At this year’s RAPID + TCT 2026 event, 3D Systems is making a clear about where additive manufacturing is headed next: Firmly into production.
For years, additive has been synonymous with prototyping: Fast, flexible, and innovative, but not always positioned for scaled manufacturing. That narrative is shifting rapidly. With new high-throughput hardware and factory-level software, additive manufacturing is increasingly being deployed where reliability, repeatability, and productivity are required
The latest announcements reinforce this transition including the SLA 825 Dual, the new Additrak™ fleet management software and numerous customer examples of production-grade additive parts on display at the booth.
Scaling Throughput Without Sacrificing Precision
At RAPID + TCT 2026 visitors will see a large display of customer-based 3D printing applications that address challenges where traditional manufacturing falls short. These range from production of electrical connectors through to increasingly complex, qualified and repeatable monolithic metal 3D printed parts for rocket propulsion, complex replacement parts and novel 3D printed investment casting patterns for rapid part production.
From Capability to Real-World Impact
The high-quality resin materials from the Figure 4, PSLA and SLA solutions provide impressive properties that are viable for electrical connector production.
The Figure 4® Tough FR V0 and Accura® Tough FR V0 Black materials deliver:
- 75ºC HDT
- 7.8% elongation at break
- UL94 V0 flame rating @ 0.4 mm thickness
- Glow Wire Ignition (GWI) of 800ºC
- Comparative Tracking Index (CTI) of 600V
- Relative Temperature Index (RTI) for long-term electrical and mechanical use of 150ºC and 130ºC respectively
This enables rapid, tool-free production of plastic connector devices in short timespans and at lower volumes, relieving supply chain issues and making assembly faster. In addition, it relieves the time and cost manufacturers undergo with tool production and storage.
Eureka Pumps AS, based in Norway, has partnered with 3D Systems to manufacture large-format metal marine and naval spare parts on demand, using 3D Systems Direct Metal Printing (DMP) technology. This approach addresses some of the most persistent challenges in industrial supply chains: long lead times, part obsolescence, and high inventory costs.
The impeller on display is printed in Ni625 and is certified API 20S, DNV 203,and is used for high-performance fire-suppression pump in offshore environments. Eureka experienced 89% lead time reduction with DMP – from 18 weeks to 2, excluding machining.
Instead of holding physical inventory, companies can produce parts when and where they’re needed. The result is a more responsive, resilient supply chain. One that aligns with broader industry trends toward digital inventories and distributed manufacturing.
The development of the Arraycast™ software by 3D Systems demonstrates a step forward in 3D printed investment casting tooling design by enabling creation of customized casting trees 10x more efficiently with a 20x reduction in manual labor.
Using the new PSLA 270 with Figure 4™ EGGSHELL-AMB 10 material engineers can design and create fully-assembled casting trees digitally, with customizable runners, sprues and end-effectors, reducing manual and time-consuming steps.
Attendees can see these real-world examples along with many others, at RAPID + TCT 2026.
The Bottom Line
The direction is clear: additive manufacturing is moving into sustained production.
With higher-throughput systems like the SLA 825 Dual and factory-level software like AddiTrak, the barriers to scaling are steadily being removed. What remains is the opportunity: Identifying the applications where additive doesn’t just work, but delivers a measurable advantage.
