3D printing making inroads in China

The hype over 3D printing seems to be changing into reality for China.

This year, 3D-printed models will be used to coordinate elaborate flower displays on Tian'anmen Square for National Day celebrations for the first time.

Using the technology, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Landscape and Forestry will create prototypes to assist in visualizing intricate floral arrangements planned for the National Day celebrations on Oct 1.

Floral arrays will be designed by computer. Descriptions of different flowerbed layers will then be sent to a 3D printer where miniature versions are created and arranged according to the computer modeling.

The main parterre will measure 50 meters wide and 15 meters high, according to the bureau.

Last month, Chinese doctors rebuilt part of a man's skull with 3D printing technology. Also in August, surgeons at Peking University Third Hospital successfully performed China's first spinal surgery with the help of a 3D printed vertebrae.

Liu Zhongjun, the surgeon who performed the procedure, said the customized 3D printing technology made the disc replacement stronger and more convenient than normal procedures.

Spurred by the market, medical device companies are getting into the game. Beijing-based Advanced Medical Technologies has developed a 3D printed intravascular stent, which is made of a macromolecular compound and can reduce side effects caused by metal-made stents.

The company's founder and president Liu Qing said he believes that in 10 to 15 years, human organs can also be manufactured this way.

"If human organs can be replicated on the basis of the patient's stem cells, immunological reaction can be contained," said Liu.

Meanwhile, the technology has reached other aspects of life.

Idiscover, a private company in northeast China's Jilin province, has been providing parts of dashboards and gearboxes to state-owned car maker FAW Group Corporation.

Another company in Shanghai has printed ten full-size houses using a huge 3D printer within a day, attracting scores of visitors to the printing site.

Enthusiastic about the future of the industry, China established its first 3D printing technology innovation center in Nanjing, capital city of Jiangsu province. Cities including Wuhan in Hubei province, Qingdao in Shandong province are also considering plans of such a center.

A promising sector that baffles many

Xu Jianhui, vice president of the China 3D Printing Technology Industry Alliance, was one of the earliest enthusiasts of the technology.

According to Xu, the 3D printing market generated $3 billion worth of revenue globally in 2013. China accounted for about 10 percent of the market share, said Xu.

"Anyone underestimating the potential of 3D printing technology will be proved wrong," said Xu.

However, the technology is still a novelty for many people.

"As a new technology, 3D printing is still at a stage of trailblazing," Luo Jun, secretary of the World 3D Printing Technology Industry Alliance. "Most people do not understand how the technology is applied and how to employ the technology."

Yang Fei, a technician with Changchun-based 3D printing specialist Ming Wei Technology, said some still worry about the safety of the 3D printed products. He quickly corrected the notion, saying the material used by 3D printers are the same as traditional manufacturing methods.

According to Luo, some people even misinterpret the technology as capable of printing anything.

Lack of qualified talent is another obstacle for the industry's growth in China. There are only about 50 people in the country who can be regarded as 3D printing experts, according to Li Dichen, a professor with Xi'an Jiaotong University.

With three major cities jockeying to build 3D printing innovation centers, more talent is in high demand.

Analysts believe that while innovation in 3D technology and materials are urgent for the nation, efforts should be also made to nurture the market, including carrying out related educational and training programs.