Current news about additive manufacturing/3D printing July 2025

LEAP 71, which designs complex products with a combination of computational engineering and industrial 3D printing, announced the next phase of its rocket engine program. Building on the successful validation of smaller-scale engines, the company is now advancing two reference designs: the Noyron XRA-2E5, a 200kN aerospike engine, and the Noyron XRB-2E6, a 2,000kN bell-nozzle engine.

Both new reference rocket motors are conceived as complete propulsion systems, including the turbomachinery required to power them. At the core of this effort is Noyron, LEAP 71’s Large Computational Engineering Model, which encodes physics-informed logic to autonomously generate manufacturable hardware without human intervention. Recent developments in large-scale additive manufacturing (AM) have enabled the direct production of complex, high-thrust engine components at full scale – resulting in reduced part counts, sometimes down to a single component, and eliminating the need for intricate multi-part assemblies.

LEAP 71 previously demonstrated this principle with its 5kN aerospike engine, manufactured as a single monolithic piece of copper. The new reference designs scale it further, including components such as the XRB-2E6’s 600mm-diameter injector head and its sea-level nozzle, requiring a build height of approximately 1.6m.

The program follows a phased, multi-year approach. Initial testing will focus on simpler configurations, such as gas generator cycles, before scaling to more advanced systems. LEAP 71 is targeting the first test campaign of the XRA-2E5 aerospike engine within 18 months, with the XRB-2E6 bell-nozzle engine, based on a full-flow staged combustion cycle, planned for readiness by 2029. The company is collaborating with AM partners to qualify production processes for full-scale hardware and working with customers to translate its reference designs into flight-ready propulsion systems for orbital missions.

LEAP 71
https://leap71.com

Stainless-steel AM powder grade for aerospace application

Sustainable stainless-steel developer Outokumpu entered the additive manufacturing (AM) metal powder market in 2023 and has recently expanded its commercial production phase into the aerospace industry. The company has developed a new stainless-steel powder grade for a jointly engineered, 3D-printed heat exchange component subject to prototype validation.

The spherical stainless-steel powder is refined with specific alloy additives to make it a high-performance austenitic material. The solution, an alternative to nickel-based alloys in highly demanding 3D-printed applications, was developed in response to customer requests for components in small quantities and with shorter development cycles.

Outokumpu is focused on producing metal powders not yet on the market, particularly for companies manufacturing parts with complex, high-performance geometries for demanding specialty applications.

Outokumpu
https://www.outokumpu.com

Digital inventory platform for 3D-printed parts

3D printing specialist 3D People has launched PartsVault, a secure, cloud-based digital inventory platform enabling customers to manage, store, and produce parts on demand. The platform gives engineers, buyers, and production teams a centralized, browser-based hub to manage 3D-printed parts across their product life cycles.

PartsVault allows users to store the latest product revisions to ensure they’re never producing outdated parts, while saved production settings guarantee repeatable quality every time. The platform simplifies reordering, ensures consistency, and supports just-in-time manufacturing.

Keeping a digital inventory reduces risks associated with supply chain obstructions, tariffs, and trade tensions. PartsVault is especially valuable for businesses seeking to reduce capital tied up in inventory or struggling with fluctuating demand.

3D People
https://www.3dpeople.uk