3D printing is one rapid prototyping technology, based on digital model document, used to structure an object through layer after layer printing method with binding metal powders or plastics.

3D printing is realized by a material printing machine equipped with digital technologies, and is often applied to make models for mould production, industrial designing, etc., and later gradually applied to direct manufacturing of some products. For example, some components are now manufactured in this way. The technology has been applied to various fields such as jewelry, shoes, industrial designing, construction, engineering and operation, automobile, aeronautics and space, dentistry, medical, education, geography information system, civil engineering, guns and weapons.

In the recent years, the market for 3D printing is growing with high speed and personal 3D printing market is also initiated. During 1994 till 2011, the global 3D printer market kept a tendency of fast growth, with compound growth rate of 17.6%. And in 2011, personal 3D printer sale increased explosively, from 5987 to 23265, an increase of about 300%, surpassing greatly the sale of commercial type 3D printers. Market investigation showed that in 2013 the global 3D printer market scale was about 4 billion US dollars, almost doubled the scale of 2012, with about 1 billion US dollars from Europe, 1.5 billion from USA, and about 0.3 billion from China. It is estimated that in 2017, 3D printer sale could reach nearly 5-6 billion US dollars, with an increase rate kept at 20%.