Online Event to Focus on AM in Aerospace and Defense Before Farnborough Airshow
An online event, Additive Manufacturing Advantage: Aerospace, Space and Defense 2026, will be held on July 9, 2026, to discuss the practical challenges of integrating additive manufacturing into mission-ready production for these sectors.
The additive manufacturing community will convene online for the Additive Manufacturing Advantage: Aerospace, Space and Defense 2026 (AMAA 2026) event on July 9, 2026. This virtual gathering aims to address the critical question of how additive manufacturing (AM) can transition from a promising capability to a qualified, repeatable, and mission-ready production method for the aerospace and defense industries.
The event is timed to precede the Farnborough International Airshow, which will take place from July 20-24, 2026. AMAA 2026 will bring together engineers, technology leaders, researchers, manufacturers, and decision-makers to explore key themes shaping conversations at the airshow, including qualification, advanced alloys, process control, production scale-up, supply chain resilience, defense autonomy, and the shift from prototype parts to accepted hardware. Networking sessions will facilitate connections among attendees heading to Farnborough.
Presentations and panels at AMAA 2026 will delve into modernizing metal AM qualification, exploring tungsten and niobium alloys for high-temperature applications, qualifying additive manufacturing machines and materials, the role of Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) in defense autonomy, and the challenges of moving from prototyping to mission readiness. Speakers will include representatives from NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Divergent Technologies, Oqton, Dyndrite, TANIOBIS, MX3D, JEOL USA, NIST, RTX, ASTM International, America Makes, Velo3D, Safran, Sakuu, and others.
The agenda is designed to focus on practical issues essential for trusting AM parts in demanding environments, such as material performance, process repeatability, machine qualification, inspection, certification, digital workflows, production economics, and end-user requirements. The event aims to provide a focused technical forum for professionals to discuss the industrialization of additive manufacturing, industry trends, qualification, supply chains, and manufacturing analysis before the broader aerospace industry gathers.
This online event, AMAA 2026, directly addresses the critical need for industrial qualification and repeatability in AM for high-stakes sectors like aerospace and defense. By focusing on practical challenges such as process control, material performance, and certification, it helps bridge the gap between design potential and mission-ready hardware. This aligns with the broader industry push to scale AM for critical applications, including those in space exploration and defense, by building confidence and demonstrating robust manufacturing capabilities.
Edited by the news editor with AI from the original report — please refer to the original source.