We’ll start with event news in today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, as AMUG presented its DINO Award to six members at this year’s conference, and Axtra3D celebrated its five-year anniversary at RAPID last week. Also at RAPID, DyeMansion announced development of a new compact Powershot system, and Mimaki released an updated version of its workflow management software for 3D printing. Finally, GKN Aerospace and the Air Force Research Laboratory are collaborating on a program to advance AM for aerostructures.
Six AMUG Members Received DINO Awards at 2026 Conference
2026 DINO Award recipients (from left): Chris Prue, Brian Post, Annie Wang, Olga Ivanova, Daniel Landgraf, and John Thiell.
At the recent Additive Manufacturing Users Group (AMUG) Conference in Reno, the group presented six very qualified and deserving individuals with the prestigious DINO (Distinguished INnovator Operator) Award for additive manufacturing expertise and service. Only 250 of these awards have been given over AMUG’s 38-year history, and 59 of those recipients were at the 2026 conference to watch the presentation of the new DINOs. Both the old and the new DINOs keep the AMUG guiding principle of “For Users, By Users” at the forefront of their work, and the awards are presented to recognize tenure and years of service in the AM industry, active support of AMUG and the conference, and industry contributions. The new DINOs are Olga (Dr. O) Ivanova, Mechnano; Daniel Landgraf, 3D Spark; Brian Post, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL); Chris Prue, IperionX; John Thiell, Beehive Industries; and Annie Wang, Senvol.
“DINO Committee members are DINO recipients committed to recognizing other AMUG members who have made significant contributions to the organization and the industry. We evaluate each nominee based on their tenure in the industry, commitment to promoting additive manufacturing, and support for AMUG. Those who are ultimately selected for a DINO Award exemplify a ‘giving’ attitude that complements their knowledge of additive manufacturing,” explained Bruce LeMaster, DINO Selection Committee Chair and AMUG’s Director at Large.
“This year’s DINO recipients come from a broad range of industries, government labs, equipment and material OEMs, and additive manufacturing service providers. Though their backgrounds are different, they each share a high regard for AMUG and the overall AM industry, and they are willing to share their knowledge with others.”
Axtra3D Celebrated 5 Years of Production-Focused AM at RAPID 2026
Last week at RAPID+TCT in Boston, Hi-Speed SLA 3D printing company Axtra3D celebrated an exciting milestone: five years as a production-focused AM company. Co-founded by Gianni Zitelli and Praveen Tummala, the company’s foundation is its Hybrid PhotoSynthesis (HPS) technology. Axtra3D’s vision was to enable low-volume production and build a bridge between traditional and additive manufacturing, and spent its first two and a half years developing and validating HPS through the launch of its Lumia X1 3D printer. The next two and a half years were spent on commercialization efforts, and thanks in large part to investor support, the company has been able to continue global expansion efforts, speed up its roadmap, build a strong ecosystem of customers and partners, and launch its full Axtra Workflow. In its five years of business, Axtra3D has also achieved 55%+ repeat customer rate; established a growing presence in Europe, Japan, and the U.S., with plans to open a new EU facility in June to support scaling operations; developed over 25 validated production solutions; sustained 41%+ year-over-year revenue growth since commercialization; and much more.
CEO Zitelli said, “Our vision from the start was to build a global, production-focused additive manufacturing company.
“We made a clear choice from the beginning to develop technologies designed for industrial production. This guides both our solutions, which are engineered for reliability, repeatability, and economic sustainability, and the way we build and manage the company.
“We believe the true value of AM emerges in production environments. For this reason, our growth is directly tied to that of our customers. In a sector often shaped by excessive expectations, we have chosen to avoid overhype and focus on tangible, lasting results. It is a model that requires discipline, long-term vision, and a constant commitment to industrial value.
“At Axtra, we do not measure success by how fast we grow, but by how solidly we contribute to the manufacturing transformation of our customers.”
DyeMansion Announces New Compact Powershot to Debut at Formnext 2026
The new compact Powershot system for cleaning & surfacing targets a wide range of users
Also at RAPID, DyeMansion showcased its full Print-to-Product workflow, including its VX1 vapor smoothing system. But the company, which provides post-processing solutions for polymer 3D printed parts, also announced that it’s developing a new compact, industrial-grade Powershot system, set to have its official debut at Formnext 2026 this November. DyeMansion has a goal of making professional post-processing more accessible, and this new system will make its PolyShot Cleaning & Surfacing technology available to a wider range of users looking for industrial-quality cleaning and surfacing. Not just for large-scale production environments, this could mean that everything from corporate innovation teams and service bureaus to OEMs that operate at smaller volumes could have access. Just like HP is doing with its new compact Multi Jet Fusion 1200 3D printing solution, DyeMansion is developing the new Powershot to align with the needs of this market segment.
“Industrial-grade post-processing is no longer reserved for large-format, high-volume operations. With this new Powershot, we are making DyeMansion Print-to-Product workflow available to a whole new segment of the market — without compromising on the quality and reliability our customers have come to expect,” said Felix Ewald, CEO & Co-Founder of DyeMansion.
Mimaki Adds New Capabilities to 3D Print Prep Pro for Easier Data Preparation
The new lattice structure function allows users to create 3D prints with a cushioned or soft effect, ideal for realistic mock-ups of shoes and other soft items.
Mimaki Europe recently released an updated version of its 3D Print Prep Pro workflow management software for 3D printers. Mimaki 3D Print Prep Pro v2.0 (3DP3v2) makes data preparation for 3D printing easier for users, without requiring any specialized knowledge on the part of the user. In addition to automatically optimizing the data, 3DP3v2 also lowers the amount of time users spend overseeing and processing print files, and is able to operate offline with Mimaki’s printers to improve security. New capabilities include a lattice structure conversion function, with adjustable density settings and four different patterns that users can choose from to reduce the weight of a print and create a softening or cushioning effect. 3DP3v2 also features more extensive data conversion, extending to drone-collected topographic and architectural measurements as well as CT scan data. This enables users to complete all of their data conversions within a single software, making everything much easier. Mimaki 3D Print Prep Pro v2.0 will be available this June.
“This latest update to our 3D printing software aims to support existing 3D printers looking to streamline their process while processing more complex data, as well as new printers looking to 3D as a new revenue opportunity but are intimidated by the level of expertise needed to process 3D data. 3DPv2 makes the entire process easy from beginning to end, so businesses can confidently respond to customer demands with accurate and detailed 3D prints, without the added stress of data processing,” said Arjen Evertse, Director Sales, Mimaki Europe.
GKN Aerospace & AFRL Launch Program to Advance AM for Aerostructures
GKN Aerospace has over 20 years of experience in AM, and is an international leader in large-scale AM for aerospace structures. The company is in serial production of major 3D printed aerostructures that are currently in service, like the fan case mount ring for the Pratt & Whitney GTF
(Geared Turbofan) engine family. Now, it’s launched an $8.4 million program in collaboration with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The new TITAN-AM (Titanium Industrialization and Technology Advancement for Near-net Additive Manufacturing) initiative, which will be executed from GKN Aerospace’s Global Technology Centre in Texas, will help industrialize titanium AM for large aerostructures made with Laser Metal Deposition with Wire (LMD-w) technology. TITAN-AM will address five major areas that are needed to print aerospace structural applications with LMD-w, including developing robust titanium material datasets, non-destructive inspection (NDI) techniques for AM, advanced simulation to optimize structural design, and demonstrating the technology. The program hopes to reduce material waste, increase design freedom, and decrease production lead times by using LMD-w, and the partnership with AFRL “reinforces GKN Aerospace’s commitment to advancing additive manufacturing technologies that deliver lighter, stronger and more sustainable structural solutions” for commercial and defense aerospace.
“TITAN-AM represents a significant step forward in additive manufacturing for aerospace structures,” said David Bond, CTO, Airframes, for GKN Aerospace. “By combining our deep manufacturing expertise with AFRL’s vision, we aim to accelerate the readiness of LMD-w technology and demonstrate its value on operational titanium structural components.”