Nanjixiong introduction: Frankfurt's annual November Formnext is a global additive manufacturing barometer. With half a month until the 2026 exhibition, leading suppliers have begun previews. Across polymers, metals, and ceramics, the common emphasis is practical volume production rather than incremental precision improvements.
Stratasys and EOS Each Keep a Major Launch Under Wraps
Both established suppliers will unveil their core new products at the show. Stratasys previews an entirely new polymer system for batch production at its Hall 12 booth, alongside production applications for the F870 and other systems. EOS discloses only a new system intended to redefine metal additive manufacturing workflows.
Their shared emphasis on production signals a shift from demonstrating prototypes to delivering production lines.
Polymers: From Individual Machines to Automated Feeding
Raise3D will show new T-series products for large industrial builds; Peopoly previews its Giga 800 large-format FDM system; and CR-3D brings the MatriX series for batch production.
Startup Blocks merits attention for its automatic material unit, AMU, providing centralized feeding and automatic spool changes for multiple printers to reduce manual work in print farms.
China's CreatBot introduces the D800 Ultra, with an approximately 800 mm build size for industrial batch printing. Anabolic Mechanics emphasizes continuous production.
Metals: A New Brand Enters as Established Players Add Automation
Greek company Atlix, whose predecessor is associated with Trumpf's additive division, makes its first Formnext appearance with xBuild PBF systems, entering metal production equipment directly.
Another Greek company, Anima, previews a metal PBF system for small and medium batches. Fronius introduces a WAAM cell for low-cost large metal components. Oscar PLT shows a mobile LMD laser-repair unit that can be brought directly to a jobsite.
Ceramics and Specialty Materials Also Pursue Automation
Lithoz previews its Performance Pack for batch sintering of ceramic parts. Lynxter brings silicone printing solutions.
Caracol shows a large LFAM extrusion head on a robotic arm for large polymer builds.
Gühring introduces diamond-coated nozzles to address abrasive-material wear. Heimann shows thermal imaging modules for melt-pool monitoring. Spain's Lortek presents AI-based process monitoring intended to reduce manual inspection in metal printing.
Post-Processing: A Concentration of Launches
Solukon will debut the SFM-AT850 for automatic depowdering of LPBF parts weighing up to 800 kg. Addiblast's Mars05 XL handles parts as heavy as seven tonnes and 1.37 meters square, with fully enclosed, explosion-protected operation.
Grenzebach goes further by connecting printing, post-processing, and material transport into one line. CEO Livadas emphasizes that optimizing individual machines is insufficient; what happens between them matters. Fraunhofer IAPT is developing ultrasonic automatic support removal rather than manual removal with pliers.
Software and Materials: Lowering Barriers Also Supports Production
Berlin's Trinckle launches Additive App Suite, enabling workers without CAD skills to create production fixtures through guided workflows. Finland's DeskArtes adds checkerboard, stripe, and other scanning strategies to 3Data Expert 16.1 to reduce PBF distortion. China's VAST, Tripo AI, presents P2.0, generating 3D meshes with quad topology and reducing manual retopology.
Germany's Lean Plastics introduces LeanSint PA12 Eco, reducing fresh-powder content with a claimed 60% SLS cost reduction. Zhuhai Sunlu brings a molecular-sieve filament drying cabinet to address moisture during long-term FDM material storage.
Nanjixiong's Observations
Three signals stand out. Production is becoming tangible through automated feeding, continuous operation, monitoring, and depowdering, all aimed at less labor and more uptime. Metal equipment entry barriers are falling as regional specialists emerge. Post-processing and software are increasingly active, indicating competition is shifting from print precision to whole-line efficiency.
Formnext 2026 takes place in Frankfurt in November, when these products will appear together. Nanjixiong will continue following developments.
AI-translated from an article by Kuaixiong on Nanjixiong, originally published on 2026-11-02. Text and images retain the original source attribution.
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