3D Systems Accelerates Growth in Aerospace & Defense with Strategic Investments and Projected Leadership Position
ROCK HILL, S.C., Jan. 05, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 3D Systems (NYSE:DDD), a leading provider of additive manufacturing solutions, today announced significant momentum in its Aerospace & Defense (A&D) business, including robust revenue growth projections, a major U.S. facility expansion, and key technological advancements. These initiatives position the company to capitalize on rising demand for secure, U.S.-based manufacturing in national security and space applications—further supported by recent provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2026 that restrict foreign-sourced 3D printing systems for Department of Defense (DoD) programs, creating additional tailwinds for domestic providers. Complementary global operations continue to support international customers valuing regional production and worldwide expertise—driving sustained revenue growth, margin expansion, and shareholder value.
Key Highlights:
- Strong Revenue Trajectory: The A&D business is forecasted to have grown over 15% in 2025, accelerating to more than 20% in 2026. Revenue from production printing systems and custom metal parts—core recurring elements of the business—is expected to exceed $35 million in 2026, driven by increasing adoption in high-reliability defense and space programs, with further upside from NDAA-related demand shifts.
- Projected Business Leadership: After several years of sustained double-digit growth, A&D is on track to become 3D Systems' largest and fastest-growing industrial business in 2026, fueled by rising demand across crewed/uncrewed aircraft, naval platforms, defense systems, rocket propulsion, and satellite systems.
- Strategic Capacity Expansion: 3D Systems is adding up to 80,000 square feet to its Littleton, Colo., facility, significantly enhancing its A&D Application Center of Excellence. This phased investment expands capacity for application development, process qualification, validation, and production-scale manufacturing—supporting accelerated innovation and strengthened domestic supply chain resilience.
- Fully Qualified Production Scaling: The Littleton facility has been selected for certification under the America Makes JAQS-SQ framework. This effort, under the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining, in collaboration with the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) aims to scale defense industrial base capabilities for qualified additive manufacturing (AM) production, enabling accelerated qualification and deployment of additively manufactured defense components. This leverages the company's extensive Littleton quality infrastructure established through its medical technology business, where high-performance metal implants for patients have been manufactured over many years, such as titanium implants created on the DMP 350 system.
- Next-Generation Metal Printing Platform: The company is progressing on schedule in its multi-phase, $18.5 million U.S. Air Force-sponsored program to develop next-generation laser powder-bed fusion technologies for large format, high-efficiency metal part production. These technologies are essential for the application of metal 3D printing to an expanding range of U.S. defense systems. Key program milestones remain on track through 2027.
- Unique Fully-Domestic U.S. Ecosystem: When completed in 2027, 3D Systems will stand alone as the only U.S. provider of a complete, end-to-end metal additive manufacturing ecosystem entirely onshore for large-frame metal printing systems (over 1 meter print area)—encompassing system design (San Diego, Calif.), next-generation printer manufacturing (Rock Hill, S.C.), and certified metal parts production with advanced application development (Littleton, Colo.). This uniquely positions the company to meet growing demand for secure domestic supply chains.
- Complementary Global Capabilities: Paralleling the company's U.S. A&D infrastructure, European operations provide aerospace-focused design and application expertise in Leuven, Belgium (AS9100-certified), and metal printer production in Riom, France—directly supporting European, Korean, Japanese, and other international A&D customers. In addition, the NAMI joint venture in Saudi Arabia—now the Kingdom's first AS/EN 9100-certified additive manufacturing provider—is advancing localized A&D solutions, including a collaboration with Lockheed Martin to qualify and manufacture mission-critical components within the Kingdom for global markets.
"Aerospace and defense customers worldwide increasingly require a reliable partner that delivers qualified, scalable solutions with speed, security, and supply chain resilience—supported by deep regional expertise and seamless global capabilities," said Dr. Jeffrey Graves, president and CEO of 3D Systems. "Our Littleton expansion and strategic investments are significantly strengthening our U.S.-based Application Center of Excellence with advanced engineering, qualification-ready platforms, and expanded production capacity—dramatically accelerating the path from prototype to mission-critical deployment and improving outcomes for customers across our U.S., European, and international operations. Recent U.S. policy developments, including NDAA provisions, provide an additional tailwind that aligns closely with our ongoing domestic investments."
The Littleton expansion supports 3D Systems' application-specific strategy, combining hardware, materials, software, and expertise across four core value drivers:
- Supply Chain Resilience: Regionalized manufacturing reduces lead times and risks, critical for mission readiness. For example, collaboration with Huntington Ingalls Industries enabled first-to-market copper-nickel (CuNi30) alloy solutions for naval components, dramatically shortening production timelines.
- New Application Development: Through its Application Innovation Group (AIG), 3D Systems co-develops lightweight, consolidated designs with customers. The expanded Littleton Center accelerates qualification and scaling, offering direct engineering collaboration, pilot production, and flexible technology transfer.
- Robust Printing Solutions: 3D Systems' low-oxygen direct metal printing technology ensures consistent, high-quality output for flight-critical applications. Additionally, in partnership with NIAR and the America Makes Joint Metal Additive Database Definition (JMADD), 3D Systems is working to develop materials allowables on the DMP 350 system that will facilitate additional programs for challenging end-uses, such as flight, to migrate to 3D Systems platforms.
- Propulsion and Casting Applications: QuickCast® Air and additive casting workflows enable complex geometries, rapid iteration, and cost reduction in aviation, space, and energy. Participation in the Penn State-led IMPACT 3.0 program advances additive integration into casting/forging workflows. These capabilities have delivered significant benefits in advanced rocket propulsion systems, including simplified designs, enhanced performance, and faster production cycles.
"We are prioritizing A&D applications where additive manufacturing delivers maximum mission impact—from shipbuilding and advanced defense systems to aviation and space," said Dr. Mike Shepard, vice president, aerospace & defense business at 3D Systems. "Our broad technology portfolio and ability to co-develop and efficiently scale critical applications have been key to our success."
These initiatives reinforce 3D Systems' leadership in high-stakes additive manufacturing, positioning the company for sustained growth, improved margins, and lasting competitive advantage.
About 3D Systems
For nearly 40 years, Chuck Hull's curiosity and desire to improve the way products were designed and manufactured gave birth to 3D printing, 3D Systems, and the additive manufacturing industry. Since then, that same spark continues to ignite the 3D Systems team as we work side-by-side with our customers to change the way industries innovate. As a full-service solutions partner, we deliver industry-leading 3D printing technologies, materials and software to high-value markets such as medical and dental; aerospace, space and defense; transportation and motorsports; AI infrastructure; and durable goods. Each application-specific solution is powered by the expertise and passion of our employees who endeavor to achieve our shared goal of Transforming Manufacturing for a Better Future.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements made in this release that are not statements of historical or current facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company to be materially different from historical results or from any future results or projections expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In many cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by terms such as "believes," "belief," "expects," "may," "will," "estimates," "intends," "anticipates" or "plans" or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are based upon management's beliefs, assumptions, and current expectations and may include comments as to the company's beliefs and expectations as to future events and trends affecting its business and are necessarily subject to uncertainties, many of which are outside the control of the company. The factors described under the headings "Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors" in the company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as other factors, could cause actual results to differ materially from those reflected or predicted in forward-looking statements. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not, and should not be relied upon as a guarantee of future performance or results, nor will they necessarily prove to be accurate indications of the times at which such performance or results will be achieved. The forward-looking statements included are made only as of the date of the statement. 3D Systems undertakes no obligation to update or review any forward-looking statements made by management or on its behalf, whether as a result of future developments, subsequent events or circumstances or otherwise.
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