For many years additive manufacturing printers have been getting better, but slowly. In most cases, the printing process has leaned heavily on people and software for addition of part supports and other part modifications, and a good 3D manufacturing team will include experienced personnel; it's not easy to replicate.
While large companies typically mass produce, there are certain parts that cannot be made via traditional manufacturing processes. They've been using additive manufacturing typically for tooling and higher-end products in these cases.
Also, there is a trend towards customization, faster iterations of part design, and using a variety of part materials within each additive manufactured part that each have their own qualities.
But, printer manufacturers have seen opportunity in making the printing process faster and easier to use, which over time will reduce the need for all of the people involved in the process. Already some of the latest printers are autogenerating supports and making it simple to remove those supports. That's just a small part of the process, but it is a significant step.
So, while traditional mass manufacturing companies will be hurting in a decade or two, eventually printers will no longer require humans to be involved at all. Then, any company with enough money to buy a large number of printers could manufacture 3D parts at mass scale.
I think it is premature to say that China won't eventually own next-generation manufacturing eventually, but it won't in the next few decades unless they drop everything and get on it.
While large companies typically mass produce, there are certain parts that cannot be made via traditional manufacturing processes. They've been using additive manufacturing typically for tooling and higher-end products in these cases.
Also, there is a trend towards customization, faster iterations of part design, and using a variety of part materials within each additive manufactured part that each have their own qualities.
But, printer manufacturers have seen opportunity in making the printing process faster and easier to use, which over time will reduce the need for all of the people involved in the process. Already some of the latest printers are autogenerating supports and making it simple to remove those supports. That's just a small part of the process, but it is a significant step.
So, while traditional mass manufacturing companies will be hurting in a decade or two, eventually printers will no longer require humans to be involved at all. Then, any company with enough money to buy a large number of printers could manufacture 3D parts at mass scale.
I think it is premature to say that China won't eventually own next-generation manufacturing eventually, but it won't in the next few decades unless they drop everything and get on it.