As the metal additive manufacturing sector prepares for a massive leap—with market valuations expected to climb from $6.02 billion to $7.02 billion this year—the industry is shifting its focus from basic feasibility to large-scale industrialization. Following a robust 2025 where metal AM revenues grew by 15.3% year-over-year (Wohlers Report), the upcoming ADDITIV Metals 2026 summit arrives at a critical juncture. Designed to address the primary bottlenecks preventing widespread adoption, the virtual event will feature high-level insights from pioneers at NASA, General Motors, MIT, and the U.S. Department of War.
Scheduled for Wednesday, June 10th, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 12:40 PM EDT (4:00 PM to 6:40 PM CEST), this free-to-attend digital summit offers a concentrated program of three expert-led panels and interactive audience Q&As. To further accelerate industry collaboration, the event integrates AI-powered networking tools, allowing attendees to connect with peers facing similar scaling challenges in the metal AM ecosystem.
“Metal AM has been ‘almost there’ for a decade. What’s changed in the last few years is that the conversation has shifted from ‘can it be done?’ to ‘why is it taking so long?’ ADDITIV Metals exists to accelerate that second conversation.” — Filippos Voulpiotis, Managing Director of 3Dnatives
“We are at the point that we can now scale metal additive, but we need to understand the entire ecosystem. For users who are aiming to understand how metal additive technologies can be implemented as part of an entire ecosystem, ADDITIV Metals is a great opportunity.” — Gil Lavi, CEO and Founder of 3D Alliances, who is moderating Panel 2.
What the Panels Cover
Panel 1: Diverse Metal Roadmaps – When to Push LPBF and When to Pivot to Alternatives (4:10 PM to 4:55 PM CEST)
As laser powder bed fusion matures into a production standard, a new generation of challenger technologies is reshaping the cost-per-part equation. This session addresses the strategic process selection decisions that engineering teams are facing right now. Speakers include Tim Smith (NASA), John Hart (MIT), and Ben Arnold (Tritone Technologies). The discussion will be moderated by Brent Stucker of Wohlers Associates.
Panel 2: The Certification Trap – Can AI Kill the 2-Year Testing Cycle in Metal AM? (5:00 PM to 5:45 PM CEST)
One of the greatest bottlenecks in metal AM in 2026 is not printing speed: it is the time required to prove a part will not fail in the field. This panel examines the move toward digital qualification frameworks and whether AI-driven approaches can accelerate certification cycles into something operationally viable. Gil Lavi of 3D Alliances will moderate the discussion, joined by speakers Sneha Prabha Narra (Carnegie Mellon University), Matthew Sermon (DRPM Submarines/DoW), and Sainyam Amarora (Johnson Matthey).
Panel 3: The Hidden Majority – Is Post-Processing Still the Single Greatest Barrier to Metal AM ROI? (5:50 PM to 6:35 PM CEST)
Despite the promise of push-button fabrication, the path from build plate to finished part remains a labor-intensive journey through support removal, heat treatment, and surface finishing. This panel examines whether post-processing is the last major unsolved problem in metal AM economics. Sherri Monroe of AMGTA will be the moderator, and Ante Lausic (General Motors), Manuel Delgado (ValCUN), and Matthew Bailey (Aerospace Technology Institute) are speakers.
3D metal printer produces a steel part. Revolutionary additive technology for sintering metal parts. Soft focus.
Who Should Attend: ADDITIV Metals 2026 is designed for process engineers, AM program managers, R&D directors, and manufacturing executives who are actively working with or evaluating metal additive manufacturing for production applications. If your organization is weighing LPBF against alternatives, managing qualification timelines, or trying to close the gap on post-processing costs, this program delivers expert-level insight in under three hours.
Networking Built for the Industry: Beyond the panels, attendees gain access to AI-powered peer matching through the Swapcard platform, with the ability to schedule one-on-one meetings before and after sessions. The event is expected to draw over 800 registered attendees from across the global metal AM ecosystem.
Partners and Sponsors: ADDITIV Metals 2026 is proudly supported by Tritone Technologies and ValCUN. Media partners include ASTM International, AMGTA, SPE, 3D Alliances, Wevolver, Metal AM Magazine, Manufacturing in Focus, Tooling and Production, Modern Applications News, IAM3DHUB, Manufacturing.net, Manufacturing Engineering and Technology, and 3DPrint.com.
Registration: ADDITIV Metals 2026 is free to attend. Register now to secure your place.
About 3Dnatives: 3Dnatives is the leading global media platform for additive manufacturing, delivering cutting-edge coverage of 3D printing technologies, applications, and market trends. With over 1.3 million monthly unique visitors, it serves as a critical resource for professionals across the industry. Published in English, French, Spanish, German, and Italian, 3Dnatives partners with major players in the ecosystem to provide high-value content, data-driven insights, and strategic visibility through multimedia, branded content, and virtual events.
About ADDITIV: ADDITIV is a series of global virtual events dedicated to additive manufacturing, offering panel discussions, workshops and networking with AM experts from leading industrial companies & the most innovative firms in the field.