A lattice chainmail, a bike, and plenty of innovations around 3D printing
Formnext 2025, the world’s leading trade fair for additive manufacturing and 3D printing, was successfully held from November 18 to 21, 2025, in Frankfurt am Main. Around 30,000 visitors used the event to learn about the entire process chain, from materials and software to post-processing. The trade fair’s focus on industrialization, digitalization, and sustainability was taken up by the CoreTechnologie (CT) innovation team, which presented exciting news from the world of 3D printing. Particularly impressive: in addition to numerous passers-by attracted by the stylish look of the CT booth and the striking exhibits, the CT team conducted more than 500 in-depth discussions over three and a half days and made the software highlights tangible through live demonstrations. An evaluation of these discussions clearly shows that Formnext attracts a highly knowledgeable professional audience that was able to articulate very specific requirements for CT software. In addition to many 3D printing service providers, numerous companies that already operate their own 3D printers showed strong interest in CT tools.
CT trade fair conclusion:
3D printing is increasingly regarded as a proven manufacturing technology that represents a reliable alternative, especially in fragile supply chains, and is now firmly integrated into daily modern production processes.
Focus at the CT booth: the new version of the 3D printing software 4D_Additive
Using the example of the exhibited bike made of 3D-printed aluminum components combined with standard carbon tubes, visitors were shown how even complex consumer products can be produced quickly, easily, and cost-effectively using a 3D printer. In this exciting project, the CT development team used its 4D_Additive software to optimize wall thicknesses, generate surface textures, and ensure the smooth production of the 3D-printed parts on the SLM machine of the service partner FKM. A special eye-catcher at Formnext 2025 was the golden chainmail at the CT booth, which showcased the lattice function of the 4D_Additive software in an extraordinary way.
Some technical details:
- Material: PA 12
- Printing process: Hewlett Packard Multi Jet Fusion
- Lattice type: stochastic Voronoi
- Separation method: lap joint cut
- Preparation time in 4D_Additive: approx. 1 hour
The idea for this extraordinary exhibit originated from a conversation with a couture designer: tailoring garments precisely to the models’ measurements for a fashion show requires numerous fittings. Depending on the locations of the model and the designer, this can result in significant time and financial costs due to extensive travel. Sustainability is also an increasingly important topic in the fashion industry. Thanks to a 3D-printed tailor’s mannequin produced to fit the model exactly, time-consuming fitting trips are now a thing of the past.
The two extravagant trade fair exhibits – the bike and the chainmail – exemplify the fast, straightforward, automated production of cost-effective consumer products using the 3D printing software 4D_Additive.
Special effect: due to the lattice function, the printed components are extremely lightweight and visually striking, making them ideal eye-catchers for showrooms and shop windows.
Valuable partners
Special thanks also go to our trade fair partners. In addition to German and international CT colleagues, the CT partner companies Phasio, Achelon Software House, and enter2net.com AG were present at the CT booth, enriching the CT product portfolio with their expertise.
After the trade fair is before the trade fair
The next opportunity to meet the CT team and discover the latest CT tools is already just around the corner:
At the trade fair “Rapid + TCT”, we will meet from April 14 to 16, 2026, at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, Booth No. 1453.
See you there!
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