In 2023, the main theme of the entire 3D printing industry: more opportunities, although challenges still exist.
Whether it is the 3D printed hinged shaft cover of the Honor MagicV2 folding screen mobile phone, or the popular radish knife on campus, or the re-emerging 3D printing photo studio, it is gradually approaching our lives. And 3D printing rockets, houses and implants show us that 3D printing can do much more.
However, it has not been as smooth sailing, and many times it has not been as expected. This situation is also reflected in the industry's top listed companies, whose situation is not optimistic, and even the industry's leading companies are still caught in a "tug of war" between acquisitions and acquisitions.
This article takes stock of the top ten series of events in the 3D printing industry in 2023, hoping to bring you thoughts on 2023 and enlightenment for 2024.
no.1 3D printed rocket launch, this is just a microcosm
On March 22, Relativity Space successfully launched its first 3D-printed rocket, Terran 1, after a series of twists and turns, but failed to enter orbit due to problems with the second-stage engine. It is of great significance that Terran 1 has successfully verified the reliability of the 3D printed rocket body through the MAX-Q (maximum dynamic pressure of the aircraft flying in the atmosphere) region. It is understood that 85% of this rocket is made of 3D printing, which is faster, lower cost and higher quality than traditional manufacturing methods.
Although the launch of Terran 1 was not completely successful, it represents the wide application of 3D printing technology in the aerospace field. For example, on April 2, China's Tianbing Technology's Tianlong-2 launch vehicle was successfully put into orbit, and the key parts of its Th11 engine were partially made of 3D printing. On May 28, China's domestic large aircraft C919 made its maiden flight successfully, and it widely used 3D printed titanium alloy components in its research and development and trial production, including the nose main windshield window frame, ** flange strip, engine fuel nozzle, etc.
In fact, aerospace is currently the main application area of the global 3D printing market, and the same is true in China.
no.2 Surrounding Stratasys acquisitions and acquisitionsofTurmoil
In 2023, the 3D printing merger between Stratasys, Desktop Metal, Nano Dimension, and 3D Systems has been going on for almost a full year. At first, Nano Dimension made a takeover offer to Stratasys, which was flatly rejected. Subsequently, Stratasys announced plans to merge with Desktop Metal. This was followed by a proposal from 3D Systems to acquire Stratasys. Ultimately, Stratasys neither accepted the acquisition of 3D Systems nor abandoned the merger with Desktop Metal.
The "soap opera" doesn't seem to really be over yet, with Nano Dimension again submitting a cash takeover offer to Stratasys on December 23. And this may trigger a new round of business discussion and industry attention, suggesting that the 3D printing industry's mergers and acquisitions are far from over. In fact, on January 20, Nikon completed 6 of SLM Solutions€2.2 billion acquisition. Then, on February 27, 3DNATIVES, a 3D printing platform, was acquired by SPE. In China, mergers and acquisitions have also kicked off, with Goldstone 3D officially acquiring Gufeng (Dongguan) 3D and Suzhou Big Whale 3D in May, following the acquisition of Guangzhou Leijia. In addition, Luen Thai Technology previously acquired Huitong 3D and Junchen 3D.
As the industry matures, we believe that 3D printing mergers and acquisitions will become more frequent in the future.
no.3 Domestic companies are actively listed, and the market value of international giants has declined
On April 17, 2023, Huashu Hi-Tech was listed on the Science and Technology Innovation Board of the Shanghai Stock Exchange, ** as "688433", and publicly issued **414322.53 million shares, **688433", issued**2666 yuan shares, the current share price has risen to 3035 yuan, with a market value of 1257 billion yuan. This is also the second pure 3D printing listed company in China after BLT. At the same time, Shanghai Luen Thai Technology has completed the IPO listing counseling and filing, and companies such as Jinshi 3D and Chuangxiang 3D are also preparing to go public.
In contrast, the market performance of foreign 3D printing companies is not optimistic. Shares of industry giants Stratasys and 3D Systems have been sharply** from their highs in late 2013 to 2014 and are currently around $13 and $6, respectively. Shares of second-tier listed companies such as Desktop Metal, Markforged, and Velo3D are also depressed, at less than $1. In 2023, two companies, Fast Radius and SmileDirectClub, have chosen to delist.
Despite the challenges faced by most of the listed 3D printing companies, the growth momentum of the entire industry is still strong.
no.4 Titanium alloy 3D printing suddenly became popular, and Apple and others "tested the waters".
In July 2023, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo revealed that Apple is planning to adopt 3D-printed titanium mechanical parts, including the digital crown and action buttons, in the upcoming second-generation Apple Watch Ultra. In addition, there are also ** reports that the titanium alloy middle frame of the iPhone15 Pro series is also useful for 3D printing. At the same time, Honor also used 3D printing titanium alloy technology for the first time in its ** folding screen mobile phone MagicV2, especially in the hinge shaft cover part. According to relevant sources, Huashu Hi-Tech and BLT are the main suppliers of titanium alloy parts in these products.
However, according to the repository, these applications are still in beta. However, in the future, with the further development and maturity of 3D printing technology, more and more mobile phone manufacturers are expected to achieve large-scale mass production, further improve the yield rate, bring marginal cost reduction, promote the wide application of titanium alloy in the consumer electronics industry, and even drive the transformation of the entire industry. This also indicates that 3D printing equipment manufacturers, material suppliers and service providers will usher in a more rapid development.
3D printing opens the door to the field of consumer electronics and will be a whole new niche for the industry.
no.5 The turnip knife became a phenomenal toy, "giving birth" to the farmer
In 2023, a toy called "turnip knife" quickly became popular among middle school students and became their favorite. This toy has become widely popular due to its unique design and interactivity, and has become a popular trend on campus. And this toy was originally designed by the UP master of station B: "Crazy Question Mark", and was produced and sold through 3D printing. Later, after the discovery of Yiwu's toy manufacturers, they greatly reduced the cost and reduced the price to the lowest price through the production method of open mold injection molding, thus achieving great success in the market.
With the advent of the turnip knife, 3D printing has really entered the toy market and become a new tool that is recognized. In addition to the turnip knife, the moon lamp, telescopic sword and dragon egg are also popular. In particular, those complex designs that are difficult to achieve with traditional manufacturing methods can only be manufactured by 3D printing, such as the Chinese dragon we reported earlier. Along with the order, there is also a group of new farmers who have purchased dozens or even hundreds of 3D printers, mainly providing 3D printing services.
Backed by the big market of toys and standing in the wind, 3D printing farmers may be able to fly in 2024.
no.6 Giants such as Xiaomi entered the market, and consumer-grade 3D printing was accelerated
We start 2023** Xiaomi will release a 3D printer in 2024, but it is clear that this conjecture has been verified in 2023. Xiaomi successfully completed the crowdfunding campaign for the Mijia 3D printer, attracting 1,570 supporters and raising more than 2.66 million yuan. Now officially on sale, the retail price is 1999 yuan, this printer integrates printing and curing, using LCD resin technology. Compared with Xiaomi, Anker Innovations entered the game relatively earlier, and last year on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, its Ankermake M5 3D printer totaled more than 63 million yuan, becoming one of the most successful projects on the crowdfunding platform.
According to customs statistics, as of November, more than 3.1 million consumer-grade 3D printers will be shipped in 2023, with a total value of 4.9 billion yuan. This growth is enough to attract the attention of tech giants and prompt them to invest in the space. It is understood that Mijia's first 3D printer manufacturer, Shenzhen Shengma Youchuang, as part of the Xiaomi ecological chain, has received Xiaomi's participation in multiple rounds of financing. In addition, Tao Ye, who resigned from DJI, founded Shenzhen Tuozhu Technology and pushed consumer-grade 3D printing technology to new heights in just two years. According to internal sources, Tuozhu Technology's revenue in 2023 is expected to reach 2 billion yuan.
Consumer-grade 3D printing is on the fast track, and there are more and better stories to tell, and the future is worth looking forward to.
no.7 3D printing portraits are popular again, and they have become a new project for small businesses
In 2023, the 3D printing photo studio we often talked about before is now habitually called 3D real figure (also known as 3D real photography), and the application track has ushered in significant development. From the initial single brand Suwa, there are now more than 10 brands on the market, including Companion, Second Life, Bored Yuan, Fuying Tiancheng, etc. Most of these brands adopt a franchise model, with more than 50 franchise stores and 12 branches.
The start-up capital for opening a store is about 300,000 yuan, including brand franchise fees and store decoration fees. However, with the iterative upgrading of equipment, the franchise fee is also decreasing, and the project has attracted many young entrepreneurs. At present, the price of a 9cm portrait is 199 yuan, which is already within the acceptable range of users. Scanning and printing technologies for color portraits are constantly being iterated, and it is expected that the future will further improve realism and reduce costs. It is believed that with the advancement of technology and the expansion of the market, the business of 3D portraits is expected to become bigger and bigger.
In 2023, 3D printing real figures is undoubtedly one of the best optional projects for the public to enter 3D printing entrepreneurship.
no.8 3D printed houses are on sale and are truly used for habitation
The community of 100 3D printed houses built by ICON and Lennar, a homebuilder in the United States, is currently the largest 3D printed house community project in the world. The project started in 2022 and as of 2023, some of the homes are completed and on sale with a starting price of $47$50,000. In addition, Cobod and 14trees' 3D printing project in Kenya completed the construction of 10 houses with a single printer in 10 weeks. The "Barnacle House" launched by Serendix, Japan's first 3D printing house company, covers an area of about 50 square meters and is priced at 5.5 million yen (about 27 yuan.)60,000 yuan).
In China, on November 14, the first national-level new farmhouse pilot project using 3D printed concrete construction technology in Hubei Province was carried out in Huanggang Village. As early as October 2021, the first demonstration 3D printing house in China was built in Wujiazhuang Village, Xiahuayuan, Zhangjiakou. Recently, with the official release of ISO ASTM 52939:2023, the first joint standard for construction 3D printing, the quality, safety and efficiency of 3D printing construction will be further improved, and the promotion and popularization of construction 3D printing will also be accelerated.
Construction 3D printers will be a powerful tool for the new generation of construction, when a large number of workers will be replaced by machines.
no.9 Medical 3D printing, from preoperative navigation to implantation in the body
In 2023, more and more 3D printing products will obtain medical device registration certificates. In January, Hunan Huaxiang Medical Technology obtained the first registration certificate for Class III medical devices for additive manufacturing of bionic bone trabecular structure with tantalum metal powder as material. Previously, a number of metal 3D printed titanium alloy orthopedic implants developed by the company also obtained Class III medical device licenses. In March, AK Medical's metal additive manufacturing matching long segment bone defect restoration obtained the registration certificate of Class III medical devicesIn July, Wuhan Mindray Technology obtained the Class III medical device registration certificate for the titanium alloy acetabular cup system developed by using Xi'an Sialon electron beam 3D printing equipment.
3D printing technology is becoming more and more widely used in the medical field, from preoperative models to surgical guides, which not only improves the accuracy and success rate of surgery, but also shortens the operation time, thereby reducing the risk of surgery. With the issuance of relevant medical device registration certificates, many provinces and cities, including Hebei and Zhejiang, have successively appeared in 2023 The "first case" of 3D printed implants has appeared. This will promote the development of medical 3D printing in a new direction, and it is also a new opportunity for related 3D printing companies.
To be bold, we look forward to seeing 3D printing in medicine take another step forward: printing human organs directly.
no.10 The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released a list of typical application scenarios for additive manufacturing
On December 15, 2023, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) released the "2023 List of Typical Application Scenarios for Additive Manufacturing", which contains a total of 42 application scenarios, an increase from the first batch of 36 last year. These scenarios cover the fields of industry, medical care, culture and sports, and architecture, marking the importance and support of national policies for 3D printing technology. With the release of more and more typical application scenarios, it is equivalent to setting a benchmark, which will further promote the application of 3D printing in all walks of life and accelerate the development of the industry.
In addition, last year, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security announced 18 new occupations, including the new occupation of "additive manufacturing engineering and technical personnel", which provides a formal professional identity for 3D printing practitioners. At the same time, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security stated that the information of certified personnel will be included in the scope of talent statistics, and certified personnel will enjoy vocational training subsidies, vocational skills appraisal subsidies and other policies according to regulations.
To continue to move forward and make achievements to be seen by more people, we must always firmly believe that 3D printing can achieve great things after all.