3D printers are selling well.

As the saying goes, "Where there is a will, there is a way." Even in the most niche markets, with a strong supply chain system as support, entrepreneurs can still carve out a niche for themselves in the global market. 

In the 3D printing field, Shenzhen Zongwei Lidianhua is a typical example. In 2015, Zongwei Lidianhua was officially established. Currently, the company has over 900 employees and annual revenue exceeds 1 billion yuan. As of 2024, Zongwei Lidianhua has launched more than 20 3D printing complete machine products, and the global sales volume has exceeded 1 million units.

Looking back at the growth history of Zongwei Cube, it can be seen as a story of a small company's rise from the bottom. In the early days, Zongwei Cube mainly provided components for 3D printing manufacturers, and its business was decent, but it did not have its own 3D printing complete machine products. 

It was precisely because the spare parts business was so prosperous that Zongwei Cubic saw the business opportunities in the 3D printing market. After all, even making spare parts can yield considerable profits. So why not go all the way and build your own 3D printer products? 

At that time, European and American brands dominated the market, but their products lacked cost-effectiveness advantages. Zhiwei Cubic precisely identified this gap and launched its first independently developed FDM 3D printer in 2015; in 2016, it introduced the upgraded FDM printer Anycubic i3 Mega. 

Compared with other competitors, Anycubic's new product not only has a strong price advantage, but also boasts excellent quality and simple assembly. Just a few months after its launch, the monthly sales of Anycubic i3 Mega soared from 50 units to 3,000 units, quickly entering the current ranking of similar products on Amazon. It was also from this point that Zongwei Cubic began to stand out.

Since then, Zongwei Cube has continued to deeply penetrate the 3D printing market. On one hand, it has strengthened its own R&D capabilities and collaborated with industry giants to enhance product innovation. In 2017, it launched its first LCD light-curing 3D printer, Photon, with an extremely competitive price to open up the consumer-level market for light-curing technology; in 2021, it collaborated with Texas Instruments to launch a new desktop-level DLP product, Photon Ultra, introducing the costly DLP technology to the consumer market; in 2024, it launched its first gantry-style FDM 3D printer, upgrading the multi-color printing experience. 

On the other hand, Zongwei Cube has also begun to focus on product marketing, building an independent website and entering mainstream cross-border e-commerce platforms; at the same time, it has established an overseas social media marketing matrix centered around platforms such as X, Youtube, and Instagram. Currently, the two major channels - Amazon and the independent website - can contribute over half of Zongwei Cube's revenue. In the 3D printer category of whole machines on Amazon, Zongwei Cube has firmly occupied a leading position.

From being a contract manufacturer to becoming a top-selling brand, Zongwei Cubic's success is not only the result of the hard work and dedication of the team, but also a microcosm of the development of the entire 3D printing industry. 

On the one hand, for a long time in the past, the 3D printing market was monopolized by brands from Europe and America, and most domestic enterprises were only engaged in OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) business. However, with the continuous surging of the overseas expansion trend, Chinese enterprises began to enter more specialized markets, and 3D printing was one of them. 

On the other hand, the 3D printing market itself has certain entry barriers, and the demand is relatively niche. Considering all these factors together, buyers are willing to pay a higher price for high-quality printer products. For enterprises that are determined to build their own brands, this is undoubtedly a vast and promising market. 

With the joint efforts of all parties, domestic 3D printers have broken through the bottleneck and naturally achieved success. According to statistics from the General Administration of Customs, from 2017 to 2024, the total export volume of 3D printing equipment in China increased from 656,000 units to 3,778,000 units, a growth of over 3 million units in 8 years, which is truly astonishing in terms of speed.

For instance, Creality 3D started as a small workshop and now has shipped over 5.5 million units globally. In the entry-level 3D printer market, Creality 3D holds nearly half of the global share and remains at the top of the industry. Just one of its popular series, CR-10, has generated a strong response in the overseas market, with users spontaneously sharing content exceeding 10 million pieces. 

For instance, in the case of Topzhu Technology, compared with other 3D printing enterprises, Topzhu is very "young". It was officially established in 2020. However, its technical strength is very strong. In 2022, its first printer, Banbu Lab X1, was launched and raised over 47 million yuan through crowdfunding on overseas platforms, directly breaking the crowdfunding record of the same category at that time. In the rankings of 3D printer brands' influence on the overseas market in 2023 and 2024, Topzhu ranked third each time.

It can be seen that with the advantage of being a latecomer, domestic 3D printer brands have accelerated their growth in the global market through technological innovation, transforming previously expensive and complex professional tools into personalized creative tools. This is not only a commercial success for Chinese enterprises, but also a demonstration of the soft power of "Made in China". 

Looking ahead, as Chinese 3D printing brands continue to expand their global market, from technological breakthroughs to brand building, from logistics optimization to user engagement, Chinese enterprises will embark on an even more glorious journey of going global.