6K Additive names new COO as Modix launches large-format printer

A 1,000 x 1,000 x 1,000 mm build volume is the kind of spec that changes how people think about fixtures, molds, and end-use parts. Modix Modular Technologies used that promise to launch the MAMA-1000, a large-format material-extrusion printer that sits as a more compact sibling to the company’s MAMA-1700 and runs both pellet and filament feedstock through interchangeable print heads.

That machine release lands in the middle of a market that is becoming more practical and less theatrical. Modix is pitching the MAMA-1000 for end-use parts, functional prototyping, tooling, moulds, and large-format production, which is exactly where bigger desktop and prosumer systems still have room to grow. For shops that have outgrown small-format beds but do not want to jump straight into heavy industrial systems, a 1-meter cube platform is a clear, usable step up.

Materials and operations are getting just as much attention. 6K Additive named Brandon Davis chief operating officer on May 5, 2026, and said he will oversee global operations, including metal powder production and alloy additions, reporting to CEO Frank Roberts. The move matters because 6K Additive has built its identity around domestic production of high-performance metal powders, not just hardware headlines. 6K went public on the Australian Securities Exchange in late 2025, and its UniMelt microwave plasma process is designed to convert scrap and end-of-life components into refractory metal powders.

The company’s leadership shift fits a broader push toward stable supply and repeatable feedstock. In a segment where powder consistency can determine whether a build succeeds or fails, naming a manufacturing veteran to run operations signals that scaling metal AM is increasingly a management problem as much as a process problem.

That same shift shows up elsewhere in the sector. Rolls-Royce officially opened its Additive Manufacturing Development Cell on April 24, 2026, at its Defence Assembly and Operations facility in Bristol, UK, with Luke Pollard MP and Claire Hazelgrove MP in attendance. Funded by the UK Ministry of Defence, the controlled environment is built to tighten humidity, temperature, and air pressure for more consistent output, a reminder that even the biggest industrial users are still chasing better first-time-right parts.

Meltio’s role in the SUMMSEED project points in the same direction from a different angle. Announced on April 27, 2026, the effort, short for SUstainable Medium Manganese StEEls for cost-efficient applications in heavy industries, is aimed at mining and heavy machinery applications. Meltio is applying its wire-based metal additive manufacturing technology while scientific partners validate and certify the material properties, pairing sustainability with the kind of industrial qualification that can eventually shape what materials and machines smaller users get access to next.