#7 The 3D printed confusion
Pawel Slusarczyk
AM-Writer.com | 3D Printing Historian | Straight Edge Analyst | AM Industry Insider
Alright, so what’s the real situation? Is it good or bad? Does the 3D printing business still make sense? Should we run away from it, or do we keep pushing forward because soon the sun will rise, and we’ll all be lounging on deck chairs, sipping drinks through straws?
People like me keep writing that things are bad. That the good times are over. But maybe we’re wrong? Maybe we’re just frustrated? Or perhaps it’s something else entirely—maybe we’re cynically using every negative piece of news just to gain publicity?
You know, to get the likes and lightbulbs under our posts...?
Andre Wegner , CEO of Authentise , recently wrote:
We're going to hit our 2024 target revenue in bookings this month. Four months early. Despite a 'slump' in 3D printing, our biggest (though not only) market.
To which Terry Wohlers , one of the most prominent and respected figures ever in the AM industry, responded:
Our view is that the AM industry is doing better than many suggest. Sadly, negativity breeds more negativity.
Phew... So things are good. It’s just people like me creating a negative atmosphere around the AM industry.
It’s all right!
It’s all-right!
as the Photojournalist said in "Apocalypse Now" when Willard’s boat was approaching Colonel Kurtz’s village-kingdom.
But there’s just one thing... “A tiny hair in the soup.” I’m reading other things too...
AM companies are publishing their financial reports. Both "industry giants" like Markforged and small local players like Poland's Zortrax and Sygnis. And what’s written in those reports is really bad... Dramatic.
Stratasys announces that it plans to move headquarters. It will rent space and put its own buildings up for sale. Because, you know, some extra cash always comes in handy, right?
There's a German online platform where lots of used industrial 3D printers are up for sale. Some of them are practically unused. Why are these people selling them? Don’t they know that 3D printing is the future? And that everything is getting better?
It’s said that it’s mainly the 3D printer manufacturers who are having problems—that they’re responsible for this negative situation. 3D printing service providers, they say, are doing great. They’re driving growth. They’re the strength of the industry.
So why did Shapeways go under? And before that, Fast Radius and SmileDirectClub? Does anyone remember Voodoo Manufacturing?
Why so many people from 3D printing industry are looking for a job? And the only chance for them to find a new employer is to change the industry?
I don’t know what to think.
I’m confused.
Why, if everything’s so good, looks so bad?
Does anyone have a STL file for 3D printing rose-colored glasses?
So much for the introduction. And now, without further ado...
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#7. Zortrax & Sygnis bad quarter results
Let's start with companies that, outside of Poland, are either barely remembered or not known to exist at all.
Zortrax, once a leading manufacturer of desktop 3D printers, has been struggling to stay afloat since the pandemic. In May of this year, they announced a restructuring, and just last week, they revealed that the restructuring plan was approved and submitted to the court.
I was surprised that Zortrax decided to send such information to the global industry media. But knowing the folks at Zortrax pretty well, I suspected there was more to it—perhaps they were trying to cover something up? That "something" turned out to be their financial results for Q2 and the first half of 2024, which are really bad. Worse than ever before. The worst in their history.
Everything is detailed here, but for you, in brief:
But there's a lot more detail and nuance. I've written a separate article on the topic.
As for Sygnis, the only reason I keep mentioning them is that the company makes a lot of noise about itself and 3D printing in Poland.
Seriously, for people in Poland (outside the 3D printing industry), Sygnis seems like a 3D printing giant.
So here are their gigantic results:
#6. Markforged reports lower revenue, continues to generate losses, and loses patent dispute
While everyone is focused on the patent dispute between Stratasys and Bambu Lab, another, more subtle conflict between Markforged and Continuous Composites has quietly concluded in the background. But let's get to that in a moment...
Starting with the financial report for the second quarter of 2024, Markforged reported $21.7 million in revenue, down from $25.4 million last year. They also recorded a net loss of $14.4 million, compared to a $19 million loss reported last year. In an effort to cut costs—similar to Stratasys—they relocated their headquarters.
A piece of good news was the increase in product margins from 47% to 50.2% this year. A small thing, perhaps, but enough to please investors.
However, amid all this, Markforged received an unexpected and significant blow. The patent dispute with Continuous Composites, which began in mid-June 2022, has just concluded. As reported by Vanesa M. Listek of 3DPrint.com :
The court dismissed 20 of the 22 patent infringement claims against Markforged, but a jury found that the company had infringed on one of the remaining claims. This verdict, along with $1.8 million in interest, has resulted in the allocation of $19.1 million in restricted cash to cover these liabilities.
That's nearly an entire quarter's revenue... And there can be even more to pay. It doesn't look good.
Read full story on: 3DPrint.com
领英推荐
#5. SPEE3D printed 11 metal parts in maritime conditions
SPEE3D announced the successful completion of its participation in the Trident Warrior exercises, part of the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) – the world's largest international maritime exercise. During these exercises at the Marine Corps Air Station in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, SPEE3D deployed its mobile manufacturing solution, the Expeditionary Manufacturing Unit (EMU).
This unit successfully 3D-printed 11 metal replacement parts made of aluminum and stainless steel, which will be studied for their material properties and suitability for repairing military equipment in challenging conditions.
The primary goal of SPEE3D's participation was to demonstrate that 3D printing can drastically reduce the delivery time of critical parts from several days to just a few hours, which is crucial for maintaining operational continuity in crisis situations.
The exercise involved collaboration with engineers from the Consortium for Advanced Manufacturing Research and Education (CAMRE), who tested the replacement parts for various branches of the U.S. armed forces.
Read full story: www.spee3d.com
#4. Supernova wants to conquer the space and defense industry
Supernova , a company originating from the Spanish BCN3D Technologies , has announced the launch of a new business unit— Supernova Defense & Space . This unit will focus on developing a unique additive manufacturing ecosystem for energetic materials designed for military and space applications.
In March 2022, BCN3D, a Spanish manufacturer of FDM/FFF 3D printers, introduced a new 3D printing technology called Viscous Lithography Manufacturing (VLM). In January of this year, a dedicated, independent company—Supernova—was established to focus exclusively on the development of this additive manufacturing method, remaining independent from BCN3D.
The VLM technology enables the processing of high-viscosity materials, such as APCP (Ammonium Perchlorate Composite Propellant) and RDX (Cyclotrimethylene trinitramine), which was previously impossible with traditional 3D printing processes.
VLM uses a lithographic process where the viscous material is applied to a build platform using a transparent film and then cured by light, creating precise 3D elements. Unlike conventional methods that require low-viscosity resins, VLM can handle materials with 100 times higher viscosity, resulting in better mechanical properties of the finished products.
This new technology overcomes the geometric limitations of traditional methods like casting or extrusion, which have hindered the advancement of certain components. With VLM, it is possible to process materials with over 88% solid content, opening new possibilities for creating advanced military components, such as rocket motors (SRMs), explosives, and bullets, which require precisely tailored thrust profiles and increased combustion efficiency.
Supernova Defense & Space aims to accelerate the development of defense and space technologies by utilizing 3D printing to create components with high energy density, stable and homogeneous properties, and geometric freedom. The new business unit also supports rapid prototyping, on-demand production, and local manufacturing, significantly reducing project timelines and dependency on external suppliers.
Read full story: www.supernova3d.com
#3. Kings3D presents new multimaterial SLM 3D printer
深圳市金石三维打印科技有限公司 is one of the largest Chinese companies in the 3D printing industry, yet it remains relatively unknown on the global stage. Certainly, no one in the West would mention it in the same breath as EOS, SLM Solutions, or 3D Systems. However, this might soon change, as Kings3D, after years of dominating its domestic market, is gradually expanding its presence internationally.
And they are doing so in a very intriguing way. The company recently unveiled the DiMetal 100D and 300D—metal 3D printers that offer multi-material gradient forming with up to four materials.
Yes—multi-material 3D printing with metals.
These machines were added to Kings3D’s portfolio after the company acquired another Chinese manufacturer, Laseradd. While the machines themselves are not new, they have recently been upgraded. Primarily targeted at education and scientific research, the flexibility of these devices makes them suitable for a wide range of experimental setups, allowing researchers to push the boundaries of material science.
Read full story: www.voxelmatters.com
#2. Smartphone repair with Bambu Lab
Unexpectedly, the state of Utah in the USA has become one of the main centers for implementing 3D printing in mass additive manufacturing. It is home to Merit3D, which is breaking records in the number of printed parts. Meanwhile, Red Wolf Technology has established itself as a pioneer in the 3D printing industry, particularly in the phone accessories segment.
Red Wolf Technology has partnered with 摩托罗拉 . Thanks to the innovative Primo Print3D platform and Bambu Lab 3D printers, the companies enable repair shops to print OEM tools directly on-site.
This solution allows for the printing of high-quality tools, such as jigs for precise screen replacement, which significantly reduces repair time and costs. With 3D printing technology, repair shops can now produce tools on-site, allowing for quick responses to customer needs and minimizing downtime. Furthermore, the integration of Bambu Lab printers with the Primo Print3D platform ensures that the printed tools meet the highest quality standards, resulting in better repair outcomes.
This collaboration highlights the growing role of 3D printing technology in mobile device repair, ushering in a new era for this rapidly evolving industry.
Davide Sher covered this epic implementation: on VoxelMatters
#1. Unexpected release – Original Prusa MK4S
Without much advance notice or buildup – just like that... Czech company Prusa Research has launched the latest model of its 3D printer for home users – the Original Prusa MK4S. However, it’s not exactly a new 3D printer in the strict sense, but rather an upgrade of the MK4 model introduced last year.
The new device introduces innovations such as 360° cooling, a high-flow nozzle, and a new Prusa app for remote monitoring and firmware updates, which allow for even faster printing. The 3D printer is now available for purchase as a ready-to-use plug-and-play system for $1,099 or as a DIY assembly kit for $799. For current MK4 owners, an upgrade kit will also be available for $99 at the end of the month.
The key innovation is the completely redesigned cooling system. The 3D printer is equipped with a high-performance 360° cooling fan, enabling faster 3D printing without sacrificing quality. The new cooling system also allows for printing steep overhangs (up to a 75° angle) without the need for supports. Currently, everyone is printing the same test model...
The cooling system was developed from scratch, utilizing a high-pressure turbine and a redesigned fan shroud mounted directly on the extruder. The new nozzle allows for an increase in material flow by up to 114%.
The new app allows users to manage multiple 3D printers simultaneously, visualize active tasks, and remotely start, pause, or stop printing.
Additionally, a range of other improvements, such as the GPIO hackerboard and accelerometer, have been introduced. These add-ons enable the creation of custom solutions, such as remote camera triggers, LED lighting control, or manual calibration.
Alright, now let’s get to the point…
Consider this a prelude to a longer article that I’ll publish soon. In general, Josef Pr??a is facing the same problem as Stratasys.
Bambu Lab
The Chinese company is disrupting the business for both of them. Stratasys is losing ground in the industrial sector (and let’s not forget about UltiMaker, in which it holds nearly half the shares), while Prusa Research is losing in the amateur and business sectors.
Pr??a doesn’t have many options. He can’t compete with Bambu Lab on 3D printing speed because the design of the 3D printer doesn’t allow it. He can’t compete on price, because it's China... The only thing he can influence is 3D print quality. But Bambu Lab is a formidable rival.
This is the biggest challenge in the history of the Czech company. We’ll see how they handle it?
The topic will be further explored soon.
Summary of the most important events in the history of the 3D printing industry published last week:
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General Manager - Design Department Incorporated
7 个月Very interesting read as usual Pawel Slusarczyk. You have a very good perspective on the industry that exceeds mine. From the "customer" standpoint of a Design Consulting Firm we are constantly impressed with #3Dprinting improvements in a few areas: Material selection, the variety of affordable and reasonably capable equipment, as well as the cost per part. However our use case is ideal for #rapidprototyping and #3dprinting because we are almost always creating a small number of prototypes quickly. In addition to proof of concept prototypes I have personally experienced an expanding sphere of other applications. We have created fully functional test fixtures, jigs for machining, custom promotional items, low volume/highly specialized parts for existing product conversion kits, and others. It may be hard to believe but in my opinion many engineers/designers are still catching up to the possibilities for technology that may seem "old" to people more in touch with the industry. Appreciate the article, keep up the good work.
Automation Project Engineer at Zaic Design
7 个月Every industry struggles getting output and demand aligned. I remember in the early days of laptops they couldn’t get displays at a cost that made them practical. Then a Japanese company took a huge leap of faith and started selling displays for about half of what they cost, gambling this would drive the market and the economies of scale would eventually make it profitable. I work at a design and automation firm. We have two Prusas, two Quidis, a Bambu, and a Formlabs 3. We use them a lot for prototyping. So far very few parts are able to be used in an end product, but we are getting closer, slowly.
Mechanical Engineer at Cool Innovations
7 个月It's a space I follow only tangentially, but my opinion of AM hasn't really changed much over the years. It's niche tech, and not anywhere near as different or revolutionary as some pretend it is. The idea that there's a real divide between, "additive manufacturing," and "traditional manufacturing," is nonsense. AM is no more different from, say, milling, than, say, stamping and bending, is. Which is not a bad thing. Where it's good, it's often great. For most things, it's sub-par. Like many technologies. Those who understand it, and operate like it's a niche, aggressively pursuing use cases that make sense, and ignoring everything else, are probably going to do ok. Those who think they're revolutionizing manufacturing and are going to be the future of making all things are going to fail hard.
3D Printing Metal Parts For High-Performance Applications
7 个月There is no denying that certain pockets of the industry are on fire. To your point why are certain companies struggling if everything is all right? In my opinion, 3D printing is not going anywhere, but we are seeing poorly managed companies suffer when they can no longer be propelled by the hype. Good companies are going to figure out how to solve important problems and they will be rewarded for it.
Co-founder and CEO at VoxelMatters
7 个月Also China ???? ?? https://youtu.be/RDrfE9I8_hs?si=JbR6OEgBaP2a6hA2