Precision Resource Breaks Ground on Two New Additive Manufacturing Production Facilities, Deploying DMP Flex 350 Triple Three-Laser Systems with 3D Systems
On October 28, 2026, 3D Systems and Precision Resource, a precision stamping and additive manufacturing service provider, jointly announced that the latter has officially broken ground on two new additive manufacturing production facilities: an expansion of its Huntington Beach, California plant that will double existing industrial additive manufacturing capacity, and a new facility in Shelton, Connecticut, the company's first additive manufacturing site in that location. Both facilities are expected to begin operations in the first quarter of 2027, coinciding with Precision Resource's 80th anniversary. The new plants will deploy DMP Flex 350 Triple three-laser metal 3D printing systems and add in-house heat treatment and complex machining capabilities, creating an integrated path from printing to finished parts.
Headquartered in Shelton, Connecticut, and founded in 1947, Precision Resource serves the automotive, heavy industry, medical, semiconductor, commercial, and defense markets. It already has precision blanking, grinding, lapping, laser powder bed fusion, heat treatment, and complex machining capabilities, and previously deployed an AS9100-certified DMP Flex 350 at Huntington Beach. The newly introduced three-laser system continues the same platform architecture, allowing powder parameter packages and grade-matching systems to be reused directly, reducing the time cost of process validation during the new plants' ramp-up phase. Once completed, the two facilities will form a North American metal additive manufacturing production network with existing sites, providing capacity redundancy and geographic backup for commercial and defense customers.
For the metal powder supply chain, the signal sent by this expansion lies in a structural shift on the demand side: the batch deployment of three-laser LPBF equipment means powder consumption per plant will rise significantly, while stringent requirements from defense and commercial customers for batch consistency and certification documentation will push the competitive threshold for powder suppliers from "able to supply" to "able to certify." The "interconnected additive manufacturing network" mentioned by Chris Gratton, Precision Resource's director of additive and equipment operations, essentially requires powder supply to maintain stable output under the same quality system across multiple plant locations.
Value for powder buyers: ① The commissioning of multiple three-laser LPBF machines will directly drive increased procurement of standard-grade powders such as Ti6Al4V, stainless steel, and nickel-based superalloys; the DMP 350 platform's powder parameter packages are mature and the grade-matching threshold is low; ② Supply chains serving defense and commercial customers have high requirements for powder batch consistency and ASTM/AMS certification documentation, so powder suppliers with certification capabilities will benefit first; ③ Watch the powder supplier certification window ahead of the first-quarter 2027 commissioning and lock in sample submission and audit schedules in advance.
2026-10-28
Detroit Arsenal Pilots 3D-Printed Exterior Panels for Building Energy Retrofits
The U.S. Army's Detroit Arsenal in Warren, Michigan, is piloting a facility retrofit project that wraps existing building exteriors with 3D-printed panels. Funded by the Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP), the project aims to cut heating and cooling energy consumption by more than 65%. John Cupp, director of public works at Detroit Arsenal, said the project is intended to validate advanced additive manufacturing on existing military facilities to improve energy resilience and maintain uninterrupted operations.
The project uses terrestrial LiDAR scanning to capture millions of data points and build a millimeter-accurate digital twin of the building facade, allowing each panel to conform to the existing geometry. Blower door testing measured baseline air leakage, with retesting planned after installation. Direct Digital Fabrication printed the panels directly from 3D geometry files using robots and CAD data. The Army says the process uses one-twentieth the material and one-fifth the production time of conventional manufacturing. Because the panels are made off-site, contractors can install the cladding system without the interior demolition and office relocations typical of conventional insulation retrofits. The demonstration aims to reduce heating loads by 50%; the Army estimates savings of about $3.98 to $4.84 per square meter per year and greater feasibility for electrified heating in extreme cold climates. The project is scheduled for completion in 2027, and the data will inform whether the Department of Defense rolls out 3D-printed cladding systems across its global facilities.
The pilot extends additive manufacturing beyond prototypes and parts production to building envelope retrofits, providing a defense-facility-level validation scenario for large-format extrusion and robotic additive processes using polymers or composites. For the metal additive manufacturing supply chain, its significance lies in opening a new application area—energy-efficiency retrofits of existing buildings. If later versions incorporate metal connectors, fastening structures, or metal functional layers, demand for the relevant powder categories and printing services will follow.
Value for powder buyers: (1) Monitor the expansion of material systems for large-format robotic additive manufacturing in building retrofits and assess in advance the powder compatibility of metal connectors and structural components; (2) Track the DoD's rollout decision after the project's completion in 2027 to judge whether a scaled procurement window will emerge; (3) Connect with service providers capable of LiDAR digital twins and off-site printing to secure future supply opportunities for metal components supporting cladding systems.
2026-10-28
AddireenNow Launches End-to-End Additive Manufacturing Production Services for Pure Copper and Other Metals
AddireenNow, the online services division of Addireen, has officially launched end-to-end additive manufacturing production services for industrial metal parts, covering the entire workflow from quotation and design optimization to printing, post-processing, and inspection. Headquartered in Shenzhen, the company entered the market in 2023 with China's first green-laser metal 3D printing solution, capable of processing highly reflective metals such as pure copper, copper alloys, and aluminum alloys. This launch extends its business from equipment and processes to production services. The platform supports materials including pure copper, CuCrZr, AlSi10Mg, 316L stainless steel, and Ti6Al4V, and can handle both pure copper parts with fine features and high-volume production requirements. After users upload CAD files and specify material, quantity, post-processing, and inspection requirements, the platform automatically analyzes the model and provides a preliminary quote and lead-time estimate. Once the order is confirmed, Addireen's engineering team conducts a DfAM review, checking design, tolerances, surface requirements, and other factors and offering optimization suggestions. The company then coordinates the entire production chain from printing through inspection. For the metal additive manufacturing value chain, combining the green-laser route with an online service platform turns processing capability for highly reflective metals into capacity that can be ordered directly, lowering the collaboration barrier from design to delivery for materials such as pure copper and accelerating the validation of powders and process parameters in real order scenarios. Value for powder buyers: (1) The launch of pure copper and CuCrZr printing services provides copper-based powder suppliers with a end-use application outlet they can connect to; (2) The platform also covers AlSi10Mg, 316L, and Ti6Al4V, making it easier for buyers to match multiple powder categories to order requirements; (3) Upfront DfAM review helps clarify material and process requirements, reducing powder selection and trial-and-error costs.
2026-10-28