Formnext 2025 took place in Frankfurt from November 18 to 21
Formnext 2025, a global showcase for additive manufacturing (AM) and advanced industrial production, was held between 18 and 21 November in Frankfurt
Sascha F. Wenzler, vice president of Formnext at Mesago Messe Frankfurt, said, “Formnext gives every industrial company the chance to explore the diverse possibilities of AM and profit from them.”
The show was a platform for a slate of launches, world premieres, and real-world applications, including:
Announcements and rebrandings
Prima Additive, recently acquired by Sodick and now rebranded as AltForm, debuted its next-generation Print 300 and Print 400 LPBF systems. The platform features modular chambers, improved gas-flow stability, reworked thermal management, and smarter multi-laser coordination, all designed to integrate with AltForm's growing powder-handling ecosystem.
Trumpf's AM division also unveiled its new standalone brand, Atlix, alongside the premiere of the TruPrint 5000. Developed for high-speed series production, the machine targets large, complex metal components with greater automation and reduced unit costs.
AMCM also presented the M 8K, utilising AirSword gas flow technology for improved process stability in large-format LPBF jobs, while AIM3D showcased advancements in pellet-based polymer extrusion, including upgraded ExAM 255 and 510 systems and new slicing tools co-developed with Create it Real.
XJet3D premiered the Compact Multi-Material Carmel Pro, a smaller-footprint system targeting research institutes, start-ups, and contract manufacturers that promises lower operating costs while supporting an exploration-friendly multi-material workflow.
Large-format specialist Caracol showcased the world’s first 3D-printed catamaran, produced on its Heron AM robotic platform in 120 hours. The company also presented updates to its Eidos Manufacturing Suite following a significant Series B funding round totalling $40m and its acquisition of Hans Weber Maschinenfabrik.
Wayland highlighted aerospace-grade applications, sharing details of its partnership with the Royal Air Force, which has flown a Calibur3-printed titanium (Ti64) component on Typhoon jets since 2022.
Gefertec showcased new WAAM applications, including a 700kg turbine impeller, a rail yaw damper console, an aircraft emergency exit frame, and more, while Multhem demonstrated hybrid aluminium–carbon fibre manufacturing approaches for battery housings, avionics enclosures, and lightweight automotive and aerospace structures.
Major Metal and SLA launches
EOS revealed the M4 Onyx and M4 Onyx FLX metal AM systems, successors to the M400 series and designed to set new productivity benchmarks. Colibrium followed with the M Line 4 x 1kW, offering stronger lasers and a 500 × 500 × 400 mm build volume for CoCr, Ni718, and upcoming materials.
3D Systems introduced its SLA 825 Dual, a large-format, dual-laser SLA machine targeted at automotive, aerospace, space, and service bureaus, delivering an 830 × 830 × 550mm platform with enhanced surface finish and accuracy.
Bambu Lab’s H2C desktop system debuted with a new wireless hotend-swapping mechanism, Vortek, that supports up to 24 filaments when paired with its AMS. Designed to reduce purge waste and eliminate cleaning cycles for lower filament counts.
HP enters filament printing and Xact Metal expands
HP revealed its first industrial filament system, the IF 600HT, developed for high-temperature engineered materials and targeting the aerospace, oil & gas, medical, automotive, and railway markets. Built on an open materials platform, the machine raised questions about its origins, whether developed in-house in Barcelona or sourced through acquisition or partnership.
Xact Metal launched the XM200G μHD for micro-precision metal printing and confirmed development of the XM300G, which will be available in multiple laser configurations up to 4 × 500W or a single 1,000W setup. New materials from Sandvik and Equispheres were also approved for Xact systems.
Aether introduced RapidPrint PA6 CF10 ABX, a carbon fibre–reinforced PA6 material designed for high flow and broad compatibility, with parts on display printed on both the Aon3D and Bambu Lab platforms.
Farsoon expands PBF and Nikon secures a sale
Farsoon introduced the HT601P-2, a polymer PBF machine with a 600 × 600 × 600mm volume, twin 100 W CO₂ lasers, and outputs of up to 12kg/day of final parts.
Nikon SLM Solutions announced that Hypermetal had purchased an NXG XII 600 to support high-speed production of significant, flight-critical components.
Additive Companion also made its official stage debut, aiming to educate AM adopters through a broad database of real-world use cases.
Formnext award winners
The winners of the Formnext Awards include:
- SKZ – The Plastics Centre won the AMbassador Award
- Grabbit was awarded the Design Award
- Laempe Mössner Sinto win the (R)Evolution award
- DigiFab, in collaboration with Iam3DHub, won the Rookie Award
- Perfi Technologies was awarded the Start-Up Award
- EOS won the Sustainability Award
