Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai

Results were announced in an annual brand design competition for printing consumables, the Print-Rite Innovation Awards, sponsored by Print-Rite Holdings, in Zhuhai on Oct 12. A Golden Patent Award, the Oscar of the industry, was presented for a 3D printing method combining laser and microbeam plasma.

The awards ceremony took place at the Zhuhai International Convention & Exhibition Center as part of the 11th RemaxWorld Expo -- the world's largest print consumables trade show.

The Print-Rite Innovation Awards were initiated in 2007 to discover and stimulate innovations in the printing industry. Over the past 10 years the focus has been extended from 2D to include 3D products.

Competition for the Golden Patent award for printing-consumables attracted more than 600 patented entrants. The prize winner was an invention from a research team of South China University of Technology (SCUT).

The awards ceremony of the Print-Rite Innovation Awards 2017 is held at the Zhuhai International Convention & Exhibition Center on Oct 12.

The new technology takes advantage of the process of rapid laser prototyping to achieve high efficiency and accuracy in metal 3D printing. According to a team leader, the key to the technique lies in the use of plasma instead of a laser device as a heat source to manufacture low cost but industrial-grade equipment.

The Best Creative Award went to Guangzhou VIVID Print Material which is establishing a whole industrial chain for supply of digital printing ink and special digital printing ink technology.

The project, exploring the possibilities of powder printers, found an ideal way of shaping up power materials which is crucial to the stereo-lithography in applications. As the project head explained, the process is capable of being accurately and precisely controlled which allows different degrees of simulation; most importantly it simplifies printer structure and improves production efficiency.

A creative use of laser and microbeam plasma in 3D printing technology, demonstrated at Print-Rite Innovation Awards 2017 by a research team from South China University of Technology, wins the Golden Patent Award, the Oscar of the print consumables industry.

The sponsor Print-Rite Holdings, established in Xiangzhou District of Zhuhai in 1988, is the world's only manufacturer of general printing supplies with a history of more than 35 years. It is a professional and integrated manufacturing base and is also the leading manufacturer of recyclable consumable products in Asia.

With strong expertise in 3D printing, the company intends to lead and advocate innovative technologies for wide-range applications in industrial manufacturing, animation design, school education, and engineering.

According to the organizing committee, the total number of patents in China's general supplies industry increased twelve-fold during the period the competition was held. Of the total patents, more than 33 percent are owned by Print-Rite. An industry expert commented that the competition is an engine for innovations and upgrades in the printing industry.

Outstanding patent project owners pose for a group photo. [Photo courtesy southch.com]