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Bambu Lab is moving into 3D scanning. The company has teased its upcoming Bambu Lab S1, its first 3D scanner, marking another step in its expansion beyond desktop 3D printers. The device is set to launch in November 2026, although Bambu Lab has yet to reveal its technical specifications, pricing, and full list of features. After expanding into laser cutting with the launch of its H2D 3D printer in March 2025, Bambu Lab is now entering another part of the digital manufacturing process.

At China’s inaugural National Advanced Manufacturing Conference (NAMC) that was held last month, Chinese President Xi Jinping asserted that China aims to use advanced manufacturing to “enhance the autonomy and controllability” of China’s industrial ecosystems. There’s no reason to think that China won’t succeed at that goal. But in trying to achieve that objective, China may in fact only hinder its ability to solve the real problem with its economy: domestic consumer spending.

In today’s 3D Printing News Briefs, we’re starting with medical news, as Myrava has received FDA 510(k) clearance for its 3D printed bolus. Moving on to aerospace and metals, AML3D is working on a manufacturing tooling project, while Mears Machine Corporation has purchased a Velo3D Sapphire XC system that will be dedicated to printing copper-nickel (CuNi). Finally, Canadian researchers developed a low-cost 3D printed filter that removes a lot of microplastics from water.

In the first part of this story, we looked at how businesses can grow new businesses. Now we look deeper with Dirk Simon into how companies can go about this, what to do, and what not to do. I asked Dirk how companies should determine how much to invest. “In diversification significant investments should only be approved after successful reality checks.

I used to view ICON, the Austin-based additive construction (AC) firm, as one of a handful of companies that could realistically consider itself the leader of the 3D printed construction market. Then almost all of those other companies failed, and eventually it was difficult to view ICON as anything but the leader of what is still a very niche, albeit tenacious, market segment.

Mobility goes Additive (MGA) is an organization exploring collaborative implementation of additive manufacturing. Based in Berlin, MGA staffers work in defense, rail, and medicine while exploring urban transport, lifestyle, and construction. Through working groups, members share results, discuss roadblocks, and work on solutions. I really like MGA and think this approach is proving very successful. I was at their MGA Annual Conference.

Automation is a very topical thing in additive manufacturing at the moment. With renewed scale, some clients are fervently looking to automate production. Other business cases only make sense with improved conveyancing. In things like depowdering, resurfacing, sieving, and machine turnaround, processes like LPBF can be significantly improved. Improvements in yield, surface, and repeatability, along with cost per part reductions, really matter in 3D printing today.

There’s been plenty of business activity in additive manufacturing (AM) lately, with new deals, partnerships and investments in production. One of the bigger moves comes from Sweden, where investment firm Mimir has completed its acquisition of metal powder producer Osprey from Sandvik, making it an independent company. In South Korea, dental 3D printing firm Graphy has secured a supply agreement worth approximately $1.3 million with MegaGen Implant.

Diversifying manufacturing supply chains to locales outside of China has nothing to do with actually cultivating “substitutes” to the Chinese economy. The real stakes are these: China is an irreplaceable lodestone in global manufacturing, but that’s exactly what makes it necessary to supplement China-based manufacturing capacity with capacity in non-Chinese economies. The consulting lingo associated with this, ‘China+1‘, is pretty accurate in describing the reality of the situation.

Oerlikon has installed a new ATLIX xBUILD 5000 metal 3D printer at its facility in Huntersville, North Carolina, marking the first production deployment of the system worldwide. The machine will expand the company’s manufacturing capacity for customers in the aerospace, defense, and semiconductor industries. The installation builds on Oerlikon’s existing fleet of ATLIX metal 3D printers and is part of a broader effort to increase production capacity.