Hartwig, Inc., a long-established machine tool distributor, ended its additive manufacturing (AM) business at the end of 2025. The information was recently shared on LinkedIn by a former member of Hartwig’s AM team, Jens Kautzor, who took the opportunity to announce a new venture, NB Additive, a company focused on production-ready AM workflows.
Beyond this individual transition, Hartwig’s involvement in additive manufacturing dates back to before the mid-2020s, when the company progressively integrated AM as a solution line as the technology matured and customer demand grew.
Over the years, this AM journey was marked by partnerships with technology providers such as EOS, Solukon, Markforged, and FormAlloy, as well as reseller agreements, notably with Axtra3D, to offer AM equipment and support.
Hartwig’s decision echoes a broader trend observed across the additive manufacturing market in 2024–2025, where several distributors and OEMs have reassessed their AM strategies amid slower-than-expected industrial adoption and persistent pressure on margins.
As highlighted in 3D ADEPT Media’s 2025 Year in Review, the market has entered a phase of consolidation and selective retrenchment, with companies refocusing on core competencies, profitable verticals, and long-term service revenues rather than expansive portfolio strategies.
In this context, Hartwig’s exit from AM reflects less a rejection of the technology itself than a pragmatic response to a maturing, more demanding market environment.
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