Additive manufacturing research firm AM Research and Continuum Powders have jointly released a whitepaper titled "Metal AM at Scale: The Closed-Loop Materials Era." The report shows that the value of metal 3D printed parts grew from less than $3 billion in 2016 to more than $8 billion in 2025, and predicts that powder bed fusion (PBF) part value will increase from approximately $6 billion in 2025 to about $30 billion in 2034. The report notes that as metal additive manufacturing moves from prototyping to mass production, a closed-loop materials supply chain has become a key capability: by recycling and reusing metal powder feedstock, manufacturers can improve the availability of critical metals such as nickel, titanium, copper, and specialty alloys while reducing the risk of supply disruptions. Aerospace and defense is the largest market by part value during the report's forecast period, with demand also growing in strategic sectors such as data center infrastructure and energy. The report emphasizes that closed-loop material systems have evolved from a purely sustainability initiative into a core imperative for building manufacturing capability.