Metal additive manufacturing is no longer a technology in waiting. The global metal AM market is projected to grow from $6.02 billion to $7.02 billion in 2026 alone, per Research and Markets. According to the 2026 Wohlers Report, metals revenue (including powder and wire) grew at 15.3% year-over-year in 2025. The infrastructure is scaling. The question now is whether engineers and operators have the frameworks to scale with it. ADDITIV Metals 2026, hosted by 3Dnatives, is built to answer that question.
The summit takes place on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. EDT (4:00 p.m. to 6:40 p.m. CEST), and is free to attend. The event features three expert panels, live audience Q&As, and AI-powered networking, with each panel designed around an unresolved challenge that is actively slowing metal AM adoption in industrial production today.
“Metal AM has been ‘almost there’ for a decade. What’s changed in the last few years is that the conversation has shifted from ‘can it be done?’ to ‘why is it taking so long?’ ADDITIV Metals exists to accelerate that second conversation,” said Filippos Voulpiotis, Managing Director of 3Dnatives.
What the panels cover
Panel 1: Diverse Metal Roadmaps – When to Push LPBF and When to Pivot to Alternatives (4:10 p.m. to 4:55 p.m. CEST)
As laser powder bed fusion matures into a production standard, a new generation of challenger technologies is reshaping the cost-per-part equation. This session addresses the strategic process selection decisions that engineering teams are facing right now. Speakers include John Hart of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Ben Arnold of Tritone Technologies. The discussion will be moderated by Brent Stucker of Wohlers Associates.
Panel 2: The Certification Trap – Can AI Kill the 2-Year Testing Cycle in Metal AM? (5:00 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. CEST)
One of the greatest bottlenecks in metal AM in 2026 is not printing speed; it is the time required to prove a part will not fail in the field. This panel examines the move toward digital qualification frameworks and whether AI-driven approaches can accelerate certification cycles into something operationally viable. Gil Lavi of 3D Alliances will moderate the discussion, joined by speakers Sneha Prabha Narra of Carnegie Mellon University, Matthew Sermon of DRPM Submarines, and Sainyam Amarora of Johnson Matthey.
Panel 3: The Hidden Majority – Is Post-Processing Still the Single Greatest Barrier to Metal AM ROI? (5:50 p.m. to 6:35 p.m. CEST)
Despite the promise of push-button fabrication, the path from build plate to finished part remains a labour-intensive journey through support removal, heat treatment, and surface finishing. This panel examines whether post-processing is the last major unsolved problem in metal AM economics. Sherri Monroe of AMGTA will be the moderator, and Ante Lausic of General Motors, Manuel Delgado of ValCUN, and Matthew Bailey of the Aerospace Technology Institute are speakers.
Who Should Attend: ADDITIV Metals 2026 is designed for process engineers, AM program managers, R&D directors, and manufacturing executives who are actively working with or evaluating metal additive manufacturing for production applications. If your organization is weighing LPBF against alternatives, managing qualification timelines, or trying to close the gap on post-processing costs, this program delivers expert-level insight in under three hours.
Networking Built for the Industry: Beyond the panels, attendees gain access to AI-powered peer matching through the Swapcard platform, with the ability to schedule one-on-one meetings before and after sessions. The event is expected to draw over 800 registered attendees from across the global metal AM ecosystem.
Partners and Sponsors: ADDITIV Metals 2026 is proudly supported by Tritone Technologies and ValCUN. Media partners include ASTM International, AMGTA, SPE, 3D Alliances, Wevolver, Metal AM Magazine, Manufacturing in Focus, Tooling and Production, Modern Applications News, IAM3DHUB, Manufacturing.net, Manufacturing Engineering and Technology, and 3DPrint.com.
Registration: ADDITIV Metals 2026 is free to attend. Register now to secure your place.
About 3Dnatives: 3Dnatives is the leading global media platform for additive manufacturing, delivering cutting-edge coverage of 3D printing technologies, applications, and market trends. With over 1.3 million monthly unique visitors, it serves as a critical resource for professionals across the industry. Published in English, French, Spanish, German, and Italian, 3Dnatives partners with major players in the ecosystem to provide high-value content, data-driven insights, and strategic visibility through multimedia, branded content, and virtual events.
About ADDITIV: ADDITIV is a series of global virtual events dedicated to additive manufacturing, offering panel discussions, workshops, and networking with AM experts from leading industrial companies and the most innovative firms in the field.
