As my recent post about tungsten demonstrates, critical materials are like an avatar for the current dynamics shaping the global economy.This presents an opaque mix of challenges and opportunities for the additive manufacturing (AM) industry, not just in metals but in plastics as well.However, when it comes to nations that are trying to increase the resilience of their domestic supply chains, metals will likely continue to get the bulk of the attention for the foreseeable future, given the specific difficulties associated with rebuilding metal capacity.
My tungsten post suggested that we may be shifting towards a moment for the AM metals buildup characterized more by the opportunities than by the challenges, and the earnings releases this year from Tekna may provide some evidence of that.The Quebec-based materials supplier, majority-owned by a Norwegian holding company, posted a small profit in Q2, thanks in large part to higher revenues and better margins in its materials division (Tekna also sells processing equipment).The company swung back to a loss in Q3, related partially to one-time charges related to consolidating its geographical footprint in Asia.
On the other hand, Tekna’s revenues rose 61 percent YOY to CAD 13.4 million (~$9.5 million), and material sales continue to represent the bulk of Tekna’s business (CAD 8.6 million, or ~$6.1 million, in revenue), showing solid 20 percent YOY growth.Intriguingly, systems delivered nearly 270 percent YOY growth, with revenue climbing from CAD 1.37 million (~$970,000) to CAD 5.04 million (~$3.6 million) and accounting for more than a third of Tekna’s total quarterly revenue.That might initially make you think it’s the division Tekna should be focusing all its energy on.
Yet the two divisions are directly related, and systems sales could also translate into increased powder demand over time.The core strategy is to seed new materials customers with machine sales upfront, which means that the performance of Tekna’s systems division is even more bullish for the AM metal powders market than is the performance of the materials division.Unsurprisingly, referring back to the materials division specifically, the company’s strong performance is being driven by increased demand in aerospace and defense, while medical also demonstrated positive momentum.
Moreover, in the earnings report, Tekna noted that after the end of Q3, the company received “2 significant orders from medical implant customers…a materials distributor and a contract manufacturer, totaling CAD 2.8 million.” Image courtesy of Tekna.Meanwhile, thanks to strong execution in machine sales, the company’s free cash flow saw the biggest turnaround, improving from negative CAD 0.5 million (~$355,000) in Q3 2025 to positive CAD 5.6 million (~$4 million) in Q3 of this year.That’s vital in a landscape where investors are growing more and more weary of companies taking on debt, and in that vein, Tekna also announced that the company is positioned to meet its 2030 growth targets with “low capex”.
Finally, the company highlighted new product offerings including recycled powders and coarse powders, and concerning the latter, Joris Peels wrote a post a couple of years ago about the market appeal of coarser materials: higher productivity and lower cost per part.Tekna noted that demand is growing in both North America and Asia “for non-regulated applications” that utilize coarse powder.Since the company is focused on materials that are among the most sensitive to geopolitical volatility — including titanium and tungsten — diversifying its offerings within those materials gives it unique potential to capture new AM adopters.
That potential is enhanced further by Tekna’s corporate geography.As I wrote regarding GKN Aerospace’s recent announcement of NADCAP approval for its DED process, having a foot in multiple different NATO markets is an advantage that is extremely difficult for other companies to replicate.This matters in a world where it will likely require all the Western nations to collaborate for any of them to have a shot at success in their reshoring efforts.
It’s thus worth mentioning that Tekna became the first metal powder manufacturer to receive NADCAP accreditation under the new AC7143 standard in October 2025.Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter Stay up-to-date on all the latest news from the 3D printing industry and receive information and offers from third party vendors.Print Services Upload your 3D Models and get them printed quickly and efficiently.
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