May 12, 2015 | By Simon
Although a considerable amount of developments in additive manufacturing have come from the Western world, China has quietly been making headway on many “World Firsts” and has shown significant interest in the near-future of 3D printing both at industrial levels and consumer levels.
Previously, we saw how Prismlab, a Chinese company, has been keeping pace with companies such as Carbon3D and have announced a new SLA 3D printing technology that they are claiming can print 2,712 cubic centimeters in just a single hour. We’ve also recently seen how - like the Strati from Local Motors - a Chinese company is planning on bringing a drivable 3D printed car to market. Of course, there have also been many developments in the medical field as well - such as a recent shoulder surgery on a 27-year old that was successful in-part thanks to 3D printing.
Perhaps inspired by Obama’s commitment to helping fuel the “Maker Movement”, such as hosting a Maker Faire at the White House, the Chinese government has recently shown an increased interest in additive manufacturing technologies and are in the process of better-positioning themselves to help steer the country towards next-generation manufacturing processes, starting with a national engineering lab that will focus on 3D printing.
The launch ceremony of the state-of-the-art lab, which is being done in partnership with Chinese company Hunan Farsoon Hi-tech Co. Ltd., was held at the end of April 2015 and the government is showing no signs of slowing down on their progress; there are already three years worth of projects in the pipeline. The company, which was founded in 2009, describes themselves as "a total solution supplier of Selective Laser Sintering and Melting that specializes in the R&D and manufacture of SLS equipment and materials and rapid prototyping processing services." Farsoon mainly serves industries such as automotive, aerospace, industrial design, manufacturing, medical, architecture.
Although Farsoon has had a significant role in the development of the lab, Shanghai Jiaotong University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Computing Technology - along with Chinese manufacturing companies including Shanghai Fochif Mechatronics Technology Co. Ltd. and Dongguan Janus Precision Components Co. are also among the lab’s founding partners.
Among other projects that are slated to be completed in the lab, Farsoon chairman and Lab director Xu Xiaoshu wants to focus on precision-based object color matching and precision placement for more accurate 3D printing results. Additionally, Xu wants to combined the component manufacturing precision with a manufacturing boost of at least 100% of an increase. Other projects that were outlined are expected to include the development of new additive manufacturing equipment and the development of at least 15 new polymer-based 3D printing materials (with a focus on complex structures). The lab is expecting to apply for at least 28 new patents for new technology and material breakthroughs that are in development.
Of course, while all of this will help jumpstart the country in multiple industries over the next few years, it does come at a cost. The new lab will be funded and monitored by the country’s National Development and Reform Commission, whose primary goal is to ensure that the country has healthy growth in the social and economic sectors.
As for what’s next, if recent history is any indication, we should be expecting to see a lot more additive manufacturing breakthroughs coming China in the next few years!
Posted in 3D Printing Company
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This is a really cool idea! I would love it if we created a 3D-printed museum, especially to highlight all of the world's latest achievements. For instance, the world's first 3D-printed car (http://bit.ly/3DPcar). It would also be cool to have it segmented: automotive, health and so on. There have just been so many achievements in each field. It would be cool to highlight them all and see them in person.
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