2025 marks a breakthrough year for China’s 3D printing industry, with domestic 3D printer production surging by 52.5%—a growth rate that places it among the highest among major industrial products. 3D printing is transitioning from a niche market to mainstream industrial applications, with consumer‑grade products gaining significant momentum and companies like Tuzhu Technology emerging as star enterprises, each achieving sales exceeding RMB 10 billion. Meanwhile, industrial‑grade systems are expanding into overseas markets on a large scale, and metal 3D printing stands on the cusp of mass production.

　　Market demand is driving the expansion and transformation of material systems, evolving from initial polylactic acid (PLA) resins to polymer materials and composites, and further advancing to ceramics and metals. The development of diverse 3D‑printing materials remains in its early stages, and emerging application scenarios, coupled with technological advances in 3D‑printing hardware, are placing increasingly stringent and multifaceted demands on material performance.

　　At this year’s TCT Asia exhibition in Shanghai—the 2026 Asian 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing Show—CarbonSeek Technology unveiled the world’s first consumer‑grade continuous‑fiber 3D printer, the FibreSeeker 3. Featuring three printing modes in a single machine, it delivers near‑industrial‑level, high‑strength continuous carbon‑fiber printing at an affordable consumer price. The launch of this device marks the inclusion of high‑temperature engineering fiber filaments such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK) and polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) into the mainstream consumer‑grade material spectrum.

　　

 

　　This article highlights new 3D printing materials unveiled by several exhibiting companies in 2026, offering readers insight into the latest R&D trends in the materials industry.

　　Main text

　　I. Metallic Materials

　　1. Beifeng Intelligent High-Purity Copper Powder: Beifeng’s proprietary high-purity copper and copper alloy powders boast a sphericity of 95% and exceptional densification, with a theoretical density reaching up to 99.95%. When used in conjunction with its proprietary printing process, the resulting material exhibits thermal and electrical conductivity comparable to that of conventional pure copper.

　　2 Dingyi Technology Titanium Wire: Titanium wire is a critical material in the additive manufacturing sector, with TC4 (Ti‑6Al‑4V) alloy wire being the most widely used. Thanks to its excellent strength-to-weight ratio, outstanding corrosion resistance, and favorable biocompatibility, it has become the mainstream choice for directly fabricating end products such as complex aerospace components, high-performance automotive parts, and orthopedic implants. In industrial applications, titanium wire is also extensively employed in processes like tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding and plasma arc additive manufacturing for component repair and surface strengthening.

　　

 

　　3 Dingyi Technology Titanium Rods: Titanium rods are cylindrical billets of titanium and titanium alloys, serving as a core raw material in additive manufacturing and industrial applications. In additive manufacturing, high‑quality titanium rods are the primary feedstock for producing spherical metal powders, with their purity and consistency directly determining the performance of 3D‑printed parts produced via processes such as SLM and EBM. As an upstream product in the supply chain, titanium rods constitute the base material essential for fabricating high‑performance titanium components.

　　4 Zhiwei New Materials PA‑Process Powder‑Making Wire: This product is a specialized titanium and titanium alloy wire manufactured using the Plasma Rotating Electrode Process (PA method). It features highly uniform and pure chemical composition, excellent metallurgical quality, and stable atomization characteristics. The wire exhibits superior straightness and a smooth surface, effectively ensuring the continuity and stability of electrode feed during PA‑process powder production, thereby enhancing powder sphericity, flowability, and batch-to-batch consistency.

　　

 

　　Titanium alloy wire products, specifications: Φ4.0, Φ5.0, Φ6.0

　　5 Tiangong Aihe Die-Casting Mold 3D Printing Powder: This product is a powder prepared via an atomization process, specifically designed for use in die-casting molds. The hot-work mold steel is suitable for demanding hot-working applications such as die casting, hot forging, and hot extrusion.

　　It offers numerous advantages in the field of additive manufacturing: excellent high-temperature resistance and elevated‑temperature strength; outstanding toughness both in the quenched‑and‑tempered condition and in the directly tempered state; and suitability for fusion‑deposition printing when used as a substrate for high‑chromium martensitic tool steels. Applications include high‑pressure die‑casting inserts, hot‑forming dies, and plastic‑molding tools.

　　II. Polymer Materials

　　6 Yinghua Chenrui 3D‑printing carbon‑fiber‑reinforced modified material: EnaBio® PR102 pellets are a 3D‑printing‑grade modified compound with carbon fiber–reinforced PLA as the primary matrix. By leveraging carbon‑fiber reinforcement, the material imparts superior strength and modulus to the printed parts, while producing prints with virtually no visible layer lines and a premium matte finish. While maintaining high mechanical performance, the filament also exhibits excellent toughness, eliminating the risk of breakage during extended printing sessions and making it well suited for AMS printing.

　　7 EnaBio® PR702-PETG/CF 3D High-Strength, High-Modulus Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Modified Filament: RPR702 pellets are a 3D‑printing‑grade modified material with PETG as the primary matrix. By employing a high‑carbon‑fiber‑content reinforcement technology, it imparts superior strength and modulus to printed parts, specifically engineered to meet application requirements demanding enhanced mechanical performance and higher modulus; the printed parts exhibit virtually no visible layer lines and feature a premium matte finish.

　　

 

　　8 Nantong Qiangsheng Graphene Technology: Graphene‑based high‑conductivity 3D printing filament—graphene nanosheets interconnect within the matrix to form an extensive two‑dimensional conductive network, while metallic flakes fill the voids between the graphene network and the polymer matrix, creating a dense array of zero‑dimensional/three‑dimensional conductive nodes. Electrical conductivity ranges from 10⁻¹ to 10⁻⁵ ohm·m.

　　9 Polylactic Acid 3D Printing Resin from Pliith: Pliith Biotechnology is a domestic manufacturer of polylactic acid, with its core business focused on PLA and modified compounds. Its PLA-grade 3D printing material boasts excellent properties such as low odor, low printing temperature, and high gloss, making it highly compatible with a wide range of 3D printing applications.

　　10 Zhuopu New Materials Composite PLA: This new material consists of rigid polylactic acid resin and color pigments, offering good material toughness and excellent resistance to aging. However, it is incompatible with standard polylactic acid during printing and cannot be directly bonded.

　　

 

　　11 Lexin New Materials – Polyetherketoneketone: This IMPEKK product is a polyetherketoneketone material specifically designed for medical implants, offering numerous application advantages. Its unique formulation makes it compatible with conventional injection molding and extrusion processes, while also supporting 3D printing for medical devices. In traditional manufacturing, IMPEKK can be used to produce a wide range of medical implants and instruments via injection molding and extrusion, ensuring consistent quality and performance. Its suitability for 3D printing of medical devices enables streamlined, efficient customization, opening up new avenues for innovation in the healthcare sector.

　　12 Elise 3D Technology PLA+ Pro 3D Printing Filament: As 3D printer manufacturers push for higher speeds, materials must keep pace with “better layer adhesion and faster printing.” The new PLA+ Pro unlocks higher print speeds while delivering exceptional layer bonding and fine details; it offers stronger interlayer adhesion than standard grades, reducing the risk of delamination, all while maintaining low warping and easy printability.

　　

 

　　13 Anhui Senhong New Materials – “Four Seasons in Bloom”: This new consumable filament features the company’s proprietary color palette—yellow-green, lotus-petal red, orange, and stream-blue—each symbolizing spring, summer, autumn, and winter. With its vibrant overall hue, it has been aptly named “Four Seasons in Bloom.” The Rainbow series employs a unique co-extrusion process that delivers seamless color transitions within a single filament, allowing you to print vivid, multi‑colored creations without switching filaments—bringing endless surprises to your creative projects.

　　

 

　　14 Guangdong Sanlv Technology PLA Metal: Recreates the authentic feel of real metal. PLA+ Silk 2.0: Doubles product brightness, enhances toughness, and improves overall performance.

　　

 

　　15 Jufu Technology: Tri‑Color PLA Filament: This newly launched aesthetic series features filaments in which each strand is divided into three distinct colors across its cross‑section. During printing, the three colors naturally blend as the extruder moves, creating a unique marbled effect. Ideal for creative makers to explore and experiment, one spool offers three colors and endless possibilities.

　　16 Jingliang New Materials Water-Soluble Support: Water-soluble support is a specialized 3D printing filament that dissolves in water. Its primary function is to provide structural support for overhanging and cantilevered features in FDM 3D printing. After printing, it can be easily removed by rinsing with water, eliminating the need for manual removal.

　　Its key performance characteristics are as follows: Excellent water solubility: Common materials such as PVA, PEG, and water‑soluble PETG dissolve rapidly at room temperature or in warm water (40–60°C). When combined with stirring or ultrasonic cleaning, dissolution efficiency is further enhanced. After dissolving, no residue remains, allowing the model’s fine features to be preserved intact.

　　Strong support stability: During printing, it is highly compatible with common modeling materials such as PLA and ABS. After printing, the support structure exhibits moderate rigidity, resisting deformation and collapse, thereby ensuring high printing accuracy for complex models.

　　

 

　　17 Jingliang New Materials Polyether Ether Ketone: Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is a high-performance specialty engineering plastic that boasts outstanding properties, including excellent resistance to high temperatures and chemical corrosion, superior mechanical strength, and excellent self-lubrication. It can operate reliably under demanding service conditions, with a long-term continuous-use temperature of up to 260°C and a short-term temperature resistance exceeding 300°C, while maintaining good mechanical performance even at elevated temperatures.

　　Excellent chemical resistance; high impact strength, good dimensional stability, and resistance to deformation; low coefficient of friction, enabling low‑wear operation without additional lubrication, making it suitable for manufacturing wear‑resistant moving parts.

　　Medical-grade PEEK is non‑toxic and non‑teratogenic, making it suitable for implantable medical devices; it also exhibits excellent resistance to gamma and ultraviolet radiation and outstanding weatherability. It is used in aerospace components and automotive engines.

　　

 

　　18 Guanghua Weiye PETG Matte: This is a matte‑finish filament developed on a PETG base. It combines PETG’s high strength, excellent toughness, and water‑resistance with an environmentally friendly profile, while delivering a premium matte texture and outstanding product stability.

　　19 Guanghua Weiye PEBA Lightweight: This material employs an in-house foaming technology, allowing users to tailor the degree of foaming during printing by adjusting print parameters. Its hardness and elasticity can also be customized; elasticity can reach 60%, with a hardness range of 66A–92A, making it a highly resilient, flexible, lightweight material.

　　Suitable for applications requiring high toughness and high elasticity, such as sporting goods and medical protective gear.

　　20 Dongguan Kongshi Technology TJ-5536 Engineering High‑Toughness Resin: This new product represents a breakthrough in photopolymerization‑based 3D printing materials. Its formulation includes photosensitive resin, polylactic acid, engineering plastics, and polymeric gels, addressing longstanding industry challenges such as “aging upon printing” and reduced toughness. After printing, its properties are locked in, with a mechanical retention rate exceeding 90%, maintaining load‑bearing capacity without deformation and resisting cracking during storage. Additionally, it offers excellent scratch and wear resistance, heat resistance, and outstanding dimensional stability, with performance comparable to ABS plastic.

　　Compared with metal materials, it enables lightweight design, reduces costs by 60%, and supports small‑batch production without the need for tooling, covering a wide range of applications.

　　21 Zhongjing Youpin Technology: PETG High-Speed Silk Rainbow Filament — New features include support for high-speed printing at speeds up to 600 mm/s, a silky‑smooth high-gloss finish, vibrant rainbow colors, strong bed adhesion, and easy support removal.

　　The product is designed for desktop consumer‑grade 3D printing, offering customers a vibrant and colorful printing experience.

　　

 

　　22 Shanghai Yiman Teng New Materials EU354: This product is a high-performance TPU plastic powder with a hardness of 60A, offering excellent flexibility and molding stability. It is suitable for applications that demand superior elasticity, wear resistance, and precise part formation.

　　The company primarily provides high-performance powder materials for industrial-grade SLS 3D printing.

　　Conclusion

　　I. In the current 3D printing materials market, PLA and PETG remain the most mainstream base materials, with most innovations in the consumer segment focusing on modifying these two polymers. At the consumer level, emphasis is placed on color aesthetics and printability, while advancements in consumer-grade materials are increasingly geared toward higher strength and expanded functionality.

　　II. Various polymer materials are striving to address several common challenges, such as print layer lines, warping, and interlayer adhesion issues.

　　III. The consumer‑grade 3D printing materials landscape is expanding from commodity plastics to engineering plastics and is beginning to penetrate the realm of specialty engineering plastics, including ABS, PC, PA6, PPS, PEKK, and PEEK.