RAPID + TCT 2026 took place recently in Boston, drawing some significant news coverage focusing on highlights of the event. Throughout the four-day event, there were numerous live product demonstrations, networking opportunities, and education sessions. Several exhibiting companies on the show floor even launched new products during RAPID + TCT, including HP’s new HP MFJ 1200 3D Printer, ELEGOO’s Jupiter 2 printer and CANVAS multicolor system, and MOVA AtomForm’s 12-Nozzle Multi-Color 3D Printing System.
In addition to the extensive additive manufacturing (AM) technologies on display at the event, there were also several showcases that gave attendees a more detailed look at AM’s impact on different industries. These included the healthcare and AeroDef showcases, displaying AM’s role in the medical, aerospace, and defense sectors.
This collection of AM innovations and industry education garnered exciting news coverage. Read on to learn all about the highlights of the 2026 RAPID + TCT event.
7 Game-Changing 3D Printers at Rapid + TCT 2026 & the Tech Trends That Actually Matter
News website ALL3DP traversed the RAPID + TCT show floor in Boston to highlight some new products featured at the event and see what’s trending in the AM industry. Among the trends, this article discusses how AM companies are focusing less on printing speed and more on materials, and some key industrial AM leaders are featuring more accessible products for smaller manufacturers.
New 3D printers on display at the event included the previously mentioned new Multi Jet Fusion printer from HP, which is a smaller, more affordable option from a leading company in AM. Stratasys’ booth also featured a more accessible version of their PolyJet printer, used for functional prototyping.
The ALL3DP article goes on to discuss several new printers found on the event show floor, including FDM printers, resin 3D printers, and Powder Bed Fusion polymer and metal printers. Among these types of printers, a few in particular stood out at RAPID + TCT.
Within the FDM desktop market, distinct printers included the BigRep One.5X, which is faster than its flagship FDM printer and more accessible. AtomForm introduced its 12-nozzle-changing 3D printer at RAPID + TCT. This machine has the potential for heightened efficiency, with the ability to print up to 36 colors in one printing job without requiring the nozzle to be purged. Other notable FDM printers from the show floor include the Anycubic Kobra 4, Elegoo Centauri 2, Flashforge Creator 5, and the Prusa Core One+ w/ INDX.
The show floor also featured large format resin printers like the Elegoo Jupiter 2 and Creality’s Halot X1 Max, the latter of which is described as a “desktop smart factory.” Resin 3D printers from HeyGears and Stratasys were also noteworthy.
Following along the trend of accessibility, both HP and UnionTech displayed new powder bed fusion 3D printers aimed at offering manufacturers easier entry into industrial-grade AM production. HP’s MJF 1200 is smaller, faster, and easier to use than the rest of its Multi Jet Fusion lineup, while still supporting the creation of end-use polymer parts. UnionTech’s Muees430 Pro is designed for metal AM, offering an efficient production platform for scaling metal 3D printing.
RAPID + TCT 2026: The Coolest & Craziest Things on the Show Floor
While ALL3DP covered the technical details on new AM technologies on the show floor at RAPID + TCT, 3DPrint.com focused on some extraordinary products made with 3D printing. The first one showcased in this article comes from PANAM in Space — a modular centaur. This robotic centaur is designed to be sturdier than bipedal robots and could be used for a variety of manual labor tasks, from working in a warehouse to moving equipment into areas difficult for humans to access.
AM is becoming popular in automotive, and the next product from Pantheon Design highlights this with a prototype of a 3D printed motorcycle. Other interesting consumer products include child mobility devices featured at CADimensions booth and 3D printed snare drums from Voxel Percussion at the Polymaker booth.
On the industrial side of 3D printing, the RAPID + TCT show floor was full of 3D printed drones, with Impossible Objects, HP, and Blueflite all displaying drones. Another innovation was HP’s dual tone technology, which can add extra information to parts via QR codes or improve traceability with part numbers printed directly onto the product.
These new products were something to marvel at on the show floor at RAPID + TCT. They represent just a sample of what attendees can expect at North America’s largest additive manufacturing and industrial 3D printing event.
How Additive Manufacturing Is Shaping the Future of Healthcare
SME Media had extensive coverage of RAPID + TCT 2026, from daily wrap-up videos to on-site interviews with some of AM’s leading experts. However, there was also more focused coverage, including on AM’s role in healthcare, which is a major industry in Boston.
A representative from SME Media covered a healthcare panel at RAPID + TCT entitled “Life-Saver: How AM Is Transforming Patient Care” to learn how AM technologies are leading to better patient outcomes. The panel included Materialise CEO Brigitte de Vet-Veithen, HP Additive Manufacturing Solutions Senior Vice President Alex Monino, 3D Systems President and CEO Jeffery Graves, and Carbon Chief Technology Officer Jason Rolland.
These industry leaders discussed some important use cases of AM in healthcare, from dental products to orthotic devices to customized prosthetics. The healthcare industry is on the precipice of widely implementing AM, it just needs to determine how to cost-effectively scale the technology. Though 3D printed medical devices may still cost more than their conventional counterparts, this cost is expected to be eliminated as adoption grows.
Despite the current premium for AM products in healthcare, these devices are well worth the cost due to improved patient outcomes.
Looking Ahead: RAPID + TCT 2027
From robotics to automotive to consumer products to medical devices, AM is gaining momentum across industries. Innovations from all of these sectors were on display across the show floor at RAPID + TCT 2026. With product unveilings from top AM companies, multiple expert-led educational sessions, and a new hosting city full of pride in AM, this year’s event was certainly one for the books.
It won’t be long until it's time to start gearing up for RAPID + TCT 2027, which will return to the Motor City. Our next event takes place at Huntington Place in Detroit, with the conference from April 12-15 and exhibits from April 13-15, 2027. Don’t miss out on all the exciting innovations coming next year to RAPID + TCT!