New materials will drive growth of 3D printing

The CEO and cofounder of 3D printer builder Fusion3, Chip Royce, compares the relationship between additive manufacturing materials and 3D printers to the PC industry.

“We are striving to make our process as bullet-proof and reliable as possible,” he said. “But at the end of the day, we think that the growth of this technology will come from materials. Materials are like what software is to PCs.”

He added that every time a new plastic comes on the market, “we see more folks from the CNC and metalworking world embrace 3D printing.”

Chip Royce (left) of Fusion3 tells Additive Report Editor Don Nelson software will drive AM's growth.