Problems and solutions presented at the '3D Printing Technology Diffusion Forum'
Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy Announces Four Key Strategies to Lead the 3D Printing Market

The "Iron Man" helmet worn by Yun Sung-bin, who won the gold medal in skeleton at the recently concluded PyeongChang Winter Olympics, has become a hot topic. This product was prototyped by HCJ using a Stratasys 3D printer. Additionally, 3D printing was applied to the sleds of the U.S. Olympic luge team to produce personalized equipment while saving time and costs. 3D printing is now expanding from sports into the industrial sector.

3D printers offer greater cost and time savings compared to conventional printers when product defects are detected, and can produce prototypes immediately. By integrating the concepts of product production and disassembly, consumers can directly manufacture the items they need according to their preferences; as long as they have an idea, there is no need to equip special facilities or outsource production. For these reasons, 3D printing has been introduced as one of the top 10 promising technologies at various forums and has been hailed as an innovation in manufacturing.

Contrary to expectations that it would be utilized in many fields during the early stages of the industry, it is currently specialized in high-value-added industries that use specific equipment for extended periods, such as industrial machinery, space and aviation, and defense. In such cases, predictive maintenance and repair are crucial. By utilizing 3D printers, replacement parts can be produced immediately without the need to manufacture expensive molds. For example, GE presented a business model utilizing maintenance and repair, and in Korea, the restoration of discontinued and procurement-difficult items was carried out using 3D printing technology for five months starting July 1, 2016. Through this, water jet propulsion systems for patrol boats and pumps for destroyers were manufactured and replaced.

The Korea Printing Association projected that the U.S. 3D printing manufacturing market would see revenue increase to $4.3 billion by 2023, starting with 17% growth in 2018 and maintaining an annual growth rate of 7.8%. As such, 3D printing is demonstrating growth in the global market by realizing eco-friendliness, speed, and smartification in manufacturing processes.



However, despite the optimistic outlook and various advantages of 3D printing, the actual utilization of 3D printing in Korea is difficult to perceive due to the burden of equipment costs, technical outsourcing costs, shortage of skilled personnel, high level of usage methods, and lack of technical capabilities.

According to NIPA, domestic technology levels are at 60% of those of the United States, lagging behind by 2.9 years, and the country has recently been overtaken by China. Furthermore, it announced that in terms of market share by country, the U.S. recorded 37.9%, Germany 11.1%, and Japan 7.8%, while South Korea stood at only 4.0%.

Choi Gyun-seok, an official at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, said, “3D printers will be applied in various fields, including industrial machinery, aerospace, consumer goods, electronics, automobiles, and the medical industry.” He continued by suggesting the topic of "Trends and Problems in the 3D Printer Market," stating, "I hope this serves as an opportunity to diagnose issues for widespread adoption and apply solutions during the planning process."

Regarding the issues with distribution, Lee Seok-mo, a senior researcher at Hyundai Heavy Industries, pointed out problems, stating, “Since all production research and equipment secured domestically through funding utilize foreign equipment, prototype production is costly, and there is a lack of technical capability and know-how to handle it effectively.” He further emphasized, “It is time to provide simultaneous support for equipment and powder costs, as well as workforce training, know-how, and technical capabilities within the 3D printing industry.”

For example, the Korean figure market relies on Chinese technology for production rather than domestic technology. The input process in China takes an average of over 120 days, and physical distance and communication gaps during the mold manufacturing process have a negative impact on the production process. If we secure our own technology and increase the utilization of printers, the manufacturing period can be shortened by approximately 30 to 40 days, resulting in cost reduction.

Kwon Soon-hyo, a team leader at Materialise, cited the reason for companies' reluctance to adopt 3D printers as “the low level of understanding and trust in 3D among domestic manufacturers.” He stated, “There is a need to secure the trust of small and medium-sized enterprises by increasing the use of 3D printing in visible sectors such as semiconductor and medical supply companies, as well as large corporations.”

Lee Yong-woo, a director at the Korea 3D Printing Association, argued, “It is necessary to approach 3D printing in conjunction with the Fourth Industrial Revolution or smart factories.” Pointing out that essential elements of smart factories can only be introduced by large corporations and that it is difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to adopt them due to realistic conditions, he expressed the opinion that “if we increase the utilization of 3D printing for SMEs, the diffusion effect will be greater.”

The government announced that it would achieve the goals of "fostering global leading companies," "increasing global market share from the current 4% to 6% by 2019," and "securing independent technological capabilities, such as domestic and international patent applications," by reflecting the opinions of experts from various fields and implementing four major strategies: supporting market growth through demand creation, strengthening technological competitiveness, strengthening the foundation for the diffusion of the 3D printing industry, and strengthening the institutional foundation for industrial development.

There was a shared consensus among those in the field that it is necessary to diagnose the 3D printing industry from a macroscopic perspective and foster technological capabilities by establishing short-term, medium-to-long-term plans in addition to financial investment. Furthermore, they unanimously agreed that field experts must be involved in policy formulation to ensure policies are effective in the industrial field.

Representative Lee Hoon of the Democratic Party of Korea said, “I hope this serves as an opportunity to examine the current state of South Korea’s manufacturing competitiveness and to establish systems that can support strategies for the diffusion of new manufacturing base technologies by presenting 3D printing technology and related cases that strengthen domestic manufacturing.”