With UK technology debuts, an unparalleled free conference programme, and ample networking opportunities, here’s 25 things to see at TCT 3Sixty, the UK’s definitive additive manufacturing and 3D printing event, on June 4th-5th at the NEC Birmingham.
1) The TCT Conference
A packed two-day, two-stage conference showcasing AM applications across defence, aerospace, consumer goods and healthcare, plus key trends and future developments. Visitors get free access to talks from organisations such as Ministry of Defence, GKN Aerospace and Sartorius, alongside The Manufacturing Technology Centre, Boston Consulting Group and more.
2) 3T-AM | #D48
As the UK's largest independent AM contract manufacturer, 3T-AM is dispelling misconceptions about additive manufacturing with a single philosophy. ‘The whole supply chain in one factory.’ 3T’s digital roadmap is driving efficiency and deeper data insights across the entire value stream. By embedding a full digital thread, the company says it is cutting waste, accelerating lead times, and enhancing quality, empowering smarter decisions and greater value for customers.
3) Project TAMPA
The UK Ministry of Defence’s Project TAMPA was created in 2021 to accelerate the use of AM within the UK defence industry. Following the publication of the MOD’s first advanced manufacturing strategy with AM as its central focus, Project TAMPA will host its second meeting of 2025 on day one of TCT 3Sixty.
4) TCT UK User Group
The day before the doors swing open to TCT 3Sixty, the third annual TCT UK User Group Meeting will convene at the NEC for a full day of discussions surrounding the challenges and solutions facing UK AM adoption. It's invite-only so register your interest at tct3sixty.com.
Javaid Butt
5) SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT | Javaid Butt
Professor of Manufacturing and Product Design, Birmingham City University
Optimising Additive Manufacturing with AI and Digital Twin - Add to your event agenda
Insights Stage | 05 June | 13:50
TCT: Why the specific focus on material extrusion-based 3D printing?
JB: Material extrusion remains one of the most accessible and widely used 3D printing technologies due to its low cost, ease of operation, and material versatility. However, its industrial adoption is hindered by challenges like poor mechanical properties and surface finish, difficulty in optimising processing parameters, and the unpredictability of faults during prints. These issues often lead to trial-and-error experimentation, wasting time and resources as well as limiting scalability for high-performance applications.
TCT: You’re discussing combining two important future-facing technologies - AI and digital twins. How crucial is it that the manufacturing industry leans into these technologies today?
JB: AI and digital twins are not just future concepts, but have become indispensable enablers of agility, sustainability, and competitiveness. As manufacturing shifts toward smart, data-driven operations, these technologies allow companies to optimise processes, reduce downtime, enhance efficiency, and customise production in real time. Companies that delay investment in and adoption of these technologies will find themselves lagging behind.
TCT: In one sentence, why should visitors come to this talk?
JB: To discover how AI-powered digital twins can unlock the next generation of reliable, efficient, and scalable extrusion-based 3D printing.
TCT: One final thought?
JB: I believe that innovation in AM is no longer primarily about machines and materials but is increasingly becoming more about data intelligence. Digital twins and AI together redefine that intelligence, offering a pathway to smarter, sustainable, and more adaptable manufacturing.
TCT
2024 TCT WI3DP Innovator Award winner Brigitte De Vet-Veithen
6) Co-located Events
Use your TCT 3Sixty badge to enter Med-Tech Innovation Expo, the UK’s leading event for medical device manufacturing, plus the Med-Tech Innovation Conference.
7) TCT Awards
With 11 technology and application categories, inductions into the TCT Hall of Fame, plus this year’s TCT Women in 3D Printing Innovator and SMF Rising Star Awards, the TCT Awards on June 4th is the AM industry’s biggest celebration.
8) Knowledge Bar
Got a technical question? The Knowledge Bar powered by Additive Manufacturing UK (AMUK) offers free 1-2-1 advice from a selection AM experts.
9) TCT 3Sixty App
Get a head start with our AI-powered matchmaking and recommendations, and connect with attendees, speakers, and exhibitors before the event.
10) PrintCity | #G18
On its TCT 3Sixty booth this year, PrintCity MMU will be hosting a live design competition across both days of the show. Day one’s competition will pit four Manchester Metropolitan University MSc students against each other, while day two will welcome members of the general public.
The competition – which will be judged by AM industry professionals Andrew Allshorn, Robin Dallen, Claire Scott, and Steve Cox – will test each participant’s ability to optimise part designs to exhibit strength and high-performance in a repeatable way within a strict time limit.
Product Development Specialist Mark Chester said: “We’re excited to showcase additive manufacturing in action this year at TCT 3Sixty. It provides a fantastic opportunity to see all aspects of 3D printing in addition to our incredible MSc students on day one.”
Tom Ranson
11) SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT | Tom Ranson
3D Visualisation Specialist, Natural History Museum - Add to your event agenda
Scan You Dig It? 3D Technology for Museum Research, Conservation and Exhibition
Insights Stage | 04 June | 14:00
TCT: First, can you explain how you're using 3D technologies to make artefacts more accessible to the public?
TR: My specific lab I am in charge of here at the NHM is the 3D Vis Lab, and we focus solely on surface imaging. So with my laser scanners, light reconstruction scanners and Infinite Focus Microscopes, we image the surface of pretty much anything, to an accuracy of only a few microns, and can then either make that data accessible to the public through portals like SketchFab, or we can be physically printing them out to use in Outreach events.
TCT: And how do you use this to support further research into your collections?
TR: Imagine you are a researcher in Australia doing your PhD on the eating patterns of the Tyrannosaurs Rex. Here in the NHM we hold the holotype (original example that all other T-Rex fossils are compared against) of the jaw. Instead of a complicated and expensive research visit to the UK to assess the microwear in the teeth of the specimen, I can image the surface down to an accuracy of 10s of microns and upload the data to a portal all within a day. We enable research to happen much faster, and then the data is digitally preserved for the next person to access, reducing potential damage to the original by having to get it out again to remeasure.
TCT: What will be the key learnings of your talk at TCT 3Sixty?
TR: I hope that it will help people to see novel new ways we can apply this technology to fresh problems in any industry, not just Heritage and Conservation. It's one of my favourite aspects of this job to take these research problems and get to solve them by applying technology like this in a way that wasn't previously considered.
TCT
12) TOP ADDITIVE | AM Futures | #H32
In a UK first, AM Futures will be showing a range of post-processing systems, including the TCB 300 automated powder removal system and TVS-F20 powder conveyor and sieving station, all fully supported in the UK.
13) Globus Metal Powders
Sponsoring the TCT Awards, Globus Metal Powders (UK) are specialists in Nickel, Iron and Cobalt-Chrome-based powders for aerospace, space, power generation, defence, nuclear, oil & gas and hydrogen. Using a Vacuum Inert Gas Atomiser, the company produces high quality and highly repeatable powders with industry leading low-levels of oxygen, critical for successful high quality HIPped and LPBF components.
14) ASTM International
Formed in 2018, the ASTM International Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence (AM CoE) is a collaborative partnership among ASTM and organisations from industry, government, and academia, that conducts strategic R&D to advance AM standards across the entire value stream of additive manufacturing. The AM CoE will host a panel on the Insights Stage featuring speakers from ASTM, APWORKS and 3T-AM entitled 'Back to the Future: Did We Get Our Predictions Right, and What Comes Next for Additive Manufacturing?'
15) Conflux | #J4
Conflux Technology, an Australian manufacturer of 3D printed heat exchangers, recently announced the launch of a new facility in the UK. The site is slated to open later this quarter with a focus on R&D, materials certification, and local customer support.
16) EOS | #F28
EOS will present its next-gen beam shaping technology, designed to elevate production efficiency. Its light engine is said to afford exceptional flexibility with beam shapes of various sizes that switch in a matter of microseconds, and enhanced process stability and reduced process by-products and spatter.
17) Europac3D | #D32
Europac3D is offering VoxelDance print preparation software to the UK market. Compatible with a wide range of 3D printers, the software offers automatic support generation, intelligent slicing, and customisable settings. An intuitive interface makes it easy to use, while its robust performance ensures precise control over every aspect of the printing process.
18) Eplus3D | #G38
Eplus3D will demonstrate its serial metal production capabilities and applications across industries such as aerospace, automotive, tooling, and healthcare. After taking the lead in the multi-laser metal race – 64 lasers on board its EP-M2050 system – Eplus3D also recently debuted its copper printing capabilities at TCT Asia.
19) ADDiTEC | #C38
ADDiTEC’s new Laser Powder Bed Fusion Technology system is said to represent a significant expansion of its metal 3D printing portfolio, complementing its Directed Energy Deposition (DED) and Liquid Metal Jetting (LMJ) solutions to become one of the only companies in the world to offer three complementary metal AM technologies.
20) CDG Piocreat | #A40
CDG will launch Piocreat pellet 3D printers into the UK market. The G5 system is billed as an affordable desktop pellet printer while the G12 stands as an industrial machine designed for parts up to 1.2 metres in size.
TCT 3Sixty
Registration is now open for TCT 3Sixty
21) 60-second Q&A | T3DMC | #H28
TCT: First, what will be the highlight of your TCT 3Sixty booth this year?
T3DMC: At TCT 3Sixty this year, we will showcase our cutting-edge automated and wireless 3D scanning solutions. These systems deliver precise, repeatable measurements with minimal manual intervention, making them ideal for high-efficiency production environments. Visitors will see live demonstrations of how our automated 3D scanning systems seamlessly integrate with manufacturing workflows, capturing high-quality data. We will also highlight our wireless 3D scanning technology, designed for flexibility and mobility in complex environments.
TCT: In which industries are you seeing the most traction for these solutions?
T3DMC: Our solutions are making a significant impact in the automotive, aerospace and power and energy sectors. In automotive, automated and wireless scanners streamline benchmarking, motorsport inspections, and design validation. In aerospace, high-precision reverse engineering solutions support the replication and redesign of critical components, ensuring safety and performance. And in power and energy, our systems aid in the maintenance of complex machinery, providing data for performance monitoring and efficient restoration.
TCT: Who should stop by your booth this year?
T3DMC: Our stand is essential for professionals in engineering, manufacturing, and product development who seek efficient, automated solutions or wireless flexibility in 3D scanning. If you aim to reduce manual effort, enhance efficiency, and fully leverage 3D data, visit our stand for a live demonstration.
22) Carbon | #K10
The Californian 3D printing technology company will be showcasing its Carbon DLS technology, which combines versatile printers, advanced software, and materials, used by organisations including adidas, Ford, and Becton Dickinson.
23) Formlabs | #G35
Desktop stereolithography leader Formlabs will present its latest products including the Form 4, Form 4B, and Form 4L, alongside recent updates to its Form Cure and Tough 1500 Resin aimed at levelling up 3D printing with injection moulding.
24) Stratasys | #K22
The 3D printing pioneer’s polymer technologies will be on display across multiple booths on the show floor and will feature in two panels across the Defence and Healthcare tracks as part of the TCT Conference.
Sherri Monroe
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25) SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT | Sherri Monroe
Executive Director, AMGTA
Framing AM & Sustainability Across the Enterprise for Strategic Advantage - Add to your event agenda
Innovation Stage | 05 June | 14:30
TCT: Why is now the right time to be having this conversation?
SM: The uncertainty of the last few months and really since the pandemic have really put a spotlight on new technologies and new business practices. The need has never been greater for more flexible, more nimble, and more resource efficient manufacturing and distribution. Organisations are focused on gaining more control over supply chains and enabling more circular practices for key materials.
TCT: Does AM value, in terms of sustainability, require a new way of thinking?
SM: Too often “sustainability” is viewed as a cost or a trade-off to economic viability - as a zero-sum game. When viewed as “resource efficiency” there is often a different perception. For manufacturing the resources to manage include material energy, and waste, but also time, capital, risk, and opportunity. Managing those resources successfully leads to both improved environmental AND economic outcomes. New business strategies that are not tied to traditional manufacturing constraints will take some time, more illustrative use-case studies, and more communication across the enterprise.
TCT: What’s the most common AM sustainability misconception?
JB: A mistake I see across the sector, whether comparing cost or environmental impact, is getting tied up in a part-to-part comparison. These comparisons nearly always only measure a portion of the lifecycle or fail to include adjacent impacts. For example, if a printed part costs 10% more than the traditional part but the traditional part has a minimum order or production quantity of 100, does the one part in comparison include the cost of all 100 or at least a portion of the cost to warehouse the other 99? Does it include the eventual obsolescence of some of those warehoused parts? Often the saving is not in the part produced and used, but in the parts not (over)produced and scrapped.
TCT 3Sixty will take place on June 4-5th at the NEC Birmingham, UK. Register for free to start planning your agenda and making industry connections ahead of the event.
