Asia's Additive Manufacturing Market Heats Up Across Multiple Fronts in July

Korea Certifies Metal AM Repair for the First Time

AM Solutions received the Korean Register's first certification for additive manufacturing repair technology on July 28. The certification covers laser wire-directed energy deposition restoration of damaged metal structures, which means classification-approved AM is now moving beyond new-part production and into ship and defense maintenance.

This matters because repair is where additive manufacturing often beats conventional methods. A damaged ship component or aerospace part can be restored to spec with less material waste and faster turnaround than replacing it entirely. Korea's certification opens that market to local service providers.

Japan's Defense Agencies Place Fast Orders

Yokohama-based MadeHere delivered 3D printed vehicle parts to Japan's Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency within a two-week turnaround. The parts addressed a spare-parts shortage and support the agency's push to localize defense supply chains. The speed of that delivery shows how additive manufacturing can bypass long procurement cycles when the geometry is complex and the timeline is short.

Meanwhile, Serendix unveiled a 3D printed military shelter concept at Farnborough International Airshow 2026. The company, known for Japan's first 3D printed train station shelter, extended its protective-structure work with high-speed projectile impact tests on printed concrete earlier in July.

China Sees Funding and Expansion

Bit Infinite closed consecutive angel rounds totaling about RMB 45 million since April, lifting its valuation roughly tenfold in three months. The company's Arko-T model generates editable 3D designs from text and powers the free sparkoh.ai modeling tool. Backers include Zhuoyuan Asia, Rongyi Investment, Puhua Capital, and Yide Capital.

Xihe Additive brought its second Jiangxi plant online in July, targeting output of 50 green-laser metal printers a month by the end of the third quarter. Its 532nm systems are aimed at high-reflectivity metals such as copper, a niche that traditional infrared systems struggle with.

Chaozhuo Aviation Technology, a Shanghai-listed cold-spray AM and aviation repair provider, agreed to transfer a 26.58% controlling stake to Shanghai Taiyang Technology for RMB 1.02 billion. The deal values the company at roughly US$140 million and reflects growing investor interest in aviation-grade additive manufacturing in China.

What to Watch Next

These moves share a common theme: governments and investors in Asia are treating additive manufacturing as a strategic capability rather than a niche manufacturing tool. Korea's certification, Japan's defense orders, and China's expansion all point to the same conclusion. The region is positioning itself to produce more critical parts locally, and 3D printing is the enabling technology.

For companies outside Asia, these developments mean a more competitive global supply chain and new potential partners for joint ventures or distribution agreements.