For years, 3D printing has helped engineers turn ideas into physical prototypes faster. As technology has developed, the possibilities have expanded far beyond prototyping. Additive manufacturing is evolving continuously to solve new production challenges from tooling lead times, costly design iterations, and unpredictable supply chains.
Recent developments from Formlabs and Stratasys show how this shift is taking shape. Manufacturers like Tesla, Toyota, Rivian, and Radio Flyer are exploring or implementing additive manufacturing technology to improve their engineering and production workflows.
Which emerging 3D printing trends should manufacturers pay attention to in 2027?
Five trends to watch are production-scale polymer printing, large-format factory-floor tooling, AI-assisted print monitoring, more accessible in-house prototyping, and advanced materials designed for functional applications.
Here’s what these trends look like in practice and what they could mean for your team.
Industrial 3D printing is becoming a more practical option for bridge manufacturing, on-demand production, and selected end-use parts. One of the biggest changes in additive manufacturing is how companies evaluate 3D printing against traditional production methods.
Instead of asking whether a part can be 3D printed, manufacturers are asking whether printing it can reduce total costs, shorten lead times, or eliminate the need for expensive tooling.
The new Formlabs Fuse X1 is one example of how technology is supporting this shift. Launched in June 2026, the large-format selective laser sintering (SLS) printer combines a 330 × 330 × 565 mm build volume with high-density nesting capabilities. Its 61.5-liter build volume and ability to achieve over 30% volumetric packing density allow manufacturers to produce more parts per build.
At Tesla’s Giga Nevada facility, additive manufacturing teams use 3D printing for manufacturing aids and end-use applications. Tesla’s team can produce large SLS parts in under 24 hours with the Fuse X1, supporting manufacturing operations that require fast turnaround. See Formlabs’ case study on how Tesla uses the Fuse X1 at Giga Nevada.
The higher throughput has also changed which applications the team considers suitable for 3D printing instead of injection molding. That distinction is important. Injection molding remains an efficient choice for many high-volume, stable designs. But when production volumes are lower, designs change frequently, or tooling lead times become a bottleneck, industrial SLS can offer a compelling alternative.
Explore the Formlabs Fuse X1 and its production capabilities.
Manufacturers are evaluating larger, stronger 3D-printed fixtures, gauges, and manufacturing aids to reduce reliance on machined tooling. Production tooling is essential, but it can also create delays. When a fixture needs modification or a new assembly tool is required, manufacturing engineers may have to wait for machining capacity, outside suppliers, and additional revisions.
Large-format additive manufacturing offers another approach: design the tool, produce it in-house, evaluate it, and make changes when needed.
The Stratasys F870, introduced in September 2026, is designed for these factory-floor applications. Its 1,000 × 610 × 610 mm build volume accommodates large parts, while a fully heated chamber supports dimensional consistency. Material options include Nylon 12CF, a carbon-fiber-filled thermoplastic designed for applications requiring stiffness and strength. The F870 also offers integrated material drying and automatic material changeover to support extended printing operations.
Toyota Production Engineering in Georgetown, Kentucky, and Rivian Automotive in Plymouth, Michigan, are among the early adopters evaluating the F870. According to Stratasys, the companies are assessing applications that include manufacturing aids, factory-floor tooling, and advanced prototypes. See how Toyota and Rivian are using the F870.
Although performance results from these initial deployments have not yet been published, they highlight an important direction for industrial additive manufacturing: moving beyond small, individual fixtures to larger production-support equipment. That could mean shorter tooling lead times, more flexibility when production requirements change, and less competition for CNC machining capacity.
Discover more about the Stratasys F870 and its industrial capabilities.
Intelligent monitoring and process automation are helping manufacturers identify printing problems earlier and make additive manufacturing workflows more predictable. A failed prototype is frustrating. A failed production build can be considerably more expensive. It can mean wasted materials, missed deadlines, machine downtime, and delayed deliveries.
That’s why one of the most interesting developments in industrial 3D printing isn’t necessarily how a printer builds a part. It’s how the system monitors the process.
The Formlabs Fuse X1 introduces Print Intelligence, an AI-powered monitoring system that uses computer vision and real-time thermal imaging to identify potential defects during printing. Rather than relying only on inspection after a print is finished, the system monitors each layer and can stop processing an affected part while allowing other parts in the build to continue.
The Fuse X1 also incorporates Adaptive Thermal Control, which uses 13 independently controlled thermal zones to maintain consistent printing conditions throughout the build chamber. These capabilities address two important manufacturing concerns: avoiding unnecessary waste and improving process consistency.
For production managers focused on machine utilization, throughput, and cost per part, the ability to detect problems earlier could help improve overall operational efficiency. However, intelligent monitoring does not eliminate the need for material testing, part inspection, or process validation.
Learn more about Print Intelligence on the Fuse X1.
Lower entry costs and simplified workflows are making it easier to bring professional 3D printing closer to the point of design. Not every engineering team needs a production-scale additive manufacturing system. Sometimes the biggest challenge is waiting several days for a small prototype that could answer a design question in hours.
For product development teams, faster access to physical parts can mean more design iterations, earlier validation, and fewer problems discovered late in the process.
The new Formlabs Form Studio 1, introduced in October 2026, reflects this direction. The compact masked stereolithography (mSLA) system is designed to make professional resin printing more accessible without sacrificing detail and precision. It features a 35-micron XY pixel resolution, an open material mode, and a streamlined washing and curing workflow.
Alongside the printer, Formlabs introduced Alpha Resins for applications including general-purpose prototyping, transparent components, detailed models, and faster iteration.
The Form Studio 1 and Alpha Resin ecosystem also introduces a UL GREENGUARD Gold-certified configuration when used with the specified VOC Extractor, making it relevant to teams considering resin printing in smaller workspaces.
A professional desktop printer can help shorten the distance between design, physical evaluation, and revision. That doesn’t mean every prototype should be made in-house. But it gives teams another option when speed, confidentiality, or rapid iteration is particularly important.
Radio Flyer offers a useful example of what faster access to additive manufacturing can accomplish.
The company’s product development team reduced the time required to create a full-size cargo e-bike prototype from approximately two months using earlier approaches to two weeks with Form 4L technology and then to two days using the larger Fuse X1.
While the Form Studio 1 serves a different scale of application, the underlying lesson is the same: access to the right printing technology can dramatically reduce the time between design iterations.
Material performance is becoming a more important factor in moving 3D printed components into functional applications. Print speed and build size matter, but neither solves a manufacturing problem if the finished part cannot meet the application requirements.
Material selection plays a critical role in determining whether additive manufacturing makes sense for tooling, functional prototypes, or end-use components. New developments from Formlabs and Stratasys show how material portfolios continue to evolve.
For example, the Stratasys F870 supports Nylon 12CF, making larger carbon-fiber-filled polymer components an option for selected manufacturing fixtures and tools. It also introduces FDM ABS Draft (Gray), a lower-cost material intended for applications where maximum mechanical strength isn’t required.
Meanwhile, Formlabs’ next-generation Tough Resin family includes formulations designed to approximate the behavior of familiar thermoplastics such as ABS, polypropylene, and HDPE. These materials give engineers more options when developing snap-fit assemblies, durable housings, fixtures, and functional prototypes.
Material qualification and application-specific testing will become increasingly important as organizations expand additive manufacturing beyond visual prototypes.
Explore Formlabs’ latest resin materials.
The newest printer isn’t automatically the right investment for every manufacturing operation. A better place to start is identifying where current processes create the most friction.
Before investing in new additive manufacturing technology, consider these questions:
The most compelling part of these emerging trends isn’t the technology itself. It’s what engineering and manufacturing teams can accomplish with it. From accelerating product development to producing tooling on demand, additive manufacturing is giving organizations new ways to respond to challenges and improve operations.
CADimensions helps manufacturers evaluate the right additive manufacturing solutions for their applications, whether exploring professional desktop printing, industrial SLS, or large-format FDM technology. With expertise across Formlabs, Stratasys, design software, training, and manufacturing workflows, the goal is to move from evaluating new technology to putting it to work.
Ready to explore what additive manufacturing could do for your operation? Take the following short quiz to see which technologies best fit your needs: