(Yicai) Jan. 5 -- China produces about 90 percent of the world’s consumer-grade 3D printers, and most of that production is concentrated in Shenzhen, despite the Chinese market still accounting for only a small fraction of demand, according to industry insiders.

“Ninety percent of consumer-grade 3D printers come from China, with 90 percent of those made by Shenzhen-based firms," Ke Shuqiang, co-founder of Snapmaker, told Yicai. The company, itself headquartered in the southern Chinese city, mainly produces 3D printers in the Pearl River Delta region, selling the vast majority overseas, Ke noted.

Supply chain and talent advantages provide a competitive edge to consumer-grade 3D printer makers in Shenzhen. In addition, the city's comprehensive software and hardware ecosystem is hard to find anywhere else in the world.

“Chinese manufacturers significantly outperform their European and US peers in terms of innovation speed and cost control,” noted Chen Bo, co-founder of Shenzhen‑based Zhinengpai Technology. Foreign printers are at least twice as expensive as similar Chinese products, Chen said, adding that a product his firm sells for USD500 would cost around USD2,000 from a foreign brand.

Before Chinese producers entered the market, the price of consumer-grade 3D printers was USD3,000 to USD5,000 per unit, Chen pointed out. Zhinengpai had revenue of around CNY1.6 billion (USD219.2 million) in 2024, with overseas markets making up 90 percent of that.

"Shenzhen is home to renowned tech companies such as Huawei Technologies, Tencent Holdings, and DJI, making it easy to find software and hardware talents," Chen said. “People here also have a strong interest in projects with profit potential. Any idea can be transformed into a product through low-cost and rapid experimentation.”

In addition, Shenzhen is the biggest e-commerce export hub, making it another reason why 3D printer makers settle there, according to Chen, who added that integrating software supporting 15 different languages, universal components, and large-scale production have brought further cost advantages to these companies.

Product innovation is bringing new advantages to Chinese 3D printer manufacturers, Chen said. "As the number of players decreased through mergers and acquisitions, those who survived are growing larger and building up more resources, as well as accelerating research and development." 

Leading companies can achieve product iteration twice a year, whereas foreign brands take two to three years to launch a new printer, Chen pointed out. The performance of China-made consumer-grade machines has also surpassed that of foreign brands, which is not the case just for one or two firms, but for the entire industry, Chen said.

Although the United States remains the world's largest market for consumer-grade 3D printers and is home to industry giant 3D Systems, new competitive makers are unlikely to emerge from the country, according to Ke.

Editors: Tang Shihua, Martin Kadiev