, because the metal additive manufacturing industry is an entirely different ballgame, and Formnext 2025..." categories: - "3D Printing Events" - "Additive Manufacturing" - "Additive Mass Production - AMP" - "Advanced Materials" - "Formnext" - "Materials" - "Metal Additive Manufacturing" - "Metals" - "Precious Metals" - "Refractory Metals" - "Trends 2026" tags: - "Featured" image: https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/EOS-Onyx-640x480.jpg word_count: 2500 --- # Reinforcing the foundations for the next decade of growth in metal AM We talked about [polymer AM in part one of this article](https://www.voxelmatters.com/laying-the-foundations-for-the-next-decade-of-am-growth-at-formnext-2025/). Now forget everything you read, because the metal additive manufacturing industry is an entirely different ballgame, and Formnext 2025 gave us many indications of how it will evolve. While some low-cost systems are indeed appearing on the market, using different technologies (but mostly filament), the metal AM business revolves around very large, expensive, and increasingly scalable machines that cater to the state of the art in industrial production. This is a whole different sector, where scalable production and advanced applications in space, medicine, defense, and energy dominate the market. Here as well, we are seeing the seeds of growth for the next decade of AM, with some evident trends and several increasingly dominant market and technology leaders. Let’s start from the top. Chinese companies like Farsoon, BLT, and Eplus (and several others) are truly scaling up their productivity, but Western leaders like EOS and Nikon SLM Solutions continue to dominate Western markets—both in terms of sales and technological innovation. The reason is simple, and the security issue does play a major role here. As Nikon SLM Solutions' Emily DeSimone explained during her meeting with VoxelMatters’ co-founder Federico Sher, many metal AM applications are either matters of national security or involve extremely valuable IP. The result is that only a few of the largest Western metal AM adopters will rely on Chinese manufacturers for all their metal AM needs. ## Focus is key ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/EOS-scaled.jpg)Watch serial production on an EOS system. Besides geographic location and political complexities, this is a market where focus is key. This is why companies like [EOS](https://www.voxelmatters.directory/company/eos/) and Nikon SLM Solutions—though they rely on very different business and organizational models (one is a private company and a large international group owns the other)—are thriving and innovating at a rapid pace. The launch of EOS’s new Onyx systems was one of the biggest events of the past few years and attracted crowds almost as large as those at Bambu Lab’s H2C launch. This is particularly significant for an industrial product that only a few dozen companies worldwide can afford to purchase on "day 1". As [Tess Boissennault clearly explains in her recent article](https://www.voxelmatters.com/eos-onyx-formnext-release/), the sleek black EOS M4 ONYX is an industrial-grade metal 3D printer that succeeds the EOS M400-4. Along with a host of software upgrades and integrated peripherals—including the new RFS Pro—it unlocks higher productivity (up to 50%), reliability, and cost efficiency. As Sebastian Becker, EOS’ Head of Product Management Metal Solutions, explained to us: “We developed a successor machine to the M400-4 [...] to really go deeper into industrial-grade quality and improve the return on investment for production.” [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/NIkon_SLM_production_IMG_0536-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/NIkon_SLM_production_IMG_0536-scaled.jpg) [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/NIkon_SLM_production_IMG_0537-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/NIkon_SLM_production_IMG_0537-scaled.jpg) [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/NIkon_SLM_production_IMG_0538-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/NIkon_SLM_production_IMG_0538-scaled.jpg) Nikon SLM Solutions is also innovating rapidly and the booth showcased dozens of real production applications,[ though the most impressive ](https://www.voxelmatters.com/leap-71-and-nikon-slm-solutions-produce-2-mn-full%e2%80%91flow-engine-injector-head/)[was surely the 2MN flow engine injector head created with LEAP71](https://www.voxelmatters.com/leap-71-and-nikon-slm-solutions-produce-2-mn-full%e2%80%91flow-engine-injector-head/). Launched in 2020, [the company's top-selling NXG platform](https://www.voxelmatters.com/nikon-slm-solutions-sells-its-50th-nxg-machine/) almost single-handedly created the market for large-format PBF—an area that many Chinese companies are now expanding rapidly. ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Farsoon-Brose-1-scaled-e1764065711179.jpg)How fast exactly? Just ask Farsoon. The company’s Director of Business Development AMEA, Vince Zhao, showed us a build from Brose with 21,528 parts printed in a single 8-laser machine over 30 hours (22 grams per part, 475 kg build—low-alloy steel). On 10 machines, this amounts to over 200,000 parts in 30 hours—over a million parts per week. If you consider AM factories such as BLT’s main facility in China, with over 700 machines, metal AM mass production is not just within reach—for some applications, it’s already here. Before this vision can be fully expressed and become standard for metal manufacturing, especially in Western markets, several things need to happen. The first is funding. Chinese companies have benefited from clear governmental policies. This must happen in Europe and the US as well, and it is unclear why it hasn’t yet. Powerful new initiatives such as [IAM3DHUB’s Addliance](https://www.voxelmatters.com/building-a-common-voice-for-additive-manufacturing/) and CECIMO’s AM Europe may finally provide the required lobbying power—especially if they join forces and speak with a single voice. There must be a will to make it happen from both adopters and system manufacturers, but it will happen one way or another because it simply makes sense. ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/IAM3DHUB-scaled-e1764065883998.jpg) ## Building on materials and services This massive adoption, which we are already beginning to see, will drive demand for powders. Companies like [Fomas Group's MIMETE, which can leverage in-depth metallurgical knowledge](https://www.voxelmatters.com/fomas-group-to-present-mimete-metal-powder-solutions-at-formnext-2025/), will have the added benefit of being based in Europe when facing off against Chinese powerhouses like CNPC Powders, which are now aggressively targeting Western markets with a broad portfolio of materials. In this context, the vision of a company like [Continuum for fully recycled, green metal powder](https://www.voxelmatters.com/continuum-is-closing-the-loop-on-high-performance-am-powders-at-formnext/) is increasingly relevant (more on this in the sinter-based metal AM section of this article). Dozens more companies, including giants like Epson (with Atmix), are starting to explore this business opportunity. In retrospect, former market leaders like Carpenter, Sandvik, and Höganäs—absent or present in reduced capacity at this edition of Formnext—failed to capitalize on opportunities when they arose, possibly due to insufficient focus on AM, and may have divested too soon. [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/addireen-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/addireen-scaled.jpg) [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/BLT-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/BLT-scaled.jpg) That’s the main point: to succeed in AM, you need laser-sharp focus (pun intended). Companies like EOS and Nikon SLM Solutions have that. Chinese companies have that, too, though they face entirely different challenges, such as extreme domestic competition. The former "Big Four" of Chinese metal AM (BLT, Farsoon, ePlus, HBD) have already become the "Big Six" with the addition of polymer AM leaders UnionTech and Kings 3D, both of which have entered the metal AM sector. Now several other players are entering the domestic market. That’s why Western expansion is so important. So far, only Farsoon has achieved results on the hardware side, while others like BLT and Addireen are mainly thriving through production services. Addireen, in particular, is focusing on copper AM services and standing out from the competition. [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Atlix-640x360.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Atlix.jpg) [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/altform-1-e1764066908867-640x361.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/altform-1-e1764066908867.jpg) Those who are unable to focus generally fail and exit the market or need to refocus. TRUMPF, for example, always had excellent technology but was never truly able to align with the new AM industry. [Spinning out the additive manufacturing arm and rebranding it as Atlix](https://www.voxelmatters.com/atlix-debuts-at-formnext-2025-following-carve-out-from-trumpf-group/) will likely bring significant benefits. Similarly, Sodick was not able to sufficiently focus on its AM offering, so it acquired AM specialist Prima Additive (which was also unable to emerge on its own). [The new company, Altform, represents a way to combine synergies and refocus](https://www.voxelmatters.com/altform-debuts-new-identity-and-laser-platforms-ahead-of-formnext-2025/). On the other hand, companies like Renishaw and DMG Mori seem to be missing an opportunity by not investing sufficiently to expand their market reach and by remaining anchored to outdated ways of marketing their products. Renishaw can leverage its extensive experience (it was one of the very first metal PBF hardware companies) and continues to get by, but it seems to struggle to scale its AM business. DMG Mori, while it showcases large booths at industry shows—including Formnext—appears to be heading in the same direction as TRUMPF. While the company has made several hardware sales to its existing machine-tool customer base over the years, we are not aware of many sales beyond that core audience. Once demand from its core customers dries up (machine tool operators may have no direct interest in radically altering their business models), the company will have to decide: either focus on the expanded AM industry or give it up. ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Colibrium-scaled.jpg)How many catalyst parts can Colibrium 3D print? In that sense, we are still trying to understand exactly what Colibrium Additive intends to do. Internal demand from GE Aerospace helps the company navigate the market. Head of Communications Shaun Wootton told us that increasing competition from the likes of Wayland and Pro Beam is actually benefiting the segment and EBM adoption overall. At the same time, AP&C remains a key supplier of metal AM powders. But what are the company’s long-term goals? Will it continue servicing its parent company, or will it aim to become an AM market leader? Before we conclude this section on metal PBF, it's worth mentioning VulcanForms, the only member of a group of innovative American companies targeting mass metal production to be present at Formenxt this year. Unfortunately, we did not have the chance to meet the team during the show, but the company's vision and capabilities are impressive, and we will continue to keep an eye on it. [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/VulcanForms_IMG_0355-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/VulcanForms_IMG_0355-scaled.jpg) [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/VulcanForms_IMG_0356-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/VulcanForms_IMG_0356-scaled.jpg) [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/VulcanForms_IMG_0357-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/VulcanForms_IMG_0357-scaled.jpg) ## Wire-based and non-laser large format opportunities While Norsk Titanium—a somewhat "secretive" company heavily focused on the aerospace segment with its wire-based RPD technology—has never participated at Formnext, and Sciaky, the EBAM leader, continues to keep a low profile, many WAAM companies were among the most active exhibitors at this year’s show. MX3D, WAAM3D, Gefertec, and now[ Caracol AM, with its new Vipra system](https://www.voxelmatters.com/caracol-launches-vipra-am-integrated-robotic-metal-3d-printing-platform/), are enjoying healthy growth rates and a surge of applications while rapidly lowering the price barrier to entry into large-format metal AM. The quality of WAAM 3D printed parts has increased exponentially. This is making a significant dent in sales of powder-based DED hardware and will continue to do so as the technology evolves. [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/MX3d-480x640.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/MX3d-scaled.jpg) [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/vipra-480x640.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/vipra-scaled.jpg) The key is that while these are not low-priced systems, they can leverage extremely cost-effective and readily available wire-based materials. More and more companies are offering AM-specific metal wire products, and the segment as a whole is becoming increasingly solid. We expect to see more exhibitors at upcoming editions as companies like AML3D continue to expand their reach. By comparison, the cold spray segment was underrepresented this year after a period of expansion. The main operators, SPEE3D and Titomic, both come from Australia, and the trip to Germany is inevitably complicated. In addition, both companies are focusing heavily on the Defense sector. It is an understandable strategy for two still relatively small companies, and we expect to see SPEE3D back at Formnext. ## Sinter-based opportunities Which brings us to the final—and possibly the most curious and interesting—area of metal AM: sinter-based technologies. This is a rapidly growing and very dynamic area, with huge potential but still hindered by the challenges of getting many different and radically new technological approaches off the ground. We are seeing things set in motion. Among the main events from the show were HP’s increased focus on Metal Jet via powerful collaborations with companies like Legor and Continuum—among others—for material validation, and [Stratasys’s investment in Tritone,](https://www.voxelmatters.com/stratasys-invests-in-tritone-to-offer-metal-3d-printing/) one of the most interesting and market-ready companies in sinter-based metal AM (in fact, we first began using this term after speaking with Ben Arnold back when he was at Tritone). ![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/IMG_0550-scaled.jpg)Stratasys' acquisition of a minority stake in Tritone was one of the biggest news stories to emerge during Formnext. The point, as illustrated by Continuum’s GM Kevin O’Shea, “is getting to a green part.” There are several ways to do it, each with its own specific benefits. Tritone does it with paste (which helps optimize material handling, especially for high-value metals). Headmade Materials—a company we follow but were unable to meet with this time—does it with sinterable polymer-based powders. Others—not present at the show but doing well in the US market, operating in focused segments, like 3DEO and Mantle—are finding different ways to apply binders to powders and to cut away unnecessary material before sintering. Others yet, like XJET, do it via ultra-advanced nanoparticle jetting. The Israeli company has completely overhauled its business strategy and organization over the past few years, rapidly expanding its material capabilities. Producing nanoparticles is neither easy nor cheap, but the benefits are significant in terms of part quality right out of the machine. As CEO Guy Zimmerman explained during our talk at Formnext, “[XJET] has abandoned its ultra-conservative approach to material development, embracing a wide range of metal, precious metal, and ceramic materials” (more on this in part 3 of this article). [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0465-480x640.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0465-scaled.jpg) [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0463-480x640.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0463-scaled.jpg) [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0455-480x640.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0455-scaled.jpg) [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0457-480x640.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0457-scaled.jpg) [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0456-480x640.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0456-scaled.jpg) [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0464-480x640.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0464-scaled.jpg) [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0459-scaled-e1764069109623-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0459-scaled-e1764069109623.jpg) [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0466-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0466-scaled.jpg) [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0458-scaled-e1764069122684-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0458-scaled-e1764069122684.jpg) [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0461-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0461-scaled.jpg) [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0462-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0462-scaled.jpg) [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0460-scaled-e1764069207229-640x480.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/XJET_IMG_0460-scaled-e1764069207229.jpg) Like the early and, to some extent, the current AM industry, sinter-based AM is a roller coaster. Many companies that based their metal AM strategy on bound-metal filament extrusion technology were among the big absentees from this edition of Formnext or participated in a heavily reduced form. Desktop Metal, in the process of relaunching its business after a bankruptcy, and Markforged, now integrated into Nano Dimension, are the most evident examples. The list of companies that failed to deliver on the opportunities opened by this technology also includes Xerion, Triditive, BCN3D, and even Forward AM, which offered bound-metal filament materials (and is now being integrated into Stratasys). However, this happened not because the technology is too hard, but because it is too easy. Almost anyone can do it. For certain parts, a very standard consumer machine is sufficient. Most of the challenges—for everyone—are found in the sintering step. In the future, this may become a key advantage for Desktop Metal and Markforged, given their software capabilities and the development they have conducted in this area during their "golden days". ![Explore the future of Formnext and Metal AM as we dive into industry innovations and trends from Formnext 2025.](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Continuum-HP-scaled-e1764070126768.jpg)M247 is a high-performance alloy developed by Continuum for HP's Metal Jet platform. The company is also working with Legor and many others to expand its materials portfolio beyond steel. Bambu Lab even showed us a metal part printed on its machines using a high-metal-content filament that did not require sintering (clearly only suitable for parts with extremely low mechanical requirements, but it made the point). And it doesn’t end with filament. With Fuse 1 and Headmade Materials (also supported by EOS Formiga), [Formlabs could become the company with the largest metal AM installed base in the world](https://www.voxelmatters.com/3d-werk-3d-prints-metal-parts-on-a-fuse1-3d-printer-using-cmf/). Additional options include bound-metal stereolithography from Incus and Adamtec, a niche and relatively expensive technology that shows great promise in terms of part quality. But the only technology today that has already been qualified for production applications remains metal binder jetting. With EASYMFG still limited to its domestic market, the undisputed leader in metal binder jetting is HP, even though the company has sold fewer than 100 (probably closer to 50) machines to date. And yet, HP is the company that best represents the changes that can happen in a decade. Ten years ago, it launched MJF technology and has now become a leader in the polymer AM market, with huge growth potential ahead. Will it do the same with metal over the next decade? We think so. [Apple’s use of binder jetting](https://www.voxelmatters.com/apple-is-using-metal-binder-jetting-for-apple-watch-9-production/) technology ([along with PBF](https://www.voxelmatters.com/additive-manufacturing-changing-game-apple/)) for production is a major push to HP’s own drive toward Metal Jet mass adoption ([which is also intensifying in China](https://www.voxelmatters.com/formnext-asia-shenzhen-sets-the-stage-for-the-next-decade-of-global-am-growth/)), and it can only grow from here. But AM is not just about the mass market. It is also about incredibly advanced and niche applications—some of the most exciting areas we explore at VoxelMatters. Here, the concept of focus reaches an entirely new level. And we will discuss it in [part 3](https://www.voxelmatters.com/expanding-the-foundations-for-the-next-decade-of-am-growth-at-formnext/). [![](https://www.voxelmatters.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Metal-AM.jpg)](https://www.voxelmatters.report/product/metal-am-market-2025/)Do you want to know everything about the Metal AM market? Order the VoxelMatters Metal AM Market 2025 report.