This week, RAPID + TCT, the largest additive manufacturing trade show in North America, returned to Detroit, Michigan.As always, many AM companies take advantage of the opportunity by announcing new product launches, technologies, and much more.Materialise Announces 2025 Magics Release, Strategic Partnerships Global AM software and services leader Materialise made two announcements at the show this week, both of which address major issues in part costs and design limitations.
The first is the 2025 Magics release, which offers distinct solutions for metal and polymer AM challenges, allowing for intelligent support generation tools, implicit modeling capabilities, and seamless workflow integration.To reduce preparation time for complex parts, Magics introduced seamless processing of nTop implicit geometries without requiring mesh conversion.By pairing this capability with Materialise’s next generation Build Processors, users can design and print parts that were previously too complex for 3D printing.
The new extended BREP processing capability makes it possible to work with native CAD geometry throughout Magics, which streamlines things by supporting advanced functionalities such as nesting, measurements, wall thickness analysis, and STEP file export.The new Magics release also includes multiple functional updates to optimize rendering and memory usage to simplify the user experience and has more optimizations for build preparation workflows and support generation.The release will be commercially available in May of 2025.
Visualization of implicit file processing in Magics and the Build Processor, demonstrating how files can be handled directly without conversion to mesh.Additionally, Materialise announced two Next-Generation Build Processors made possible through strategic partnerships with Raplas and One Click Metal.Earlier this month, the company announced that its Build Processor would be integrated into One Click Metal’s ecosystem to give users better control over their production processes and support the growth of the mid-market 3D printing sector.
Their collaboration, in particular, focuses on increased demand for solutions that are high-performing but still affordable so that both startups and established manufacturing facilities have flexible, scalable options.With a similar focus on AM scalability, Materialise and Raplas announced a Next-Generation Build Processor for series production in resin-based 3D printing.Both of these partnerships aim to speed up efficiency and scalability across mid-market and large AM production.
You can find Materialise at Booth #2825 at RAPID this week.Additive Plus Introduces Compact AO Metal 3D Printers California-based Additive Plus, which was just named an Axtra3D reseller this week, introduced its first in-house developed line of compact metal 3D printers at RAPID.The AO Metal product family is meant to offer reliable, affordable, high-performance metal LPBF technology to universities, labs, and small-scale production teams.
The A30, A50, and A100 AO Metal 3D printer models all support open process parameters, which gives users a high level of control over their scan strategies, laser power, and thermal management; this is especially important when you’re conducting research, developing alloys, and prototyping products.The printers all feature both infrared and blue laser options, which means they can process tough materials like gold, copper, and high-entropy alloys.In partnership with 3DLAB and Verder Scientific, Additive Plus is demonstrating a full lab-to-part workflow at RAPID.
The modular ecosystem reduces lead times and enables faster material development, and includes desktop atomizer ATO Lab+, which produces custom spherical powders in-house; the Microtrac X2, offering particle shape and size analysis for validating feedstock; and all three AO Metal 3D printers.“Hands-on access to metal 3D printing shouldn’t require a six-figure investment.We built AO Metal to support researchers, universities, and small-scale innovators who are pushing material boundaries but need tools that fit their space and budget,” explained Founder and CEO of Additive Plus Ashkhen Ovsepyan.
Additive Plus is at Booth #3208 at RAPID this week.Elegoo Debuts Large-Format Jupiter 2 Resin 3D Printer Another company debuting a new printer this week is Chinese manufacturer Elegoo, a fast-growing global smart manufacturing brand.Featuring a 302.40 x 161.98 x 300 mm build volume, the new large-format Jupiter 2 resin printer is the largest in the series, and has a double-door design that is distinct from previous Jupiter models.
Its modular design is built for efficiency—users can swap out the 14-inch 16K LCD screen in just 10 minutes, and replace the release film in only 10 seconds.The Jupiter 2’s fully enclosed light source helps achieve “flawless” prints, as Elegoo says, and easy but precise calibration is ensured with multi-point auto-leveling; there’s also a manual leveling option if you want even more control.A built-in camera enables remote print monitoring, and it even has adaptive lighting for clear visibility no matter the environment.
The printer is integrated with Elegoo’s SatelLite resin slicer for production optimization and seamless printer control, and features automatic overheat alerts for improved safety.Finally, the Jupiter 2 has a smart resin management system, so hobbyists and professionals alike can spend more time focusing on their designs, and less time monitoring material levels.The smart system automatically feeds and recycles resin with a detachable box that can hold a 2kg resin bottle, and the heated tank keeps the resin at the proper temperature, which helps keep print results consistent.
Expected to have applications in consumer goods, healthcare, toys, and prototyping, the Jupiter 2 officially launches in Q3 2025.“The Jupiter 2 is our bold step forward in elevating the resin 3D printing experience.We’re setting a new industry benchmark by delivering a reliable, high-efficiency printer capable of handling demanding projects with consistent results,” said Elegoo CEO Chris Hong.
You can find the new Elegoo Jupiter 2 3D printer and the rest of the company’s product lineup at its RAPID Booth #1901.polySpectra & Tethon 3D Launch Glass-Filled Composite Cyclic Olefin Resin Finally, moving on to materials, polySpectra and Tethon 3D have jointly announced the launch of ThOR 10, the first in a series of high-performance composite photopolymers for industrial AM.Combining the thermal stability and impact resistance of polySpectra’s Cyclic Olefin Resin (COR) with Tethon 3D’s high-performance ceramic powders, this rugged composite material also incorporates an advanced glass filler from Tethon 3D.
This gives the resulting photopolymer improved impact strength and stiffness compared to the base resin.Glass-filled polymers are often used in demanding engineering applications, including aerospace and defense, electronics, and transportation.The new ThOR 10 widens this range to include end-use production for parts that face heat and mechanical stresses, like gears and impellers, electronics enclosures, tooling inserts for molding, chemically resistant fluidic manifolds, and more.
The composite material also features thermal endurance and mechanical robustness, and achieves substantial toughness, which allows parts to absorb energy without easily fracturing.This also holds strong at higher operating temperatures due to its high Glass Transition Temperature (Tg) of 131°C.Resin-based 3D printing often has issues with brittleness, but the capabilities of COR materials help bring the technology to real production quality.
ThOR 10 is available for order directly from Tethon 3D and polySpectra in 385nm and 405nm formulations.“We couldn’t think of better collaborators than Tethon to launch polySpectra’s first composite photopolymer resin, ThOR 10.Glass-filled polymers are an incredibly important category of engineering materials for many industries, and we’re excited to bring this new level of thermomechanical performance to resin 3D printing,” said polySpectra Founder and CEO Raymond Weitekamp, PhD.
“Tethon 3D is excited to partner with polySpectra on launching a new material designed around Cyclic Olefin Resins.These efforts are necessary to drive additive manufacturing forward and set new standards in impact resistance and thermal stability,” said Trent Allen, CEO of Tethon 3D.Learn more about ThOR 10 at Tethon 3D’s RAPID Booth #2434.
Featured images courtesy of Materialise.Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.Print Services Upload your 3D Models and get them printed quickly and efficiently.
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