Across 20,000 sqm, the exhibition covers the full AM process chain, from printing equipment and materials to workflow software, post-processing solutions and production services, with exhibitors addressing metal, polymer and ceramic applications. Market response is strong leading to the 2026 fair, returning exhibitors include leading brands such as Addrieen, HP, Han's Matrix, UnionTech, Basic Software, CNPC Powder, SUNLU and eSUN, alongside new exhibitors Kingfa Biomaterial, Fastform 3D, Scantech and Smartwin.
Desktop 3D printing goes professional
Chinese manufacturers now account for the bulk of global desktop 3D printer output. In the first quarter of 2025, global shipments of entry-level systems exceeded one million units, with Chinese brands accounting for approximately 95% of that volume.[1] Growth continued through Q2, with entry-level shipments posting strong year-on-year gains.[2] Shenzhen is one of the world's key manufacturing centres for these systems and home to several of China's fastest-growing brands in the segment.
Once largely used for prototyping, one-off parts and hobbyist projects, a growing segment of this output now supports commercial production. Print farms, for example, use multiple machines to manufacture end-use products at scale. This is driving demand for a wider ecosystem of tools and services around desktop printers, from design software to post-processing to routes to market such as service bureaus and online marketplaces. At Formnext Asia Shenzhen, this segment has become a growing focus, with the 2026 edition expanding fringe programme coverage and welcoming new exhibitors in this space, including AI-assisted 3D modelling tools provider Meshy AI and materials specialist Kingfa Biomaterial.
Conference upgrade: equipping the desktop AM ecosystem
As print farms become an increasingly viable route to commercial production, demand is growing for practical guidance on running them at scale. The 3D Print Farm Conference, now in its third year as part of the Formnext Asia Shenzhen fringe programme, began as a forum for operators to share experience on equipment selection, workflow automation and order fulfilment.
For 2026, the conference will be upgraded into the China 3D Print Farm and Consumer-Grade AM Ecosystem Conference, with exhibitor Meshy AI as title sponsor, extending its scope beyond farm operations to cover the wider ecosystem required to develop, produce and commercialise products at scale.
Sessions will draw on print farm operators, industry experts and representatives from emerging application areas, with topics to include:
- AI-assisted design and modelling tools
- Materials development and selection
- Workflow and automation software
- Post-processing solutions
- Routes to market for volume production
These new sessions will sit alongside the show's wider fringe programme, which in 2025 featured 14 sessions and over 150 presentations covering technical developments, industry applications and business strategy across sectors including automotive, 3C electronics, mould-making and footwear. Further programme announcements will follow.
Organised by Guangzhou Guangya Messe Frankfurt Co Ltd, Formnext Asia Shenzhen is part of the international Formnext event family, headlined by Formnext, the world's largest trade fair for Additive Manufacturing and the next generation of production. The next edition of Formnext will take place from 17 – 20 November 2026 in Frankfurt, Germany.
For more information, please visit www.formnext-shenzhen.com or email formnextasia@china.messefrankfurt.com.
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Press information and photographic material:
https://formnext-sz.hk.messefrankfurt.com/shenzhen/en/press.html
Background information on Messe Frankfurt
The Messe Frankfurt Group is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. With a workforce of some 2,700* people at its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main and in 29 subsidiaries, it organises events around the world. Group sales in financial year 2025 were around € 766* million. We serve our customers’ business interests efficiently within the framework of our Fairs & Events, Locations and Services business fields. One of Messe Frankfurt’s key strengths is its powerful and closely knit global sales network, which covers around 180 countries in all regions of the world. Our comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. We are using our digital expertise to develop new business models. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services.
Sustainability is a central pillar of our corporate strategy. Here, we strike a healthy balance between ecological and economic interests, social responsibility and diversity.
For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com/sustainability
With its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and
the State of Hesse (40 percent).
For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com
*Preliminary figures 2025
[1] Context Report: Entry-Level 3D Printer Shipments Surge as Industrial Segment Declines. 3D Printing Industry, 14 July 2025, https://qr.messefrankfurt.com/Xfbc5, retrieved 8 January 2026
[2] Quarterly 3D Printer shipments show Entry-Level remains hot while Industrial segment still caught in Catch-22. Context, 9 October 2025, https://qr.messefrankfurt.com/Q8017, retrieved 8 January 2026
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