China’s 3D Printing Sector Is One Of The World’s Fastest Growing

In researching China’s additive manufacturing (AM) sector, it can be tough to validate claims from the outside. For instance, in 2023, one of the nation’s leading makers of metal 3D printers, Xi’an Bright Laser Technologies (BLT) announced nearly 60 percent revenue growth from the prior year. This figure, combined with the increasing number of lasers that can be configured on Chinese metal 3D printers, should more than pique the interest of manufacturers globally.

In fact, evidence coming out of the Chinese AM industry suggests that country is catching up to and, in many ways, surpassing the U.S. and Europe in terms of 3D printing adoption and manufacturing. From 2015 to 2022, China’s AM sector grew at a rate of about 30 percent, with industry analyst AM Research projecting that the country will achieve $8 billion in revenues from 3D printer sales alone by 2032.

This has significance both inside and outside of China, as well as inside and outside of the 3D printing industry. Naturally, much of the growth that’s taking place is remaining within the nation’s borders. While AM professionals are now well aware of a handful of prominent Chinese players, there are many more that they have never heard of and, despite this fact, some of those lesser-known businesses are advancing at a pace similar to their more recognized competitors.

For example, brands such as BLT, Farsoon, and Eplus3D have all released metal 3D printers with many lasers, numbering up to 64 in the case of Eplus3D. However, these three firms aren’t the only many-laser printer manufacturers in China. Tianjin LiM Laser Technology Co., which operates primarily within the nation’s borders, recently unveiled a metal 3D printer with up to 20 lasers.

This compares to firms like Nikon SLM Solutions, which max out at 12. This isn’t a sheer marketing gimmick. The more lasers on a metal 3D printer, the more productive it can be and, perhaps more importantly, the more sophisticated is the hardware and software that coordinates all of those energy sources. In one instance, a major smartphone manufacturer is using metal 3D printing to produce millions of small components annually.

For this reason, these metal 3D printers can be used as a gauge for the overall progress of the sector as a whole. Not only are they more complex, but also more expensive. As the high-water mark for AM, we can expect that the rest of China’s 3D printing sector to grow at a similar level. Other, simpler technologies are as far along as the most advanced versions in other parts of the world, such as in Europe and North America. A competitor to HP’s
HP
Multi Jet Fusion, one of the most successful polymer printing technologies in AM, has emerged in China. Sand 3D printing is at the same level of automation in China as it is in Germany, where BMW has developed a fully automated production line for printing and casting aluminum engine cylinders.

Much of this activity will benefit China in its ability to deploy advanced manufacturing for domestic use, particularly as frenemy nations, like the United States, employ tariffs and other measures to control imports from the country. However, even when China isn’t able to sell electric vehicles directly to Western countries, it will be able to sell some of its manufacturing equipment abroad.

Companies like the three metal printer manufacturers previously mentioned have opened foreign offices in Germany and the U.S. in order to better service customers in the region. Their increased presence at foreign trade shows has stimulated increased interest from foreign clientele. And because their machines are significantly less expensive than those made in the West, they can be much more cost competitive without a trade off in quality in most cases.

What this means for U.S. and European manufacturers of 3D printers is that they will increasingly face stiff competition from China. However, they may not lose the market entirely. One of the major reasons for the rapid growth of Chinese 3D printing is the immense government support advanced manufacturing has had in the country. China allows companies to deduct 200% of their research and development (R&D) expenses from taxes, while, in the U.S., the 2017 “Tax Cut” bill cut the deductible portion of R&D expenses for U.S. companies from 100% to just 10%, significantly discouraging investment in R&D.

However, through the Inflation Reduction Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act, the U.S. is now pouring billions of dollars into new projects that support advanced manufacturing domestically. Other countries, such as Canada and the U.K., are following suit, suggesting that competition with China will be a close one that may ultimately benefit domestic, distributed, and renewable manufacturing in all advanced economies. So, as tight as the race may be for individual 3D printing companies in- and outside of China, the larger nations and their populations may be the ones who actually win out in the end.