What will the business 3D-printing: 3DPrintshow exhibition in London

In his first publication on the Habré I decided to tell in detail about what is happening in the world of 3D-printing business. And the best reason for this is held on a weekend exhibition 3DPrintshow in London - in fact the biggest event in our industry, focused on the consumer side 3D-printing business.


Submitted by: my name is Konstantin, I am co-founder and CEO of 3DPrintus . My interest in the exhibition due to the fact that the Russian market, we develop B2B and B2C service lines industrial 3D-printing and Marketplace items, and the design community.

Likbez h4>
 I'll start with the fact that developing business in Russia, always have to look to Europe and the United States, because of our partners there are a few steps ahead of us and our task now to accelerate the development of 3D-topic press in Russia and the CIS. Therefore, the efforts of each of the new company in our market - a big plus for the industry as a whole.

So, the most important thing that you should know about the development of 3D-printing in the world: h4>

1. 3D-printer in every home. B> h5> The technology has existed for over 30 years. Hysteria in the media about the "third industrial revolution" and the idea that "now you can print at home yourself iPhones and TVs" somewhat premature, if not more.

2. Market h5> It is necessary to separate the market and the business of manufacturing of 3D-printers on the market of services 3D-printing. Market volume is totally different, as the company to them.

3. Technology h5> It is important to consider separately the market and technology "home» 3D-printing and industrial. Industrial appeared much earlier and includes technologies such as SLA, SLS, MJM, PolyJet, 3DP, SLM, FDM. The basic technology home 3D-printing - FDM. Also on the market is "home" devices, printers went on technologies SLA and SLS, which gives a certain qualitative leap forward.

4. Limitations h5> Originally and still 3D-printing - it is about the production of a limited number of products, goods, prototypes, and so. Technology certainly do not let the cost of producing a unit of product is cheaper than in mass production. But technology can make very cheap start production of any product that you either a) are making the first prototypes, b) testing the market demand.

5. Application h5> The most active (and cost effective) 3D-printing technology used for the following business areas and services:

Prototyping Small-scale production Production of prototypes Architectural prototyping Jewelry production Medical implants and prostheses Robotics Hardware-startups Individual décor, accessories, jewelry, art, fashion DIY

6. Stage of Development h5> If you look objectively at the current stage of development of the market and technology, I draw the following conclusions:
at the moment, 3D-printing is used as an effective means of prototyping and small batch production. Also very technology is increasingly being used to solve business problems from different fields. The market perceives approvingly enterprise technologies and uses them in his work.

Certainly, technology is beginning the most positive influence on medicine, used in surgical operations.

Finally, the technology and get to our homes and hands: designers worldwide use 3D-printing technology for the manufacture of a variety of final products from plastics and metals. And in this area in the near future, the activity of all of these will develop business objects made of steel and metal drags, as they are the most understandable for consumers.

However, this market will require more than one year to become massively popular among consumers worldwide.

The result of today such: h5> 80% of applications - prototypes, small series, prototypes, medical prostheses and implants, architectural models and jewelry, 20% - consumer products.

Exhibition h4>
 

Go back to the show. The event itself 3DPrintshow is not the first time. Last year, in the same London, where the development of 3D-printing is leaps and bounds, I was also on the show, the report can be read here .

3DPrintshow comes in three days, each of which has its own theme. This year's theme days were as follows:

Business Day Design Day Public Day
 Days vary the composition of lectures, which take place on 4 stages in parallel, all the days. All lectures are designers, business owners, evangelicals 3d-printing, community manager, and other interesting guests. Each lecture lasts about half an hour + half hour questions from the audience. 3 days have all chances to get a good injection of useful information and insights.

The very same exposure this year consisted of the most interesting and promising companies in Europe and the USA and was conditionally divided into two parts - manufacturers of printers and services / startups that provide services. Very convenient for navigation inside.

Also this year, was a private balcony on which the art objects and clothes created by designers using all available technology 3D-printing. In fact, a reflection of the level of development of the technology. Yes, it should be noted that almost every one of them has a very high cost.

Full-color printing of gipsopolimera i>

Durable and flexible plastic (polyamide) with painting i>

Detailed plastic (photopolymer) i>

The inserts of durable and flexible plastic (polyamide) i>

The translucent granular plastic (photopolymer) i>

PLA-plastic i>

PLA-plastic i>

Durable and flexible plastic (polyamide) i>

Detailed plastic (photopolymer) with painting i>

PLA-plastic i>

PLA-plastic i>

Interesting company h4>
 Of course, the most interesting thing happening that nazyaetsya the sidelines and in close communion with uchastinkami and business owners. The only way to really get objective information about the market situation and prospects, to exchange experience and opinion.

A nice bonus for me was the fact that with most of these people I was already familiar on joint projects or past exhibitions in London and New York, so get the most interesting information is easy. Only share the most interesting facts and forecasts.

Presumably, the most interesting event in the market was to be the start of a new platform of the well known and the "beloved" company Autodesk.

For most non professional users, the company has several years has good products for 3D-modeling online , such as 123Design, 123Catch, 123Sculpt, Tinkercad and TP.

However, the company decided to go ahead and launch its own open source platform and printer - Spark , which should be open to all enthusiasts and party razbotchikov whole new market eppov, applications and add-ons.

The company announced a few months ago, it's a great event, but unfortunately, the exhibition and the lecture told a minimum of information about the new project. Promised that in a few months is a big event still proizvoydet and community users of Autodesk will start using its new brainchild.

Continuing the theme of software development in the field of 3D-printing, note the excellent company of our partner, Uformia their product Uformit .

Colleagues, having many years of great development path in the field of modeling and mathematical calculations, created a product which is based on the principles of parametric design, customization options allow you to specify any three-dimensional objects created by designers. Their development - plug Symvol for Rhino.

In this case, for end-users and buyers, it looks like a simple interface Ordering personalized pendants, rings, masks and many other precious metals and high quality plastic.

Let me draw your attention to the fact that Uformit makes a perfect case in the medical field. With their software and 3D scanning was established medical corset, clothed and personalized for the individual patient.

I can not ignore the actively developing projects Formlabs - manufacturer of professional "home" printer technology SLA.

Lovely and affordable printer for designers who need the fastest, but accurate tool to test their ideas in practice.



The British company Digital Forming focused its efforts on developing an online system for designers, which gives the opportunity to make any model customizable. All the same framework, parametric design.

Next party - company 3DPrintUK , working in the format design offices and production using only the technology available to them SLS.

I must say that the guys are doing a very high quality projects, in terms of industrial design!

In addition to the external beauty of this solution, you can see and interesting engineering solution - lightweight design. It is for such a design the future!

Consumer Market h4>
 Now move on to the story of the closest to me, in the field of business, companies - 3Dhubs, Shapeways, Sculpteo and i.Materialise. They, in many respects, are the engine of consumer sphere 3D-printing in the world!

By developing our company in Russia, we are dealing with a lot of western counterparts and exchange information on the prospects and new opportunities.

The motto of the guys from 3Dhubs - local 3d printing. To date, they have created perhaps the most extensive and available in almost every city of the world, a network of owners of 3D-printers. With the help of any site or who have a 3D-model, it has the ability to order prints directly from the owner of the printer, which can be in the house next door. And get him well.

Very comfortable and most importantly not expensive. 3Dhubs take only 20% of the transaction between the customer and the owner of the printer.

By the way I must say that 95% of network printers - domestic, hence a significant limitation on the quantity and quality of manufactured products.



In addition, just a week ago, the company получила new round of investment in the amount of 4, $ 5 million for the development and expansion of the network. Serious money and great prospects who see investors!

The Belgian company Materialise has long been known in the market. Most of its history the company has been selling industrial printers, printing and rendering services for air, car, military and medical industries.

However, equally important focus for the company is the development of a project i.Materialise - 3d-printing service and Marketplace items. The company allows designers to create and publish their own shops in them goods for sale.

I note that i.materialise closely monitors the quality of published items and try to weed out what they believe will be impossible to sell. Although it is not officially regulated, but on the amount of goods and communicate with designers can do just takoyvyvod.

For us, the main market and earnings is 3d-printing service for business customers from bolshii and selling printers.

French startup Sculpteo positioning itself as a cloud system for 3D-printing. And not with a simple. The company has developed a very powerful tool for working with 3D-models online.

In fact, professional designers and inzherenery can easily prepare any three-dimensional model directly in your account is not online, do not use the desktop software: make a model of a hollow inside, checking the thickness of the walls, arranged as follows your entire order in the chamber of the printer and run the job.

4, the team spent on it to reach its current level of IT-products. Now they are launching the second production near Paris, where they will be located about 15 industrial printers.

Investors are looking at a very promising development trend of digital cloud industries, providing access to the capacities of industrial 3D printers (read mini-mills) and invest in the infrastructure of the future.

And finally, pet American (and not only) press - startup Shapeways .

Shapeways in the first place - it is the biggest Marketplace Goods, created an army of designers (about 30 000) community.

The basic positioning of the company - to create a community of designers and market entrepreneurs with their own designer shops and goods. Mix Etsy and Amazon. The company has been around for 7 years and attracted about 40+ million dollar investment. Two offices and production in NY and the Netherlands.

More recently, the media blew the information that Shapeways with renowned toy manufacturer Hasbro launched a project where everyone designer can create his own version of the characters from the series Ponyes, publish in the contest. Later, the company chose the winners, whose works went for mass production. And all the others are available for order on the site Shapeways.

Thus, the company Hasbro, one of the first opened (with certain restrictions, of course) without the possibility of infringement of intellectual property play characters. The project was very successful and now, Shapeways is launching a number of characters on similar topics.

It's very important, "bell" for the entire industry. The same revolution in its time, Apple has made with the store iTunes.

Results h4>
 

Summing up the results of the exhibition, I want to send a message to all those who is in search of a new scope of their knowledge and skills, be it business or professional.

3D-printing and eco-system that is being created around it - it's huge, is not yet filled a niche for hundreds and thousands of projects. Will take more than one year, until the technology popularized among end consumers, but for business - it is a reality and today.

The intersection of technology and additive manufacturing internet services gives, I think, an incredible mix that I call Digital Manufacturing
Bonus:
For all those who want to make a rapid tour of the entire exhibition - video from the first person.

Source: habrahabr.ru/company/3dprintus/blog/236183/