Introducing “3D Printing Shorts” by Manufactur3D, a concise news series for professionals and enthusiasts looking for quick updates on both the global and Indian 3D printing markets. Our goal is to provide concise yet comprehensive overviews of the most recent developments in the industry.
In this edition, we highlight key stories such as the collaboration between the US Naval Nuclear Propulsion Programme and Velo3D, Ricoh’s partnership with NC State University, and the introduction of Materialise’s new e-stage for its software, among others.
Stay up to date with “3D Printing Shorts”, where brevity meets quality in 3D printing news.
3D Printing Shorts
Velo3D’s metal 3D printer to support U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program

Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. (BPMI), a prime contractor for the United States Naval Nuclear Propulsion Programme, has invested in a Velo3D Sapphire XC metal 3D printing system.
ATI will operate the machine at its Fort Lauderdale, Florida facility after being awarded a contract by BPMI to support the development of highly engineered part solutions for advanced manufacturing methods.
BPMI’s investment in the metal additive manufacturing platform comes as the US Department of Defence increases its investment in the technology, recognising its potential to improve warfighter readiness and shorten replacement part lead times.
Ricoh extends 3D-printing expertise to manufacturing
In the next 3D printing shorts, Ricoh, a leading provider of additive manufacturing for 3D-printed medical devices, announced that it partnering with North Carolina State University (NC State), one of the nation’s top graduate programs for additive manufacturing, to address supply chain challenges through the application of 3D printing technology.
“Ricoh’s Managed 3D-print services will help manufacturers accelerate innovation and product development through rapid, onsite prototyping. As the applications for additive manufacturing grow, adopting an as-a-service model leverages existing onsite 3D-printing expertise and resources to shorten time while minimizing any additional capital investment.”
– Gary Turner, Senior Director, Additive Manufacturing at Ricoh
The Center of Excellence (COE) will focus on research and development of new additive manufacturing applications, as well as function as the ‘nerve center’ for Ricoh’s Managed 3D-print services network, enabling product teams to design, prototype, and quickly refine and reiterate a product design in-house.
Materialise’s new e-Stage for Metal+ software

Materialise has announced its new e-Stage for Metal+ software. The software optimizes data and build preparation for laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) systems by automating support structure generation through physics-based modelling, making metal additive manufacturing (AM) more economically viable.
According to an independent survey commissioned by Materialise, the two main barriers to adopting 3D printing are a lack of knowledge and the cost of the production process. Both challenges are critical to the LPBF build preparation process.
“By automating support structure generation with Materialise’s software, you can streamline your 3D printing process. It simplifies support removal, reduces support volume up to 80%, eases powder extraction, and decreases build plate machining after an effortless part removal. We look forward to exploring e-Stage for Metal+ and discovering additional benefits.”
– Mirco Schöpf, Product Line Manager Software at EOS