The IMTS 2026 exhibition, held September 14–19 in Chicago, drew over 90,000 attendees and more than 1,700 exhibitors. On-site reporting by 3DPrint.com shows that the additive manufacturing zone was located directly adjacent to the metal removal/machining area, reflecting a broad industry view that AM is now treated as a formal part of the manufacturing workflow rather than a niche technology. Metal AM highlights: FormAlloy showcased a large multi-material directed energy deposition (DED) functionally graded blisk, capable of precisely mixing different metal powders by position within a single part and finely tailoring material properties. The company moved into a new 24,000-square-foot factory this year and in 2026 secured multiple defense contracts from the U.S. Navy, America Makes, the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). Aixway3D (a Fraunhofer ILT spin-off with a Suzhou factory and Aachen R&D) exhibited micron-scale Micro-LPBF/SLM technology: 2–10 µm printing accuracy, 30 µm wall thickness, and 0.8 µm Ra surface roughness, targeting medical devices such as endoscopes, forceps tips, and stents. Canmora Tech presented the LEAM large-format LPBF platform: a moving powder cylinder instead of a rising/falling build platform, and independent laser heads instead of galvanometer scanners, with up to 36 lasers, aimed at large shipbuilding and energy components. Caracol is advancing both its Vipra metal DED and Heron composite additive systems in parallel; EOS printed 180 polymer parts for the DoD drone advantage challenge in only about 12 hours; and HP MJF drone applications are expanding. Overall, the show demonstrated an accelerating convergence of metal AM with AI, machine vision, and inspection technologies. Value for powder buyers: (1) The rise of functionally graded DED parts will drive opportunities for on-demand mixing of multiple metal powder grades and small-batch custom supply; (2) micron-scale Micro-LPBF is penetrating the medical device sector, boosting demand for fine-particle titanium alloys, nickel-based alloys, cobalt-chromium, and tungsten powders; (3) the ramp-up of 36-laser large-format LPBF will increase powder loading per machine, drawing attention to large-package powder supply and powder recycling services.