3D printing: a growing market in Brazil

February 15, 2019 by Hellen Souza 3D Printing

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3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is now part of the day-to-day business of several different industries in Brazil. A survey by Editora Aranda’s research staff reveals that just in plastic product manufacturers 54% of the number of companies are using this technology to validate their designs or fabricate short runs of assembly parts.

3D printing has also spread to areas as diverse as architecture, jewelry, medicine, dentistry, and DIY. A large chain of hardware stores has recently partnered with a local printer manufacturer, whereby printing units will be made available to the store’s clients, creating maker spaces that will democratize the access to the machines.

Not only have imported models begun to make their way into the country, but local printer manufacturing has grown considerably in recent years. Pioneering initiatives have seen researchers opening up the code for designing and building 3D printers.

The excitement around 3D printing has contributed to bring the machines to the attention of young people and cutting-edge technology nerds, who have been quick to start up 3D companies and services for industries ranging from manufacturing to entertainment. The education sector is today a significant market niche.

The economic attractiveness of 3D printing has fired up the manufacturing of printers as well as the development of a whole range of filaments with different technical features, as witnessed in the 2018 edition of the Inside 3D Printing expo. The universe of polymers has turned its eye to the needs of 3D printer users, and now supplies tailor-made materials that meet the performance requirements of a dizzying array of printing techniques. A key contribution to these developments is, of course, the continuing surge of young people graduating from Brazilian technical courses and universities, which offer courses in all branches of engineering.

Aware of the current market bustle, which starts a new era in manufacturing and procuring the products we need, the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT) set up a committee in 2017 that will lay down standards and regulations for additive manufacturing in Brazil. While most of those are still in the process of translation and adaptation from ISO/ASTM sources, a number of Brazilian 3D printing standards have been published that range from the terminology to be adopted in describing processes, to the specifications for machines, materials and methods. The effort shows how seriously the new technology is being taken in the country, in the wake of similar developments in more advanced Northern and Asian economies.

As evidence of the positive momentum, São Paulo’s Frei Caneca Convention Center will be hosting the 6th edition of South America’s largest 3D printing event, “Inside 3D Printing Conference & Expo” on June 10 and 11, introducing some changes from previous editions.

The Conference will consist of three blocks: Health, Education and Manufacturing. Here are some of the conference themes:

3D printing for collaborative education
21st century education
How to use 3D printing to better train your workforce
The impacts of 3D printing on digital dentistry
An economic study of 3D printing in dentistry
Advanced prototyping of medical devices
The frontiers of 3D bioprinting
Organ growth in the lab

The roster of conference lecturers is in preparation, but some have been confirmed: on dentistry, Dr Cristiane B. André, from Kika Digital Orthodontics, will talk about the use of intraoral scanners in optimising procedures; and Dr José Lincoln de Queirós Jr, a dental prosthesis specialist from Brasília University, will share insights about the additive manufacturing revolution in aesthetic and rehabilitation dentistry. In the medical area, Dr Gabriel Liguori, from São Paulo’s Heart Institute, will address the lab technology of organ and tissue manufacturing.

Here are some of the booked exhibitors: