On the 4-5 June 2025, TCT 3Sixty welcomed over 6,000 professionals and around 150 exhibitors, reaffirming its status as the UK’s premier additive manufacturing event. Here is a roundup of the event’s highlights.
This year’s TCT 3Sixty focused sharply on industrial-grade 3D printing, presenting complete end-to-end workflows – from concept to post-processing – with breadth and depth rarely seen under one roof.
Insightful conference content
The event hosted a strong lineup of speakers, including representatives from the UK Ministry of Defence, Leonardo, GKN Aerospace, and the Natural History Museum. A standout moment came from Wing Commander Jon McMahon, who outlined the MoD’s “factory-to-foxhole” initiative. With projected savings of £118 million, the programme highlights how agile, battlefield-ready AM supply chains are reshaping defence logistics.
Product debuts and demonstrations
Innovation dominated the show floor. Notable launches included:
- UltiMaker’s S6, offering a fourfold speed increase.
- Pollen AM’s fastest-ever 3D printer.
- WAAM3D’s full-scale rocket stage demonstrator.
- AMS’s “Powder Pro” software, which debuted with real-time traceability, lifecycle tracking, and predictive reuse insights.
These products impressed not just for technical advancement, but also for their clear readiness for industrial deployment.
Networking and Co-located Events
The event fostered active networking, aided by AI-driven matchmaking through the official TCT app. Its co-location with Med-Tech Innovation Expo, Subcon, Automechanika, and Smart Manufacturing Week added value and broader context across industries.
The TCT Awards gala
Held on 4 June, the black-tie TCT Awards celebrated innovation across eleven categories. Neil Hopkinson and Jonné Messer were inducted into the Hall of Fame, while award-winning applications ranged from BMW’s WAAM-produced suspension strut tower to a Lithoz ceramic jaw implant. It was a fitting tribute to additive manufacturing’s growing real-world impact.
Educational and interactive elements
Manchester Metropolitan University hosted hands-on student challenges, encouraging emerging talent to engage directly with the technology. These live competitions added energy to the show floor and emphasised AM’s educational pipeline.
Alongside the main exhibition, the annual TCT User Group event provided a valuable forum for open, peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, where users shared candid insights, practical lessons and operational challenges in additive manufacturing implementation. Meanwhile, the Project TAMPA meeting offered a focused platform for defence and government stakeholders to explore how AM technologies are enabling more responsive, decentralised supply chains, particularly in forward-deployed and mission-critical environments. These side events reinforced TCT 3Sixty’s role not just as a showcase, but also as a strategic hub for dialogue, collaboration and applied innovation.
TCT 3Sixty 2025 delivered a well-rounded snapshot of where additive manufacturing stands today – covering everything from hardware and software to real-world applications, education and strategy. Whether attendees were experienced in AM or just exploring its potential, the event offered practical insights and useful connections. Its strong focus on industrial adoption and implementation made it a worthwhile stop for anyone serious about keeping pace with the sector.
Building on its continued growth and strategic partnerships, TCT 3Sixty will return 3-4 June 2026 co-located with Interplas and the Med-Tech Innovation Expo – creating the UK’s largest cross-sector showcase for advanced manufacturing, plastics and medical technology. This convergence of events promises even greater opportunities for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and innovation across aligned industries. Attendees will benefit from access to expanded show floors, joint conference tracks, and a broader spectrum of cutting-edge solutions, from polymer processing and biocompatible materials to smart factory integration and regulatory insights.
