Hanin, the Xiamen-based printing equipment manufacturer, will exhibit at TCT Asia 2026, held from March 17 to 19 at the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai. The company will make the world debut of the LCD-L298, a commercial-grade additive manufacturing system purpose-built for elastomer 3D printing, alongside the SJF-P380 industrial system featuring its proprietary Selective Jet Fusion (SJF) technology.
LCD-L298 — A Dedicated Elastomer 3D Printing System Makes Its Global Debut
The LCD-L298 is a commercial-grade AM system developed under Hanin’s core philosophy of “From Machines to Systems,” and TCT Asia 2026 marks its world premiere. Designed exclusively for elastomer materials, the system employs LCD (selective area light transmission) technology, which Hanin says overcomes the light intensity limitations typical of conventional LCD printing systems. The result is a solution that delivers both high precision and high efficiency for dual-component elastomer printing, significantly expanding the possibilities for flexible material applications.
Why Elastomer 3D Printing Is a Market Worth Watching
Elastomers are a family of polymers characterized by rubber-like elasticity — they stretch under stress and return to their original shape. In additive manufacturing, thermoplastic elastomers such as TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) and TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) are widely used across footwear, medical devices, automotive components, and robotic parts, where flexibility, durability, and shock absorption are essential.
The elastomer 3D printing market is expanding rapidly. Multiple market research reports project growth from approximately USD 550 million in 2024 to around USD 2.2 billion by 2030, representing a compound annual growth rate of roughly 26%. Key demand drivers include the growing need for customized flexible components and the broader expansion of additive manufacturing into industrial production.
Against this backdrop, Hanin’s decision to develop a dedicated elastomer system rather than a general-purpose machine reflects a broader industry shift: as AM matures, purpose-built solutions optimized for specific material families are gaining ground over one-size-fits-all approaches.
Hanin and the SJF-P380 — The Technology Behind the Company
Hanin is a diversified printing equipment manufacturer headquartered in Xiamen, China, with a long-standing position among the world’s top suppliers of thermal print heads. According to a 2024 brand ranking of China’s thermal printer market, Hanin placed sixth overall — alongside global names such as Epson, Gprinter, and SNBC — underscoring its established credentials in the broader printing industry. Its additive manufacturing division covers multiple technologies, including FDM, SLA, SLM, and LCD, serving both consumer and industrial markets.
Central to Hanin’s industrial AM portfolio is Selective Jet Fusion (SJF), a proprietary polymer powder bed technology that Hanin holds as a registered trademark. The process introduces photoinitiators and thermal initiators to promote localized powder sintering, building parts layer by layer. Hanin integrates this with its single-solution forming technology, closed-loop temperature control, and ink droplet monitoring. The SJF-P380, first unveiled at TCT Asia in May 2024, is the flagship system for this technology and will also be on display at TCT Asia 2026.
Booth Information
- Dates: March 17–19, 2026
- Venue: National Exhibition and Convention Center, Shanghai
- Booth: Hall 8.1H, Booth 3B08
AM Insight Asia Perspective
The LCD-L298 represents a deliberate bet on one of additive manufacturing’s fastest-growing material segments. The technical claim at the heart of this system — that it overcomes the light intensity constraints of conventional LCD printing for dual-component elastomers — is precisely the kind of detail that deserves scrutiny beyond a press release. How does it perform in practice? What materials are currently supported, and what is the roadmap? How does Hanin position this system relative to established elastomer AM solutions from players like Stratasys or Carbon?
It is also worth noting that while Hanin is a well-established name in the 2D printing world, its AM portfolio is still in its early stages. The LCD-L298 will be a meaningful test of whether the company can translate its printing expertise into credible industrial AM solutions. AM Insight Asia will be on the floor at TCT Asia 2026 and plans to speak directly with Hanin to find out.
