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FAQ's

How much does your 3D printing service cost?

The cost of your 3D printed parts depends on factors such as part volume, part complexity, choice of material, which 3D printing technology is used, and if any post processing is required. For more details on these cost factors, see our article on the cost of 3d printing. To check the cost of your 3D printed part, simply upload a CAD (.STL) file and select your material and 3D printing technology to receive a quote within seconds.

How do you guarantee the quality of my prints?

Your parts are made by experienced 3D printing shops within our network. All facilities are regularly audited to ensure they consistently meet the Hubs quality standard. We include a standardized inspection report with every order and offer a First Article Inspection service on orders of 100+ units.

We have partners in our network with the following certifications, available on request: ISO9001, ISO13485 and AS9100.
Follow this link to read more about our quality assurance measures.

How do I select the right 3D printing process for my prints?

You can select the right 3D printing process by examining which materials suit your need and what your use case is.

By material: if you already know which material you would like to use, selecting a 3D printing process is relatively easy, as many materials are technology specific.
By use case: once you know whether you need a functional or visual part, choosing a process is easy.

For more help, read our guide to selecting the right 3D printing process. Find out more about Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Multi Jet Fusion (MJF) and Stereolithography (SLA).

How can I reduce the cost of my 3D prints?

In order to reduce the cost of your 3D prints you need to understand the impact certain factors have on cost. The main cost influencing factors are the material type, individual part volume, printing technology and post-processing requirements.

Once these have been decided, an easy way to further cut costs is to reduce the amount of material used. This can be done by decreasing the size of your model, hollowing it out, and eliminating the need for support structures.

To learn more, read our full guide on how to reduce the cost of 3D printing.

Where can I learn more about 3D printing?

Our knowledge base is full of in-depth design guidelines, explanations on process and surface finishes, and information on how to create and use CAD files. Our 3D printing content has been written by an expert team of engineers and technicians over the years.

See our complete engineering guide to 3D printing for a full breakdown of the different 3D printing technologies and materials. If you want even more 3D printing, then check out our acclaimed 3D printing handbook here.

We have an extensive range of online resources developed to help engineers improve their capabilities.

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Material guides

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Largest listed companies in the 3D printing sector

3D printing dates back to the late 1980s. At the end of 2018, the size of the 3D printing market, according to various estimates, reached from $9 trillion to $10 trillion. Calculations were made based on the cost of producing printers, components and 3D printing.

In the coming years, expert agencies (IMARC, Inkwood Reasearch, Marketwatch, etc.) predict a steady growth of at least 20% per year. In this scenario, by the end of 2025, the scale of the entire 3D printing segment will reach at least $ 32 trillion - 3.5 times higher than the current values.

The outlook for the sector makes it attractive to investors. Consider the largest and most stable companies in this segment, whose shares can be considered for purchase and take their rightful place in your portfolio.

1. HP Inc Capitalization: $29.3 billion

HP manufactures computers, printers, tablets and a number of other devices. The release of 3D printers is not the main specialization of the company, but HP occupies one of the leading positions in the 3D printing segment. In 2014, the company developed the Multi Jet Fusion technology, which allowed to increase productivity and reduce the cost of professional (industrial) 3D printers. The technology has been successfully applied in mass production of printers since 2016.

In 2017, HP opens the world's first 3D lab, equipped with printers in various build states and essential tools for device experimentation. The company has opened up the first opportunities to test new materials in 3D printers to increase efficiency.

In 2018, HP will open a joint manufacturing center with China's Guangdong in Guangdong, China, which is the largest such 3D printing project in Asia Pacific and Japan. The facility is equipped with ten high-tech next-generation HP Metal Jet printers to produce parts and prototypes for industrial customers.

2. Proto L abs (NYSE: PRLB). Capitalization: $2.56 billion

The company was founded in 1999 and has more than 10 production sites in seven countries. The head office is located in Minnesota. The company specializes in the production of parts for other manufacturing companies. The corporation positions itself as the fastest in the world in the production of custom prototypes and finished parts for industrial customers. In 2014, Proto Labs launched 3D printed parts.

In addition to 3D printing, the company produces CNC (Computer Numerical Control) parts, injection molding and sheet metal parts. In 2015, Proto Labs bought Alphaform (specializing in innovative 3D printing) with divisions in Germany, Finland and the UK. This allowed the company to expand its 3D printing business in Europe. To diversify its business and introduce sheet metal manufacturing, the company acquired Rapid Manufacturing in 2017 for $120 million. 9 Systems ( NYSE: DDD). Capitalization: $1.01 billion

3D Systems was founded by inventor Chuck Hull in 1986 as the world's first 3D printing company. It produces 3D printers and components, including software, and also designs them. The company provides services at various stages of design, development and production of products for many large industries, including aerospace, automotive, medical, entertainment and other areas. It should be noted that the corporation also works with retail consumers. Business diversification within the 3D segment makes the company financially stable.

3D Systems is headquartered in Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA. The number of employees of the company exceeds 2600 (as of the end of 2018), which is twice as high as five years ago.

4. Stratasys ( NASDAQ: SSYS). Capitalization: $0.98 billion

The company was founded in 1989 by Scott Crump. The technology was based on the idea of ​​creating the shape of a figure by layering after Scott decided in 1988 to make a toy for his daughter using a gun filled with glue. At 1992 Stratasys released its first 3D Modeler product.

Today, Stratasys manufactures industrial and desktop 3D printers and related accessories. The range of services includes installation, maintenance and training in working with printers. The company serves various industries by developing technologies for the production of prototypes and parts. The first public offering of Stratasys shares took place in 1994 at $5 per share and a total volume of $5.7 million. The head office is located in Minnesota.

5. Materialize Capitalization: $0.88 billion

Incorporated in 1990 in Leuven, Belgium, Materialise specializes in 3D printing services and 3D printer software. Like other leaders in this sector, Materialize works with various major manufacturers around the world (Adidas, HP), but a significant share of the business is in cooperation with medical centers and institutions. The company's portfolio includes more than 150 medical patents. Materialize offices are located in 18 countries, including one office located in the CIS in Ukraine.

Issuer Comparison

The most valuable company among the leaders is HP, which is due to the scale and diversification of the company's business in the entire technology segment. 3D Systems, Stratasys and Materialize specialize exclusively in the 3D printing segment, while their capitalization is on the same level. Proto Labs has three businesses besides 3D printing and is in the middle of our list in terms of capitalization.

The most undervalued company in terms of EV/EBITDA is HP, but it is not correct to compare it with other issuers by this multiplier due to the differentiation of the company's products and services. 3D Systems has the highest EV/EBITDA, and from this point of view, the paper is not so attractive to buy. Moreover, over the past four years, 3D Systems shares have been in a stable sideways trend without technical prerequisites for growth.

The remaining three companies, in our opinion, may be of interest. At the same time, if your long-term goal is to get the maximum increase from the growth of the 3D printing sector, then investing in HP shares is less preferable compared to other securities. After all, the reaction of the shares of companies with a direct specialization is more sensitive to changes in the sector. Below are the consensus forecasts of investment houses according to Reuters, according to which Stratasys (14.9%) and Materialize (13.6%) shares have the greatest potential now.

HP Inc (NYSE: HPQ): $20.5 (+3.4%)
Proto Labs (NYSE: PRLB): $98.7 (+3.0%)
3D Systems (NYSE: DDD): $8 .6 (+0.6%)
Stratasys (NASDAQ: SSYS): $20.8 (+14.9%)
Materialize (NASDAQ: MLTS): $19.2 (+13.6%)

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Overview of 3D printer manufacturers

3D printing appeared in the late 1980s, but 2020 became a breakthrough year for the technology. The pandemic disrupted supply chains, and it was 3D printing that made it possible to quickly obtain the necessary items and spare parts, ranging from consumables for hospitals and clinics to parts for medical, industrial and other equipment.

The prospects and pace of development of the sector in recent years have significantly increased its investment attractiveness, however, there are certain risks that should not be discounted.

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Technology Brief

3D printing is the process of converting a model developed on a computer into a real three-dimensional object. Printing occurs due to the successive layering of thin layers of material. These are mainly thermoplastics of various types, but ceramic, biocompatible and other composite mixtures can also be used. That is why this technology is called additive.

3D printing technologies differ depending on the materials and equipment used, but the general scheme of the process is always the same:

1. A virtual layout of the object is created on the computer, and in order to make a model, you do not need to have 3D modeling skills. A special scanner photographs a real object from different angles, creating a digital copy of it.
2. The program makes slicing - splits the model into many thin horizontal layers.
3. The template is loaded onto the 3D printer, the device reads the diagram and prints it layer by layer in volumetric form.

Application

Using a 3D printer, you can copy any object or create your own. The possibilities for additive printing are almost limitless. Now the technology has already found application in various industries:

• health care: the creation of orthopedic orthoses, dentistry, transplantology, the manufacture of prostheses;
• industrial production: parts of machine tools and equipment;
• space, aviation and automotive industries;
• robotics;
• construction: models of buildings or individual structural elements;
• food production: figured chocolate, jellies and other desserts;
• household items: from smartphone cases and collectible figurines to shoes and interior items;
• jewelry.

At the moment, additive technologies are most in demand in medicine — 3D printing makes it possible to create consumables, prostheses, orthoses, mouth guards, and even absolutely accurate models of human organs — and in industrial production when creating parts and equipment elements.

But the scope of 3D printing is constantly expanding, opening up new opportunities for both large companies and small start-ups.

Industry Prospects

While 3D printing is not yet able to achieve fast and large-scale results, the technology has proven itself in areas that require precision and uniqueness.

The increased availability of equipment and the absence of the need for long training of personnel to work with 3D printers also played a role. Over the past six years, the number of global and specific industries that use 3D printing technology has increased, and this market is truly limitless:

• large companies or organizations may refuse to purchase the necessary consumables or parts, producing them on their own in the volumes they need;
• the role of additive printing in medicine has already been mentioned above, and there are also broad development prospects here;
• 3D solutions lower the barrier to entry for new players. Now, to launch your own production, there is no need to rent a room and purchase sophisticated equipment. For example, niches for creating custom car tuning parts, collectible figurines for computer game fans or unique gifts have just begun to open and have already begun to gain popularity.

At the end of 2021, the value of the additive printing market was $15 billion, calculations were based on the cost of 3D printing and the production of printers and components. In the coming years, the expert agency Business Insights predicts an annual growth of the segment by more than 24%. At this pace, by the beginning of 2029, the size of the 3D printing market will grow at least five and a half times.

Technology deficiencies and risks of companies

Despite the prospects for the development of 3D technologies, 3D printing cannot yet be unequivocally called a profitable industry. There are a number of difficulties that do not allow you to fully rely on additive technologies.

Still high cost of equipment. Cheap 3D printers can print small objects. To create parts of large dimensions, it is necessary to purchase expensive equipment, which may turn out to be unprofitable.

Poor performance. This disadvantage should be considered in conjunction with the previous one: now the speed and cost of 3D printers do not allow them to be used in mass production, making a tangible profit.

Insufficient strength of manufactured parts. The layered structure is more brittle in the direction of the layers than the monolith and cannot withstand heavy loads.

Lack of stability. The use of additive technologies on an industrial scale requires equipment and materials that can provide higher production reliability. At the moment, 3D printing is most often used for prototyping, quality control, or for the production of single parts.

The need for post-processing , which increases the cost and time of production of each unit.

Unpredictability. Additive manufacturing is constantly evolving, new materials and printer models are emerging, and there is always a risk that equipment that has been heavily invested in will suddenly become obsolete.

3D printing companies on the St. Petersburg Stock Exchange

There are quite a few companies associated with 3D printing on the St. Petersburg Stock Exchange, and it is not their main activity. This industry is so young that at the moment it does not even have a benchmark significant index.

But the global trend of increasing demand for additive technologies in various areas of life can open up new prospects for industry pioneers.

Proto Labs (NYSE: PRLB). Capitalization - 2.56 billion Proto Labs was founded in 1999 in Minnesota, and by 2022 it already has more than ten branches in seven countries of the world. The company specializes in the creation of prototypes and finished parts for individual orders. In this niche, Proto Labs is one of the largest and fastest manufacturers: it takes only a few days to create a part of any complexity.

Since 2014, Proto Labs has been using additive technology for manufacturing parts. In total, the company operates in four areas:

1. Injection molding, revenue growth +4% year-on-year.
2. CNC machining, +41%.
3. 3D printing, +17%.
4. Sheet metal production, +24%.

While 3D printing still only accounted for 14.8% of the company's revenue as of the end of 2021, the technology's growth trends may bring more tangible profits in the future.

3D Systems Corp (NYSE: DDD). Capitalization - 1.88 billion. The company was founded in 1986, headquarters - in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

3D Systems manufactures and sells equipment, software and materials for additive manufacturing. Most often, the company's products are used in the aerospace, automotive, semiconductor and healthcare industries.

In 2021, 3D Systems announced two separate acquisitions. The company has agreed to acquire Titan Additive LLC, a developer and manufacturer of large-format industrial 3D printers, and Kumovis, a German provider of additive manufacturing solutions for personalized medical applications.

After the announcement of the results for the fourth quarter of 2021, the company's quotes increased by 15%. This positive reaction was driven by double-digit revenue growth of 13.1% yoy, excluding sales of part of the business. In addition, 3D Systems reduced its net loss by almost three times, and the revenue forecast for 2022 was increased by 10%.

Align Technology (NYSE: ALGN). Capitalization - 32.4 billion American company Align Technology is a manufacturer of medical equipment for dentistry and orthodontics. The patented Invisalign bite treatment system is based on the use of transparent removable orthodontic caps, which are printed on a 3D printer individually for each client.

The company is headquartered in Silicon Valley and has a rapidly growing branch network covering Russia, Mexico, Costa Rica, the Netherlands, Australia and Japan.

Digital orthodontics is rapidly evolving, and Align Technology is not going to give up just yet. The percentage structure of revenue for 2021 is distributed as follows: 80% - sales of Invisalign products, 20% - sales of intraoral scanners and other dental equipment.

HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ). Capitalization - 39.7 billion. The company does not specialize in the production of 3D printers, but is still one of the leaders in the additive printing market.

In 2014, HP developed Multi Jet Fusion 3D powder printing technology to lower the price and speed of industrial 3D printers, and two years later, the first HP Multi Jet Fusion models went on sale.

In 2017, Hewlett Packard introduced the world's first 3D lab for testing various types of additive printing raw materials. And in 2018, it announced Metal Jet technology for 3D printing of industrial quality metal products.

HP Metal Jet Printer delivers 50 times the performance and significantly lower cost of finished parts than other technologies.

On April 7, 2022, investors were shocked by the news that Warren Buffett had bought $4.2 billion worth of shares in the company. Immediately after the announcement of the deal, HP shares grew by 14.75%.

Compare companies by multiples, growth rates, and R&D spending.

Company multiples

	Capitalization, billion dollars	P/E	Forecast P/E	P/S	Debt to equity
PRLB	2.56	38.00	28.00	2.81	0.01
ALGN	32.40	41.00	32.00	8.18	0.04
DDD	1. 88	5.30	5.00	2.88	0.60
HPQ	39.70	6.80	8.70	0.69	−3.58

Capitalization, billion dollars

PRLB

2.56

ALGN

32.4

DDD 9008

0002 HPQ

39,7,000

Algn

32

HPQ

8.7

PRLB

2.81

Algn

8,18

DDD

2.88

HPQ

0.69

9000 9000 DEBT TO equity

PRLB

0.01

Algn

0.04

DDD

0.6

HPQ

−3.58

REPARY PRODUCTIONS, million dollars

	2019	2020	2021
PRLB	458 (+2.69%)	434 (−5.24%)	488 (+12.44%)
ALGN	2406 (+22%)	2471 (+3%)	3952 (+60%)
DDD	636 (−8%)	557 (−12%)	615 (+10. 4%)
HPQ	58,760 (+1.3%)	56,630 (−3.62%)	63,000 (+11.25%)

2019

458 (+2.69%)

2020

434 (−5.24%)

2021

488 (+12.44%)

2019

2406 (+2222 %)

2020

2471 (+3%)

2021

3952 (+60%)

2019

636 (−8%)

2020

557 (−12%)

2021

615 (+10.4%)

2019

58 760 (+1.3%)

2020

56 630 (−3.62%)

2021

63 000 (+11.25%)

Help growth, million dollars

	2019	2020	2021
PRLB	63	50	35
ALGN	442	1775	772
DDD	−69	−149	322
HPQ	3152	2884	6503

2019

63

2020

50

2021

35

2019

442

2020

1775

2021

772

2019

−69

2020

−149

2021

322

2019

3152

2020

2884

2021

6503

R&D costs, as a percentage of revenue

	2019	2020	2021
PRLB	7. 2%	8.5%	9.0%
ALGN	6.5%	7.1%	6.3%
DDD	13.1%	13.3%	11.2%
HPQ	2.6%	2.6%	3.0%

2019

7.2

2020

8.5

2019

6.5

20200003

7.1

2021

6.3

2019

13.1

2020

13.3

2021

11,2,2

2019

9000

2020 9,0003

2.6

Summarizing the data, several conclusions can be drawn:

1. All companies are profitable, with the exception of DDD, which received a one-time profit in 2021 through the sale of non-core assets.
2. ALGN and PRLB have the lowest leverage.
3. All companies are growing.
4. DDD has the highest R&D spending, while the company has the lowest revenue growth rate. Investors should pay attention to this.

Bottom line

Modern 3D printers can significantly reduce the time and cost of solving geometry control and reverse engineering problems in the automotive, aviation, mechanical engineering, shipbuilding, jewelry and medicine industries.

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