The success story of 3D printing seems to be never ending. After successfully conquering leading economies like UK, US and other European countries 3D printing is all set to place a firm foot on the Chinese soil.
In the World 3D Printing Technology Industry Exhibition, 2014 which was hosted in China, there were several items that were put on display which used the 3D printing technology. Right from stem cells to toys and jewelry the potential that 3D printing holds was exhibited in an elaborate way so that Chinese could get a glimpse of the magic that could be created via 3D printers. 3D printing has proved its worth in many fields such as medical science and aerospace and in the near future it might also prove its versatility by getting amalgamated with the internet and other equipments.
The Chinese are as of now very confident and optimistic about this technology. According to Peng Jun manager of printing department of Golden Laser Co. Ltd., “3D printing will be a new growth area of our company. Many products can be realized through 3D printing and it will bring considerable profits.” The advancement in the field of 3D printing is massive in China, in August 2013, researchers at an East China University 3D printed a kidney which was of the size of a knuckle. This kidney was made with the help of materials like living cells and Hydrogel, Hydrogel which is a combination of agar and sodium alginate which gives the cell a perfectly habitable atmosphere.
Since China started off late the country does lag behind when compared to other countries which are miles ahead in terms of technological advancements in 3D printing technology. To reflect on the brighter side this technology has attracted the attention and participation of many enterprises in China. Many experts believe that China is at the doorsteps of upgrading their traditional industries and also the way work is carried out in these industries, this situation does provide an opportunity for 3D printing technology to germinate.
According to the data that was compiled by the Chinese 3D printing Technology Industry Alliance, the global 3D printing industry’s output was about $3.2 billion last year from which China’s contribution was over 10%! The output of China was almost 2 billion Yuan last year and if experts are to be believed this figure is bound to double this year. With all these data on one side, experts also feel that 3D printing can only act as a supplement for the traditional manufacturing industry. It will undoubtedly save cost and shorten the time that is involved in the industrial designing field but replacing the traditional manufacturing industry is something that is not on the list.
The talks and the figure do imply for a wide acceptance of this technology in China at last the world’s fastest growing economy which undoubtedly started off late in this race of 3D printing has surely made up its mind in catching up with the other leaders of 3D printing.
Image Credit: Keith Roper (flickrhandle: KeithRoper)