Market Analysis: 3D printing is entering the development period

What impact will 3D printing have on Chinese manufacturing? What opportunities and challenges do we face in this industrial revolution? Yesterday, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Xi ' an Jiaotong university, dean of Mechanical College Lu Bingheng in the speech that 3D printing is now from the beginning of the transition period to the development period.

3D Printing to the production organization and social life model brought about a major change, at present, the foreign 3D printing equipment industry has gradually matured development, the foreign 3D printing equipment industry has been basically mature, the initial formation of the industry "giant." As in December 2012, the Stratasys Company (NASDAQ) bought Objet, a company with a total market capitalisation of $3 billion trillion. 2014 expected revenue of 674 million U.S. dollars, profit of 117 million U.S. dollars, production of 65,000 equipment. In February 2013, ExOne listed on Nasdaq as the third-listed 3D printing company.

In the face of foreign gongchenglvede in this field, the domestic engaged in 3D printing production, services and other business enterprises estimated less than 100, of which, there are only 10 core technology. Data show that by the end of 2012, the world's 38% of professional industrial grade 3D printers in the United States, China accounted for 8.7%, Japan and Germany accounted for a larger proportion.

According to Lu Bingheng, 3D printing technology in China's starting time is not late, in medical use, has achieved basic bone printing. "China has been doing 3D printing technology since 1993 and 1994, and the United States is doing it from 1986 to 1987, and China is only a few years late." "He believes that China's 3D printing technology is actually close to the world's advanced level, but behind the European and American, and the reason behind the lag is not the development of a few years later."

Lu Bingheng pointed out that the domestic 3D printing, in basic research, industrial development, engineering applications, compared with the developed countries in the United States and Europe, there is a big gap. In China, the technology and industry of material-adding and manufacturing have not yet formed materials-process-equipment-application complete research and industry chain, material basic research, preparation technology and industrialization have a considerable gap compared with foreign countries. At the same time, the lack of supporting software, 3D printing software enterprises need to be nurtured. The core components required for equipment are mainly imported. ”

He pointed out that 2013, China's 3D printing Market size of about 1 billion yuan. The provincial development of 3D printing enthusiasm is high, China is expected to jump in recent years as the world's largest 3D printing market, some people predict 5 years will reach 10 billion yuan. 3D Printing is a new manufacturing technology, with the traditional pillars (casting and forging welding), reducing material (cutting) processing technology. The former two already developed 3000 with 300 years, 3D printing development only 30 years. At the same time, China has been studying in this field for more than 20 years, and advanced countries are basically in the initial stage, with foreign and run the possibility and historical opportunities. ”

Lu Bingheng that 2014 was the year of 3D printing, in the aerospace industry, innovation in the formation of subversive technology, in the personalized medical industry, cultural and creative industries, innovation and other fields, 3D printing surging, a number of multinational industry giants such as HP, Microsoft, Apple, 3D, IBM and other multinational giants to kill into the 3D printing field. In the face of competition, the domestic 3D printing technology is also facing the problem of shortage of printing materials, he suggested, such as 3D printing technology, such a strong foundation, cutting-edge technology, the state should increase the study of the university and research institutes to support the strength, and support the enterprise intervention research and development.

(Responsible editor: Mengyishan)