Consumers may have yawned at the idea of 3D images popping out of TV screens, but they appear enthusiastic about 3D objects from printers. So much so, many have paid for these 3D printers even before they have been manufactured. Crowd-funding sites such as Kickstarter and Indiegogo reveal dozens of successfully funded printer projects, and many more in queue. And there seems to be a printer for every budget — the pricing ranges from under $100 (about Dh367)to over $1000.
The category has no dearth of innovation. The ChefJet dishes out 3D printed candies and cookies while the $140 LIX claims to be the world’s smallest 3D printing pen, letting users doodle in the air. Wohlers Associates says the 3D printing market was worth $3.07 billion in 2013, and saw a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 34.9, the highest in 17 years.
That is great news for the many start-ups that have jumped onto the 3D printer bandwagon. However, the 2D printing behemoths have been conspicuous by their absence. There are no 3D printers from the likes of Xerox, HP, Brother, Samsung, Ricoh or Canon.
Most players are waiting for the technology to stabilise, before making an entry. HP, which according to global market intelligence firm IDC controls 40 per cent of the 2D printer market, is likely to shake up the 3D market later this year. Meg Whitman, CEO of HP, explained at a recent shareholder meeting that 3D printing currently has the buzz and hype, but two major flaws — it is slow and the surface quality of the output is not great.
Xerox, the other industry giant, may not have a consumer facing 3D printer, but has been tapping into the market indirectly for over 17 years, by providing a key component like printheads to 3D Systems. The company made news recently when it sold its solid ink business to 3D Systems for $32.5 million. As Gartner notes, “this acquisition represents the first time a two-dimensional (2D) printer manufacturer has sold assets to a 3D printer manufacturer, rather than simply licensing them.” Incidentally, Gartner notes that HP also provides ink for 3D systems printers, while Canon has provided manufacturing services.
Meanwhile, the UK-based tech site, PCR, quotes Brother’s UK MD, Phil Jones as looking at 3D printing. However, the only big brand that has come out and publicly claimed it has no interest in this space is Samsung.
