People of 3D Printing: Tuan TranPham

Who is Tuan TranPham?

With over two decades of profound experience, Tuan TranPham stands as a truly distinguished figure in the additive manufacturing industry. Having held pivotal roles as President and Chief Revenue Officer at some of the sector’s leading companies, including Z Corp, 3D Systems, Stratasys, and Desktop Metal, Tuan brings unparalleled insight into the evolution, challenges, and boundless opportunities within 3D printing. A recipient of the prestigious DINO award, his global perspective—honed through extensive international work—and his deep understanding of technological innovation make him an authoritative voice. Beyond his corporate achievements, Tuan is also renowned for his significant presence on platforms like LinkedIn, where he passionately shares his expertise on emerging technologies and the industry’s future. Let’s delve into the vision of a leader who has not only witnessed but actively shaped the landscape of additive manufacturing.

How did you get started in the 3D printing industry?

Before entering the world of 3D printing, I worked in the semiconductor industry at Intel. I first discovered Z Corporation in 2003—almost by accident—through a friend who worked there. That encounter marked the beginning of my journey into 3D printing, despite knowing very little about the field at the time.

Over the past 22 years, I’ve worked for machine manufacturers—specifically, nine major 3D printing companies. Five of them are among the most prominent in the industry: Z Corp, Stratasys, 3D Systems, GE, and Desktop Metal. My primary role has been to build distribution networks by identifying and onboarding the right resellers for these technologies.

In 2010, the industry saw significant consolidation when 3D Systems acquired Z Corp, followed by the merger of Objet and Stratasys in 2012. We’re currently witnessing a similar wave of consolidation, with companies like Nano Dimension, Markforged, and Desktop Metal coming together. Yet, despite their size, these companies still represent only a small portion of the overall 3D printing market—highlighting how fragmented the industry remains.

I joined Anisoprint in November 2024. Our mission is to make continuous fiber 3D printing accessible and affordable. I often describe carbon fiber as sitting between plastic and metal in terms of performance. While chopped fiber composites have been widely adopted, continuous fiber offers significantly stronger parts—capable of replacing metals in many applications.

Throughout my career, I’ve made it a priority to promote the 3D printing industry, regardless of the company I represent. I actively share valuable insights on LinkedIn and have grown a community of over 43,000 followers.

From your vantage point, how would you describe the overall health and maturity of the additive manufacturing market today? What are the biggest shifts you've observed in the last 2-3 years?"

To become a “real” industry, we need to reach a global market size of $100 billion..

Tuan TranPham

Very few companies are truly engaged in production-scale 3D printing. If we consider volumes in the range of 100,000 to 1 million parts, there are barely ten publicly known applications that have reached those numbers—at least based on what’s available in the public domain. There may be more examples under NDA, but they are not visible to the broader market.

Today, the 3D printing industry stands at around $18–19 billion and is growing by only about $1 billion per year. The only viable path to reaching $100 billion is through mass production. But to get there, we need significant improvements in materials, print speed, and ultimately, cost per part.
3D printing today is at a stage comparable to CNC machining 30 years ago. We need to shift our focus toward throughput, machine uptime, and production efficiency—moving beyond the prototyping mindset.

Supply chains also play a critical role in advancing material and manufacturing reliability. For instance, in the metal 3D printing sector, the powders used for powder bed fusion are the same as those used in Metal Injection Molding (MIM)—a process that’s been established for over 40 years. This shared heritage gives users confidence, as the materials already demonstrate strong mechanical properties. Unfortunately, we haven’t yet reached this level of maturity or trust in polymer-based 3D printing.

From your point of view, which industries are really getting the most benefit from additive manufacturing?

Historically, 3D printing was primarily used by the “rich and privileged”—that is, for low-volume, high-value applications such as aerospace and medical industries.

However, with the global population reaching 8 billion in 2025, it’s no surprise that, for the industry to grow at the expected pace, consumer applications must be embraced. This shift requires high-quality materials, and it’s encouraging to see the industry increasingly focused on developing solutions tailored to consumer needs.

According to you, what applications are the most exciting at the moment ?

I’m particularly excited about cement 3D printing. It’s gaining significant attention and investment, and this niche has real potential to develop into a widespread trend—especially in light of the global housing shortage driven by population growth and a slowdown in construction, notably since the Covid pandemic.
Another fascinating frontier is bioprinting, especially in the creation of living tissues such as livers, and eventually entire organs. It’s truly inspiring to see 3D printing applied for the benefit of humanity, even though this field will require many more years of research, development, and testing.

That said, I do have some concerns about the recent surge of startups chasing flashy technologies that promise to do things differently but may not address genuine real-world problems. Many of these initiatives have attracted heavy funding in recent years, fueled by abundant capital. However, if a technology doesn’t solve a meaningful problem, it may not deserve to survive. I believe we are only at the beginning of a necessary market correction, and we can expect many of these companies to disappear in the years ahead.

3D printing today is at a stage comparable to CNC machining 30 years ago.

Tuan TranPham

Can you tell a bit more about your work at Anisoprint?

The name “Anisoprint” is derived from the term “anisotropic,” a concept well known in the 3D printing industry that describes how a material’s mechanical properties vary depending on direction. The company specializes in continuous fiber extrusion machines that produce parts with exceptional strength along the X/Y axis.
When it comes to continuous carbon fiber printing, only Anisoprint and Markforged offer machines capable of this technology—with Anisoprint positioned at a more competitive price point.

In simple terms, parts produced using this technology can be as strong as aluminum while being up to seven times lighter—provided the design is optimized to align fiber orientation with the primary load paths.

Additionally, we use co-extrusion technology, allowing us to print multiple materials blended together through the same print head. This capability opens up exciting possibilities for creating custom composite materials tailored to specific needs.

What are your short and mid term predictions for the 3D printing market ?

The entire market needs to transition toward mass production and adopt the CNC language. At the same time, we are witnessing a rise in Asian manufacturers. We expect a scenario similar to what happened in the laptop and mobile phone industries, where more affordable machines from Asian companies emerge, not just competing on price, but offering greater functionality and enhanced benefits to users through strong innovation.

Would you like to share advice for people wanting to pursue a career in 3d printing?

It’s never too late to start! There are numerous LinkedIn groups, tradeshows, user conferences, and a wealth of information available through social media, podcasts, and webinars. I recommend beginning by learning about the Fourth Industrial Revolution, of which 3D printing is just one component. Additionally, exploring the potential of AI can help accelerate your learning process.

Final thoughts or insights?

Check out Anisoprint! We aim to democratize continuous fiber technology, and some exciting surprises may come in the next few months!