From Buzz to Business: How Airbus, Bugatti & Adidas Use AM in 2025

Back in 2019, we asked: Is additive manufacturing (AM) really ready for production? In our article “AM for Production Is Already Here,” we highlighted how big names were beginning to shift from prototyping to making real parts at scale.

Now, in 2025, let’s revisit that promise. Are these pioneers still on the AM path? Have others joined them? And what role does digital workflow play in making AM truly scalable?

✈️ Airbus: Slow but Steady Lift-Off

In 2023, Airbus was 3D printing over 1,000 components per A350 - mostly brackets and cabin parts. Today, that number is even higher, thanks to greater confidence in material qualification and growing regulatory acceptance.

What’s changed?

• More parts are structural. Brackets and hinges are giving way to lightweight load-bearing elements.

• Focus on traceability. Airbus and its suppliers are doubling down on end-to-end data capture to meet safety standards.

Authentise’s Flows software and Digital Design Warehouse are crucial here - offering integrated traceability, audit readiness, and data-driven decision-making.

Example of a part from the aviation industry: New design and lightweight construction meet serial character. The illustration shows an additively manufactured part (bottom) compared to a conventional part (top). Source: Airbus

🏎️ Bugatti: AM Still Powers Precision

Bugatti’s Divo made waves with its 3D-printed titanium brake calipers. Two years later, the brand (now under Rimac Group) continues to leverage AM - but mostly in ultra-low-volume supercar applications.

Key facts:

• Focus is still on complex geometries. Parts like heat exchangers, ducts, and mounting brackets remain ideal AM use cases.

• AM is not mass-market. But for Bugatti-level performance, there’s no better tool.

  
  

Companies like Bugatti rely on agile data and digital work instructions - areas where Authentise solutions help eliminate friction between design and print.

The Bugatti Tourbillon’s front and rear suspension is still hung on aluminium subframes, but they’re now made of new thin-wall 3D castings and utilise 3D-printing for the complex structural braces. The rear axle also features 3D printed hollow-formed arms, optimised for aero efficiency. Source: autoexpress

👟 Adidas & Footwear: AM Finds Its Niche

Adidas stole headlines with its Futurecraft 4D line - but AM hasn’t (yet) replaced injection molding for midsoles at scale.

So what happened?

• Speed and cost remain barriers to true mass production.

• However, AM has carved out a clear niche in:

  • Custom insoles

  • Tooling for new designs

  • Rapid prototyping for elite athlete gear

Adidas continues to release limited runs of 3D-printed footwear and collaborates with Carbon for lattice innovation - but the ambition of millions of AM midsoles remains out of reach for now.

Still, this is where digital thread matters - every prototype, tweak, and tooling element needs data. Authentise’s integration with design tools and MES systems makes it all seamless.

Nike's Flyprint is the first 3D-printed textile upper in performance footwear. And weighing in at 11g lighter than the now-legendary Vaporfly 4%, it offers more breathability while boasting almost zero water retention. Source: Nike

Why Some Scaled, and Some Stalled

Challenge	Impact	How Authentise Helps
Certification	Slows AM adoption in aerospace/medical	Full traceability with Flows & DDW
Speed & Cost	Limits footwear/auto mass use	Real-time data helps optimise & iterate fast
Data Fragmentation	Hurts productivity across orgs	Digital threads connect tools, teams & parts

The common thread? Success in AM production is increasingly tied to digital infrastructure - not just hardware. That’s where Authentise steps in.

The Takeaway

Yes, additive manufacturing is in production - but not everywhere, and not equally.

Airbus has doubled down. Bugatti still pushes the boundaries. Adidas has found its premium niche.

But across all of them, one thing is clear: AM production only works when data flows. Without digital transparency, traceability, and integration, even the most powerful machines can’t deliver at scale.

Ready to go from buzz to business?

Discover how Authentise Flows, our MES, and the Digital Design Warehouse can connect your AM workflow end-to-end - giving you the tools to scale safely, efficiently, and profitably.

👉 Book a Demo or explore our solutions at authentise.com