Who makes 3d printer ink

5 Biggest 3D Printing Companies

DDD, PRLB, and FARO lead the 5 biggest 3D printing companies list

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Updated August 01, 2022

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Reviewed by Thomas Brock

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Thomas J. Brock is a CFA and CPA with more than 20 years of experience in various areas including investing, insurance portfolio management, finance and accounting, personal investment and financial planning advice, and development of educational materials about life insurance and annuities.

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The manufacturing process known as 3D printing is one of the most promising and rapidly developing technologies with applications across a multitude of industries. 3D printing involves the additive layering of thin sheets of material that are fused together to create a physical product from a digital design. While the industry is currently hampered by relatively slow production times, advocates believe that 3D printing ultimately will have the capability to mass produce everything from medical equipment to automotive parts to airline components. Below, we look at the 5 biggest 3D printing companies by 12-month trailing (TTM) revenue. This list is limited to companies that are publicly traded in the U.S. or Canada, either directly or through ADRs. Some foreign companies may report semiannually, and so may have longer lag times. All data are from YCharts as of September 8, 2020.

Revenue (TTM): $566.6 million
Net Income (TTM): -$78.4 million
Market Cap: $632.3 million
1-Year Trailing Total Return: -24.6%
Exchange: New York Stock Exchange

3D Systems invented 3D printing in 1989 with the development and patenting of its stereolithography technology, which uses ultraviolet lasers to help create highly precise parts. DDD built on that by developing new technologies, including selective laser sintering, multi-jet printing, film-transfer imaging, color jet printing, direct metal printing, and plastic jet printing. 3D Systems has three business units: products, materials, and services. The products category offers 3D printers and software and includes small desktop and commercial printers that print in plastics and other materials.

Revenue (TTM): $451.0 million
Net Income (TTM): $58.6 million
Market Cap: $3.9 billion
1-Year Trailing Total Return: 58.2%
Exchange: New York Stock Exchange

Proto Labs was founded in 1999 with a focus on building automated solutions to develop plastic and metal parts used in the manufacturing process. The company expanded to launch an industrial-grade 3D printing service that allowed developers and engineers to move prototypes into the production process. The company's primary business services include injection molding, sheet metal fabrication and 3D printing.

Revenue (TTM): $334.7 million
Net Income (TTM): -$79.7 million
Market Cap: $1.0 billion
1-Year Trailing Total Return: 20.6%
Exchange: NASDAQ

FARO specializes in 3D measurement and other services for the fields of architecture, engineering, and construction. With a 40-year history, FARO' began before the advent of 3D printing. The company's products include coordinate measuring machines, laser trackers and projectors, mappers, scanners, and software. FARO also serves the aerospace, automotive, and power generation industries.

Revenue (TTM): $205.3 million
Net Income (TTM): -$2.7 million
Market Cap: $1.9 billion
1-Year Trailing Total Return: 94.8%
Exchange: NASDAQ

Belgian company Materialise has a 30-year history providing 3D printing solutions and related software. It provides platforms to facilitate the development of 3D printing applications in industries such as healthcare, automotive, aerospace, and art and design. Some of the company's first 3D printing activities included anatomical models in both dental and hearing aid products. Materialise also produces eyewear and automobile products.

Revenue (TTM): $52.9 million
Net Income (TTM): -$14.5 million
Market Cap: $238.2 million
1-Year Trailing Total Return: 48.3%
Exchange: NASDAQ

ExOne specializes in manufacturing 3D printing machines for customers across various industries. It also produces 3D printed products to specification for industrial customers. ExOne 3D printers utilize binder jetting technology, fusing powder particles of materials like metal or sand into molds, cores, and other products.

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YCharts. "YCharts."
3D Systems. "Our Story."
Materialise. "Timeline."

Top 3D Printer Manufacturers and Suppliers in the USA and Canada

A 3D printer uses CAD to create 3D objects from a variety of materials,
like molten plastic or powders

Image credit: Shutterstock/Aumm graphixphoto

3D printers also called additive manufacturing printers or fabrication printers are a type of material design printer that designs and builds 3D models and products of devices and components using an additive manufacturing process.

3D printers design three-dimensional prototypes and create the end product by directly building them using computer-aided design (CAD) or software-created 3D design diagrams, figures, and patterns.

3D printers utilize additive manufacturing, where the printer designs the object by applying sequential layers of raw material to print a three-dimensional object.

In this article, we'll cover details on the top U.S. providers of 3D printers, along with our featured list of top 3D printer suppliers on Thomasnet.com.

Top Featured U.S. & Canada Suppliers of 3D Printers

Below is a list of featured suppliers of 3D printers from our platform. The company name, year, location, and employee count are also listed in the table.

Position	Company Name	Year Established	City	State	Zip	Employee Size	Sales Revenue
1	Sciaky, Inc.	1939	Chicago	IL	60638	50-99	$100 - 249. 9 Mil
2	AON3D	2015	Montreal	QC	h3N1P4	NA	NA
3	Nexa3D	NA	Ventura	CA	93003	10-49	$5 - 9.9 Mil
4	Terrafilum	2017	Cary	IL	60013	1-9	Under $1 Mil
5	Raise 3D Technologies, Inc.	2018	Irvine	CA	92618	10-49	$10 - 24. 9 Mil

Company Summaries

Established in 1939, Sciaky, Inc. specializes in electron beam 3D printers for nuclear, medical, semiconductor, marine, aircraft, power generation, oil & gas sectors. The company uses materials such as titanium, tantalum, tungsten, niobium, aluminum, steel, and Inconel® for printing.

Located in Montreal, QC, AON3D is an industry-leading manufacturer of high-temperature 3D printers. The company's printers prints with polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), thermoplastic elastomer (TPE), thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU), polyphthalamide (PPA), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polycarbonate and nylon materials.

Nexa3D specializes in manufacturing 3D printers for engineering, dental, medical and education industries. The company is situated in Ventura, CA.

Headquartered in Cary, IL, Terrafilum manufactures 3D printers since 2017. The company meets the demands of the commercial and educational sectors.

Raise 3D Technologies, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of industrial-grade 3D printers. The company's 3D printers offer HEPA filters and WiFi, LAN, USB port and live camera connectivity.

Top U.S. Suppliers of 3D Printers Based on Sales

Below we have assembled information on the top suppliers of 3D printers in the U.S. based on currently available public sales data. The table also includes the company name, location and the number of employees.

Position	Company Name	Year Established	City	State	Zip	Employee Size	Sales Volume
1	HP Inc.	1938	Palo Alto	CA	94304	500-999	$118,004,000,000
2	Trumpf, Inc.	1934	Farmington	CT	06032	1000+	$2,700,000,000
3	Stratasys Ltd.	NA	Eden Prairie	MN	55344	200-499	$672,458,000
4	Sciaky, Inc.	1939	Chicago	IL	60638	50-99	$107,000,000
5	3D Systems - Quickparts Solutions	1986	Atlanta	GA	30346	50-99	$99,999,999
6	XYZprinting, Inc.	NA	San Diego	CA	92121	200-499	$75,000,000
7	MakerBot Industries, LLC	2009	Brooklyn	NY	11201	100-199	$74,716,906
8	MarkForged	NA	Cambridge	MA	02138	100-199	$30,000,000
9	Mimaki USA	1999	Suwanee	GA	30024	50-99	$26,785,966
10	Raise 3D Technologies, Inc.	2018	Irvine	CA	92618	10-49	$24,999,999

Company Summaries

With over 80 years of experience, HP Inc. is a manufacturer of 3D printers. The company meets the demands of consumer goods or electronics, orthotics, prosthetics, health care, medical, higher education, transportation, automotive, and aerospace industries.

Located in Farmington, CT, Trumpf, Inc. manufactures laser metal fusion (LMF) and laser metal deposition (LMD) printers for over 20 years. Data communications, electronics, photovoltaics, science, tool or mold making, transport, display, dental, aviation, aerospace, medical technology, jewelry, automotive, construction, and sheet metal processing are some of the industries served by the company.

Stratasys Ltd. manufactures 3D printers serving industries such as consumer products, aerospace, automotive, dental, medical, education, railway, art, fashion, and government. PolyJet, stereolithography (SLA), and fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology 3D printers are offered by the company.

3D Systems - Quickparts Solutions manufactures metal, plastic, and casting 3D printers. The company meets the demands of motorsports, aerospace, defense, automotive, consumer technology, jewelry, semiconductor, truck, bus, rail, and turbomachinery markets.

Founded in 2013, XYZprinting, Inc. specializes in 3D printers including fused filament fabrication (FFF), stereolithography (SLA), and digital light processing (DLP). The company is situated in San Diego, CA.

MakerBot Industries, LLC manufactures 3D printers that print with polymers, composites, and metal materials. Aerospace, automotive, education, and manufacturing are some of the industries served by the company.

MarkForged is a leader in manufacturing 3D printers that prints using materials such as continuous fibers, plastics, stainless steel, tool steel, copper, and Inconel®. The company serves consumer packaged goods, electronics, automotive, aerospace, education, research, energy, defense, federal, energy, and medical markets.

Founded in 1975, Mimaki USA specializes in manufacturing 3D printers. The company is headquartered in Suwanee, GA.

Raise 3D Technologies, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of industrial-grade 3D printers. The company's 3D printers offer HEPA filters and WiFi, LAN, USB port and live camera connectivity.

Summary

With the help of the provided details on the 3D printer suppliers in the United States and Canada in the above tables and descriptions, we hope you can use this data to further aid your sourcing decisions.

You can also look at our Supplier Discovery page, which has information on more than 150 suppliers of 3D printers.

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Live ink for 3D printer

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Manuel Schaffner of the Swiss Higher Technical School of Zurich and colleagues from Switzerland and Ireland created a "live" ink for a 3D printer - the ink contains bacteria. This means that 3D printers will now be able to print living materials capable of degrading toxins and facilitating organ transplant. Details of their development scientists outlined in an article published in S science Advances .

Traditional 3D printers use as ink powdered metals and plastics. They are great for making heavy-duty steel or even artificial bones, but not so good for making biocompatible materials, that require more flexibility, such as skin grafts.

This is where the new functional living ink comes in handy, called Flink. With Flink, researchers can type any amount of materials derived from bacteria, including elastic. Researchers have demonstrated this ability by printing materials with "embedded" bacteria Acetobacter xylinum . This bacterium makes cellulose, which can be used as a matrix for replacing skins and coverings for biomedical devices that help protect patients from organ rejection. Moreover, Flink researchers can print these materials in any 3D shape in one step.

Since any bacteria or combination of bacteria, Flink expands the range of possible applications of 3D printed materials - decomposition of toxins into environment, production of vitamins, generation of chemical energy through photosynthesis - which are impossible with using "lifeless" ink.

3D printing bacteria ink

Information provided by the Information Agency "Scientific Russia". Mass media registration certificate: IA No. ФС77-62580, issued Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Communications on July 31, 2015.

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Cellulose based 3D printing ink

3D printing

Researchers at the Swiss Institute for Quality Control and Laboratory Research EMPA have succeeded in developing an environmentally friendly 3D printing ink based on cellulose nanocrystals. This development can be used to produce microstructures with outstanding mechanical properties that will find applications in prosthetics and other medical fields.

To create 3D microstructured materials, EMPA used an additive 3D printing technology called robocasting (Direct Ink Writing, DIW). During this process, a viscous substance, the printing material, enters through the nozzle and immediately takes the desired shape due to pseudoplasticity. Dr. Gilberto Siqueira and Dr. Tanya Zimmerman of the Wood Materials Laboratory, together with Jennifer Lewis of Harvard University and André Studart of ETH Zurich, have succeeded in developing a new sustainable 3D printing material based on cellulose nanocrystals (CNC).

Along with lignin and hemicelluloses, cellulose is the main component of wood. This biopolymer is composed of glucose chains organized into long fibrous structures. In different areas, there is a different degree of ordering of cellulose fibrils. “Sites with a more ordered structure are characterized by a pronounced crystalline form, and it is these areas that we use for our research,” explains Dr. Siqueira. After acid treatment of these areas, the researchers obtain a product in the form of cellulose nanocrystals - rod-like structures 120 nm long and 6.5 nm in diameter. It was these formations that served as the material for creating environmentally friendly "ink" for 3D printing. On their basis, it was possible to obtain "ink" with a CNC content of about 20%, while previous developments contained no more than 2.5% of this biomaterial.

“The main challenge was to achieve a viscous elastic consistency so that the consumable could easily pass through the nozzles of the 3D printer,” says Dr. Siqueira. At the same time, the material had to be dense enough so that the model held its shape before drying or polymerization, without melting immediately after printing. The first "ink" with cellulose was water-based, which made the prototype very fragile. Therefore, the EMPA research team invented another method for manufacturing consumables, already based on a polymer. This method has a significant advantage: after printing and polymerization using UV study, cellulose nanocrystals are “glued together” by polymer blocks, which gives the composite material additional strength.

Despite resistance

Researchers admit that they had to seriously puzzle over the solution of individual problems. “Most polymers are water-repellent or hydrophobic, while cellulose, being hydrophilic, attracts water. As a result, they are incompatible,” laments Dr. Siqueira. To create favorable conditions, the scientists resorted to chemical CNC surface treatment.

After the first attempts at printing and X-ray analysis of the obtained microstructures, the laboratory specialists noticed that the cellulose nanocrystals were almost perfectly aligned in the direction of printing. It turned out that the degree of ordering depends on the force with which the “ink” is forced through the nozzles of the 3D printer. This feature can be used if it is necessary to obtain a model that has a certain rigidity in one direction or another.

A sea of possibilities

The above advantages of CNC proved to be decisive when compared to other materials such as carbon fibres. In addition, cellulose is a renewable material and the most abundant natural polymer on Earth. It is found not only in trees, but also in other plants and even bacteria. Crystals obtained by isolation from various sources differ from each other only in size, and not in properties.

The automotive and packaging industries can also use this versatile material, which can be chemically modified through 3D printing if needed. However, according to Dr. Siqueira, the most important application of "ink" with cellulose nanocrystals is biomedicine and prosthetics in particular.

The possibilities of new "inks" are currently being studied within the walls of EMPA. At the same time, the development of new environmentally friendly consumables for various areas of 3D printing is being carried out.

You can read about other 3D printing technologies in our review.

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Who makes 3d printer ink

5 Biggest 3D Printing Companies

DDD, PRLB, and FARO lead the 5 biggest 3D printing companies list

Top 3D Printer Manufacturers and Suppliers in the USA and Canada

Top Featured U.S. & Canada Suppliers of 3D Printers

Company Summaries

Top U.S. Suppliers of 3D Printers Based on Sales

Company Summaries

Summary

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