Highlighting a uncommon trade effort, Materialise (Nasdaq: MTLS) has filed a specialised disclosure (Kind SD) with the US Securities and Trade Fee (SEC), describing the way it displays the usage of battle minerals generally generally known as 3TG like tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold, throughout its 3D printing operations. These supplies, generally utilized in electronics and superior manufacturing, are generally sourced from conflict-affected areas just like the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Though the corporate doesn’t supply uncooked supplies instantly, it surveyed its suppliers to hint the origin of those minerals. The findings revealed that some supplies could have originated from high-risk areas, however suppliers typically couldn’t affirm their precise sources.
In response, Materialise outlined a technique to strengthen transparency, together with provider engagement and alignment with worldwide due diligence frameworks just like the Organisation for Financial Co-operation and Growth (OECD) tips. It is a extensively used algorithm that assist corporations verify the place their minerals come from and ensure they’re not linked to battle or abuse.
This uncommon look into moral sourcing within the additive manufacturing (AM) sector raises essential questions on how 3D printing corporations handle international provide chains. Materialise’s technique displays a rising, although nonetheless uncommon, effort within the trade to convey extra transparency to sourcing practices.
Certainly, most non-public and non-US corporations aren’t required to file these disclosures. Nonetheless, the difficulty is changing into extra related as 3D printing strikes deeper into sectors like aerospace, medical gadgets, and electronics—industries the place provide chain guidelines are stricter. Materialise’s transparency brings consideration to part of the 3D printing world that doesn’t typically make headlines: how supplies are sourced, and whether or not that course of helps moral practices. In doing so, it additionally exposes what stays a blind spot within the trade, not in compliance however in dialog, transparency, and public accountability.
The place minerals are discovered within the Democratic Republic of Congo. Picture courtesy of PANZI.
Underneath US regulation (particularly Rule 13p-1 of the Securities Trade Act), corporations should report whether or not the 3TG metals used of their merchandise come from the Democratic Republic of the Congo or close by international locations, the place mining has been linked to violence and human rights abuses. Whereas the rule focuses on the Congo area, different areas like Myanmar, Indonesia, and elements of South America have additionally raised issues over comparable points.
From 2023 by 2025, nearly all main publicly traded 3D printing corporations—together with 3D Techniques, Stratasys, Desktop Metallic, Velo3D, Materialise, Shapeways, voxeljet, and Markforged—filed the required Kind SD disclosures. These whose merchandise include 3TG metals additionally submitted Battle Minerals Reviews (CMRs) describing efforts to hint the supply of those supplies. Whereas no firm on this sector prevented submitting, the extent of element and transparency diverse extensively. Smaller service-oriented corporations like Shapeways (now owned by WVS Worldwide) and international issuers corresponding to Materialise and voxeljet weren’t exempt.
Most corporations explicitly reference the OECD Due Diligence Steering because the framework for his or her battle minerals program. For instance, 3D Techniques states that its due diligence measures have been “designed to evolve, in all materials respects, with the … OECD’s Due Diligence Steering.” In the meantime, Stratasys equally outlines its course of based on the 5 steps outlined by the OECD.
This exhibits that many corporations within the 3D printing trade are taking battle minerals guidelines severely and attempting to observe worldwide requirements. Those who filed a Battle Minerals Report stated that they had inside groups dealing with the method, checked for dangers by surveying their suppliers, and took steps to cope with issues, like following up or serving to suppliers perceive the foundations.
Mining operations within the japanese Democratic Republic of Congo. Picture courtesy of Sufficient Venture
Greater corporations like 3D Techniques and Stratasys stated they assessment third-party audit knowledge on the smelters of their provide chain and publish their findings yearly. They embody sections corresponding to every OECD step, talk about the usage of instruments just like the Accountable Minerals Initiative (RMI’s) smelter database, and, in 3D Techniques’ case, embody tables of smelters and international locations of origin recognized. Additionally they speak about follow-up actions, corresponding to 3D Techniques’ “escalation plan” for red-flag smelters.
Smaller corporations adopted comparable steps, simply on a smaller scale. For instance, Shapeways requested all its key suppliers to fill out varieties about the place their supplies got here from after which checked these solutions towards a trusted record of authorised smelters.
Each firm that filed a CMR reached out to its provide chain to assemble info on mineral sourcing. For instance, 3D Techniques reported that it encourages suppliers to use licensed conflict-free smelters, whereas Stratasys and Shapeways reported 100% or near-100% response charges from their surveyed suppliers.
Briefly, public 3D printing corporations that filed full CMRs did so as a result of they couldn’t make sure in regards to the supply of some supplies. Their detailed studies—particularly in comparison with these in different sectors—counsel the trade is making a critical effort to fulfill the requirements.
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