Kingroon has formally exited the 3D printer business.
Somehow I missed this, but a couple of weeks ago the company formally announced this on their website as part of their ninth anniversary:
“When Kingroon first entered the 3D printing industry, our focus was on developing innovative, high-performance 3D printers and accessories. Our cantilever-style 3D printers became well-known for their compact design, print reliability, and affordability—earning us a loyal user base worldwide.
But as the industry evolved, so did our vision.
Recognizing the growing demand for high-quality 3D printing materials, we made a bold decision: to transition fully into a professional manufacturer of 3D printer filament and resin. This strategic shift has allowed us to focus our expertise on producing consistent, high-performance materials that meet the increasingly diverse needs of modern 3D printing applications—from prototyping to manufacturing.”
The company now produces only resin and filament products for 3D printing. They no longer manufacture 3D printers, although it appears they will support previously sold devices, saying:
“Although Kingroon no longer produces 3D printers, we remain deeply committed to the customers who supported us during our early years. We continue to offer comprehensive after-sales service and technical support for all Kingroon 3D printers, ensuring users can rely on their machines for years to come.”
What’s going on here? I believe this is part of the industry disruption that commenced with Bambu Lab’s introduction of the slick X1C 3D printer two years ago. The machine was far ahead of the competition in quality and especially pricing. This forced every other 3D printer manufacturer to reconsider their products and pricing.
Some existing 3D printer manufacturers, like Prusa Research, Creality, Anycubic, Elegoo, Sovol, and a few others, decided to compete. They gradually introduced products that at first matched or came close to some of the technical specifications of the X1C and subsequent Bambu Lab equipment.
For example, Anycubic introduced higher-speed versions of their Kobra series. However, what many of these companies were challenged with was the other aspects that Bambu Lab offered: slick user interfaces that made sense and worked; legible and understandable assembly and operating instructions; cloud services that actually worked, etc.
Buyers aren’t just looking for one specification; they’re looking for the whole experience, and that is where Bambu Lab broke through. When the X1C was introduced, its experience was vastly better than almost every other desktop 3D printer. At the time, many systems still offered primitive LCD panels and knobs as the operating interface, for example. Few even had proper cloud systems.
For some 3D printer manufacturers, the challenge of catching up was seen as too much, and other strategies had to be undertaken. Some simply went out of business entirely. Others shifted their products to more professional markets or specific applications, such as dental.
In this case, Kingroon decided to become a materials provider instead of a 3D printer manufacturer. That was a straightforward decision, as they had already been producing their own materials for years and knew quite a bit about it. Essentially, they dropped a product line that they knew they would not compete against.
It’s also very interesting to note that Kingroon is a Chinese company. This is not a case of “China being cheaper,” as they are based in that country. Even they cannot compete against Bambu Lab to manufacture 3D printers. That tells you something about the difficulties Western manufacturers currently face.
Similar stories will no doubt unfold for many of the other minor 3D printer manufacturers, and we will certainly see many more fade away or adapt into different markets in the next few years.
Via Kingroon
