Anycubic has carved a distinct segment for itself in a fiercely aggressive desktop 3D printing market. Throughout my current go to to Formnext South China I sat down with James Ouyang, the Vice President of Anycubic, in Shenzen to delve into the corporate’s journey, ethos, and imaginative and prescient for the longer term.

“To be sincere, I’m not a maker. I joined Anycubic in 2016 as a result of the CEO, Brian [Ouyang], was my childhood buddy,” was the candid response to my preliminary query about how the VP bought into the 3D printing business.

Ouyang painted a vivid image of Brian’s preliminary foray into buying and selling electronics and the way a discernible pattern available in the market demand for 3D printing and its equipment led to a pivot in enterprise technique. “Brian began pondering, ‘Hey, I could make this 3D printer they promote’,” Ouyang shared. 

Ouyang’s personal journey is equally intriguing. A graduate of the College of Auckland in New Zealand, he specialised in Supplies Engineering, a subject intently associated to 3D printing. “I nonetheless bear in mind the day. I used to be educating at a college in Chendol, a fantastic metropolis within the southwest a part of China.”

Ouyang’s particular position at Anycubic is to handle the R&D division. “Most of my curiosity is in R&D and merchandise.” He additionally highlighted his involvement in decision-making processes associated to monetary issues, given his place on the board.

Anycubic’s speedy development is simple. From its humble beginnings to now boasting a workforce of “700 plus” workers, the corporate’s trajectory is spectacular. Curious concerning the secret sauce behind Anycubic’s success, Ouyang attributed it to 3 distinct levels. Firstly, e-commerce and logistics experience.  “On the very starting, we knew all about e-commerce. Brian was a specialist in worldwide logistics,” Ouyang famous. This basis allowed Anycubic to ship merchandise effectively and on time. Second, a strong provide chain. Capitalizing on the provision chain round Shenzhen, Anycubic might supply parts sooner and at aggressive costs. “We constructed up our personal provide chain,” Ouyang emphasised. And third, funding in R&D. “Because the enterprise grew, we began to rent extra R&D individuals,” Ouyang shared. This concentrate on analysis and growth enabled Anycubic to remain abreast of the newest applied sciences and even introduce new ones to the consumer-grade 3D printing sector.

Ouyang’s ardour for innovation shone by way of as he recounted Anycubic’s product evolution, from their preliminary Kossel delta 3D printer in 2015 to the next i3 Mega in 2016 and Photon collection of resin programs launched in 2017. “We wished to convey nice particulars and delightful prints to the customers,” he mentioned, highlighting their enterprise into resin printers and, briefly, desktop steel printing.

With almost 30% of their workforce devoted to R&D, Anycubic’s dedication to analysis could shock some. 

Nominate now for the 3D Printing Trade Awards 2023. 

Anycubic’s subsequent section

Within the bustling tech hub of Shenzhen, the place the typical lifespan of a startup is lower than three years, Anycubic stands out as a beacon of resilience and innovation as the corporate is at present celebrating its eighth anniversary. “The one manner is to place extra assets within the R&D,” Ouyang emphasised, drawing a parallel between the corporate’s technique and the famend Chinese language liquor, Maotai, or Apple merchandise. The essence? High quality merchandise don’t want aggressive gross sales ways. They promote themselves.

On the subject of enterprise longevity, particularly in a metropolis like Shenzhen, Ouyang’s perspective was enlightening. Shenzhen’s openness, particularly from a governmental standpoint, has been pivotal. The town doesn’t stifle companies with extreme management, permitting them to flourish. Coupled with a younger, proficient workforce and a mature provide chain, Shenzhen presents a singular ecosystem for companies to check and validate their concepts swiftly.

Ouyang highlighted a pivotal transition for Anycubic: “We’re form of within the transition from market-driven to product or technology-driven,” he remarked, emphasizing the speedy tempo at which the 3D printing market is evolving. This shift underscores Anycubic’s method to staying forward of the curve, guaranteeing they continue to be not simply related but in addition revolutionary in a saturated market.

When requested concerning the firm’s imaginative and prescient amidst this transition, Ouyang was clear: “We have now to maintain up with all the brand new applied sciences.” He acknowledged the rising competitors, citing new entrants like former DJI workers who based Bambulabs and Anker. “For us, we should sustain with the brand new tendencies, like excessive pace, good print end, and user-friendliness,” Ouyang elaborated. He hinted at potential ventures into colour printing, emphasizing the significance of out-of-the-box performance for contemporary customers.

When quizzed concerning the firm’s product differentiation, Ouyang’s reply was easy, “It’s straightforward to suppose that you are able to do something… but it surely’s extra worthwhile if you select not to try this factor.” For Anycubic, the mantra has been about focus. Whereas they’ve dabbled in dental printers and even 3D printing steel, the core of their enterprise stays consumer-grade 3D printing.

On potential enlargement into the commercial sector. Ouyang was candid: “We’ve considered that, however for now, we is not going to.” He emphasised Anycubic’s dedication to the consumer-grade 3D printing space, citing the huge variations in necessities and gross sales dynamics between client and industrial sectors.

Diving deeper into Anycubic’s consumer base, Ouyang revealed that almost all of its customers search detailed prints, corresponding to jewellery or desktop fashions. “Our main consumer base is within the client resin 3D printing,” he famous, indicating a 60-40 break up in favor of resin over FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) of their product gross sales.

On the subject of income, Ouyang shared a ballpark determine of over 1 billion RMB, translating to greater than half one million unit gross sales. This spectacular quantity hints at Anycubic’s vital market share within the 3D printing sector. On the geographical distribution of their enterprise, Ouyang revealed that “greater than 90% of our enterprise is abroad.”

Discussing the worldwide 3D printing consumer base, Ouyang estimated it to be over 3 million individuals worldwide, based mostly on a Fb survey. He emphasised the altering dynamics of the market, the place earlier lovers cherished constructing issues, however fashionable customers favor ready-to-use merchandise. “They need it to work,” Ouyang succinctly put it. Apparently, whereas the worldwide maker tradition thrives, Ouyang identified that China’s maker tradition is distinct. The comfort of procuring components from platforms like Alibaba and Taobao signifies that many in China are extra inclined in direction of 3D printing companies quite than proudly owning printers. This perception, Ouyang believes, might form the longer term route of the 3D printing business in China.

As for Anycubic’s future, Ouyang envisions a stronger concentrate on R&D and a dedication to offering native assist to its customers. He sees a future the place the hassles of resin printing, such because the scent and post-processing, are issues of the previous. However for now, the corporate stays grounded, valuing the teachings of the previous eight years and searching forward with cautious optimism.

Charting the Way forward for 3D Printing in China

Within the coronary heart of Shenzhen, a metropolis famend for its technological prowess, the 3D printing business is present process a metamorphosis. James Ouyang, Vice President of Anycubic, delves into the nuances of working on this dynamic surroundings and the corporate’s imaginative and prescient for the longer term.

“We don’t have particular assist from the federal government when it comes to giving assets to the 3D printing business,” Ouyang started, addressing the position of the Chinese language authorities within the sector. Nonetheless, he highlighted the supportive insurance policies in place, corresponding to tax breaks for R&D and incentives for manufacturing. These insurance policies, whereas not unique to 3D printing, have undoubtedly facilitated the expansion of firms like Anycubic.

Schooling, Ouyang believes, is one other space the place the federal government is enjoying a pivotal position. The STEAM schooling program, which integrates science, expertise, engineering, arts, and arithmetic, encourages college students to delve into new applied sciences, together with 3D printing. Colleges are incentivized to include this expertise into their curriculum, emphasizing its significance within the fashionable tech panorama.

However what actually units Anycubic aside on this aggressive market? Ouyang was keen to debate the corporate’s newest choices. The Anycubic Kobra 2 Professional, for example, boasts a most pace of 500 mm/s, a big leap from its predecessors. This 3D printer, Ouyang claims, can produce a typical Benchy print in simply quarter-hour and 43 seconds. Such developments should not nearly pace; they’re about effectivity and precision, guaranteeing that high quality isn’t compromised.

Ouyang additionally touched upon the challenges of resin printing, notably the post-processing steps that many discover cumbersome. The corporate’s Wash & Remedy Max goals to handle these points, providing a extra streamlined and user-friendly expertise.

In a quickly evolving tech panorama, firms like Anycubic should not simply preserving tempo; they’re setting the tempo. With a concentrate on innovation, consumer expertise, and schooling, the way forward for 3D printing in China seems to be promising certainly.

Subscribe to our publication for extra information from Formnext + PM South China 2023.

You can even observe us on Twitter, like our  Fb web page, and subscribe to the 3D Printing Trade Youtube channel to entry extra unique content material.

Are you interested by working within the additive manufacturing business? Go to 3D Printing Jobs to view a collection of out there roles and kickstart your profession. 

Featured picture exhibits James Ouyang Vice President of Anycubic. Photograph by Michael Petch.