Lessons From RAPID + TCT and AMUG 2025

Spring 2025 marked a pivotal moment for the additive manufacturing industry, as two of its most influential events, AMUG and RAPID + TCT, offered a clear snapshot of where the industry stands today and where it’s heading next.

AMUG ran from the 30th of March to the 1st of April this year, taking place at the Hilton Chicago for the fifth year in a row. A chance to collaborate on training and education, the various talks, expert panels, hands-on workshops, and particularly keynote speeches left a lasting impression.

At RAPID + TCT, which took place this year at Detroit’s Huntington Place, industry leaders showcased innovations and developments in additive manufacturing in the year to date. According to 3D Printing Industry, the tone was cautiously optimistic, with the prevailing sentiment of a shift from revolution to evolution.

In this article, AMFG picks out the talks, products, and companies showcased at RAPID + TCT and AMUG that exemplify the move towards serious adoption into verticals within discrete manufacturing.

AMFG is the authority on discrete manufacturing, improving workflows and speeding up quotation to enable unparalleled efficiency.

Crushable lattice for aerospace and defence[spacer height="20px"]

Ryan T. Watkins, PhD, a research engineer from NASA JPL, discussed DfAM for improved spacecraft performance, focusing on crushable structures. These crushables, designed for high-speed attenuation applications, could be additively manufactured and used in space missions.

The crushables function by dissipating energy, much like in a bike helmet– you fall off your bike, hit your head, but the structure collapses progressively, thus protecting your head. In an aerospace context, these lightweight AM lattice structures can be further optimised to improve energy attenuating properties.

Watkins pointed to the Mars Sample Return mission, which AMFG has covered in a previous article, as an example. In this case, NASA JPL collaborated with REM Surface Engineering to develop 3D-printed crushable lattice structures from Ti-6AI-4V alloy, demonstrating that it’s possible to scale AM in space, especially complex grating components.

This speech from AMUG highlights the exciting innovations in AM in space, and the proximity to a real breakthrough into the industry.

America Makes booth at RAPID + TCT[spacer height="20px"]

America Makes, the nation’s premier public-private partnership focused on AM technology and education, had their own booth at RAPID + TCT. The organisation brings together a wide array of members from industry, academia, government, economic development, and the workforce.

AMFG has reported on America Makes and the group’s investments into various AM projects; most recently, the national accelerator issued a new open project call worth $4.5 million. The initiative is titled ‘Improvements in Manufacturing Productivity via Additive Capabilities and Techno-Economic Analysis 3.0’ (IMPACT 3.0), and asks for projects that demonstrate improvements in lead time, productivity, and yield for casting and forging operations with AM.

America Makes’ presence at RAPID + TCT with their own booth, amidst other industry leaders, is a promising demonstration of investment in AM technologies being taken seriously by governments and private companies alike.

HP showcase collaborations[spacer height="20px"]

[caption id="attachment_44343" align="aligncenter" width="700"]

The HP and Blazin Rods collaboration. Image courtesy of Blazin Rods/ HP[/caption]

Multinational printing firm HP used RAPID + TCT to showcase updates within their AM activities, and took the opportunity to underline their values of improving the efficiency, sustainability, and accessibility of industrial 3D printing.

HP, with whom AMFG collaborates to streamline production by leveraging enhanced connectivity and automation between software and hardware systems, showcased announcements including materials, software, and application-driven case studies across key sectors.

HP and Blazin Rodz showcased a custom vehicle at RAPID + TCT featuring over 75 3D printed parts made with HP’s MJF and AI-driven Text-to-3D tools, highlighting the advantages of additive manufacturing for custom automotive design. Additionally, Eaton developed a lock-on safety device for circuit protection using HP’s MJF and Nylon PA12, producing 300 parts in under two weeks with significant efficiency gains.

HP and Evonik introduced a halogen-free, flame-retardant PA 12 material that offers high reusability, cost and emission reductions, and enhanced performance characteristics. Finally, HP unveiled its AI-powered Text-to-3D tool, which enables users to create printable models from text prompts, making 3D design more accessible.

AMUG reinforce AM's readiness for the real world[spacer height="20px"]

​The 2025 AMUG Conference highlighted the industry's shift from prototyping to scalable, production-ready solutions. Key themes included sustainability, localised manufacturing, and digital supply chains. Industry leaders emphasized the importance of integrating additive manufacturing into mainstream production to meet real-world demands.

Executives from Würth Additive Group, Stratasys, DMG MORI, GoEngineer, and SME underlined that technology alone is no longer sufficient. This adoption, however, rests on quantifiable value, process integration, workforce readiness, and a shift away from proprietary ecosystems.

Decentralised production and AI-powered design are changing the game, and one thing is clear: AM is primed and ready to be used in industrial and consumer applications.

For a rundown of applications in AM, check out our blog from earlier this year.

ATO Launches ULTRA FREQUENCY System & Powder Production Devices[spacer height="20px"]

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ATO´s Cast. Image courtesy of ATO[/caption]

​At RAPID + TCT 2025, Polish company ATO Technology introduced its ULTRA FREQUENCY SYSTEM, an advanced ultrasonic atomisation platform designed to enhance metal powder production for additive manufacturing. This system aims to improve the quality and efficiency of producing spherical metal powders, which are essential for high-performance 3D printing applications.​

In addition to the ULTRA FREQUENCY SYSTEM, ATO unveiled upgraded versions of its ATO Cast and ATO Sieve devices. The ATO Cast is a vacuum casting furnace that enables users to recycle metal scraps and leftover powders into new rods suitable for atomization, promoting sustainable practices. The ATO Sieve is an ultrasonic sieving system that ensures powder purity by removing contaminants under inert gas conditions, thereby enhancing the quality of the final product.​

These innovations are part of ATO's broader ATO Suite, a modular collection of tools designed to provide researchers and manufacturers with comprehensive control over the metal powder production workflow.

The suite's compact and user-friendly design makes it suitable for various environments, including space-constrained laboratories. By enabling on-demand production of high-quality metal powders from diverse feedstocks, ATO's latest offerings support the industry's move towards more efficient, sustainable, and customisable additive manufacturing processes.

About AMFG[spacer height="20px"]

AMFG is an award winning MES designed to empower production workflows, from order placement to shipment, with seamless integration and precision automation.

With over 500 successful implementations in 35 countries and across a range of industries, we specialize in enabling companies to successfully integrate our software for AM and CNC production, into their wider manufacturing processes and scale their AM operations.

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