The phrases ‘greatest’ and ‘main’ get thrown round fairly generously on this planet of occasions. In actuality, the one option to actually grasp their enormity and affect is to see for your self. Alas, if you happen to weren’t one of many 44,519 guests who joined us at TCT Asia 2026 in Shanghai final week, allow us to paint you an image of how three days at China’s flagship occasion for the additive manufacturing and industrial 3D printing trade went down.
This yr noticed robust customer progress, with a 42% improve year-on-year. Of these 40,000+ individuals in attendance, worldwide guests rose by 50%.
There are occasions, nevertheless, when ‘greatest’ may simply be right. Working example, this additively manufactured aerospike rocket engine. A collaboration between LEAP 71 and HBD, this one-metre cryogenic methane/liquid oxygen engine, designated XRA-2E5, can generate 20 tons (200 kN) of thrust. It was engineered utilizing Noyron, LEAP 71’s Giant Computational Engineering Mannequin and was exhibited on the HBD sales space.
Footwear continues to be an enormous speaking level at TCT Asia – and we do not simply imply complaining about poor shoe decisions for trekking round two big halls. Final yr UnionTech launched its the Fuees430, particularly designed for speedy metallic shoe mould manufacturing. This yr was no totally different with loads of exhibitors displaying absolutely 3D printed sneakers constituted of elastomers (above) and metallic moulds (under).
And that is one other space displaying no indicators of slowing down – metals. The multi-laser race may be very a lot on with machines from the likes of Shiny Laser Applied sciences and Haitian Laser Equipment displaying a number of programs. However has it lastly peaked?
Farsoon, for instance, launched what is perhaps thought-about a reasonably modest multi-laser providing. The corporate debuted the FS1311M-U, a brand new large-format metallic Powder Mattress Fusion (PBF) system, geared up with a 1310 × 1310 × 1650 mm construct quantity and 16-laser configuration. It additionally debuted the FS812M-U with a regular configuration of 8 or 10 lasers and an prolonged construct quantity to 810 x 810 x 1700 mm. It is the newest iteration of its standard 800 sequence and is the results of 4 years of enhancements to fulfill the calls for of aerospace and high-volume automotive manufacturing.
However, as traditional, Eplus3D arrived with a brand new piece of {hardware} that fully blows all multi-laser competitors – together with its personal 64-laser report – out of the water. Whereas there was no machine current, the corporate teased the EP-M3050, a brand new metallic 3D printer that may be configured with a whopping 256 lasers. It incorporates a 3058 × 3058 x 1200 mm construct quantity and 1500-3500 cm/h (100 lasers) construct velocity, and is able to producing big components like this 316L stainless-steel 2.8 metre casing.
The polymer machine class additionally noticed a number of launches. Considered one of which got here from 2D printing specialist Hanin, which debuted the LCD-L298, geared particularly for 3D printing with elastomers. The corporate has been increasing its play within the 3D printing house and likewise confirmed off its SJF-P380 system primarily based on Selective Jet Fusion (SJF) know-how – which, together with its post-processing and construct stations, appears to be like and sounds very acquainted …
MOVA Atomform, a comparatively new firm at simply over two years previous, made a splash on the occasion, and is one other instance of how China is competing in additional than simply the economic AM realm. It launched its Palette 300 system at CES earlier this yr, and introduced the system alongside to TCT Asia. Harry Huang of MOVA informed TCT that the occasion had gone higher than the corporate may have imagined, with the brand new system attracting excessive ranges of curiosity throughout the three days.
The impression of China on the additive manufacturing market is unimaginable to disregard. In keeping with the most up-to-date figures from CONTEXT, alongside aerospace and defence, the home market in China is ‘doing many of the heavy lifting’ in relation to machine shipments. Formlabs, nevertheless, is a chief instance of a Western firm embracing the shift. The stereolithography chief, which producers its machines in China, established a brand new workplace in Shenzhen final summer season – greater than doubling the scale of its organisation within the area.
The 3C market represents a comparatively new alternative for the AM trade. As soon as thought-about incompatible to due the excessive volumes required, the know-how has now earned the seal of approval from corporations like OPPO and Apple, that are overtly deploying metallic AM for sequence manufacturing. Examples of this might be seen throughout the present flooring, from sensible watch instances to hinges for foldable telephones.
Because the array of complicated thermal administration options on stands demonstrated, additive manufacturing might have a key function to play within the synthetic intelligence increase. Addireen, which has developed one of many first green-laser metallic AM know-how, introduced components 3D printed in extremely reflective and refractory supplies, together with pure copper parts, that are being deployed in monolithic designs for AI liquid chilly plates.
You need not wait too lengthy to return see for your self. TCT Shenzhen 2026 will happen on October 14–16 on the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Conference Heart. For 2027, ‘greatest’ actually is the phrase as TCT Asia strikes to a a lot greater dwelling throughout 5 halls of the Shanghai New Worldwide Expo Heart on Might 27–29. See you there!