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Carima

HardwareSeoul, South KoreaFounded 2000· One of 1733 Hardware companies tracked by AMPulse

Korea's first DLP (Digital Light Processing) 3D printer manufacturer producing high-precision photopolymerization systems for dental, jewelry, automotive, and industrial prototyping applications.

CEO / Founder
Lee Byung-geuk
Team Size
11-50
Stage
Active
Total Funding
Undisclosed
Key Investors
No key investors identified from reliable sources.

Technology & Products

Key Products

Current portfolio: DLP printers IMD-C, IMD, DM4K, DM400 and X1; LCD printers IML and IML-16K; CARIMA P250; CL300Pro and CL1800 curing machines; ceramic, general, functional, dental and engineering resins; Carima Slicer V2; bioprinting and metal offerings.

Technological Advantage

Proprietary photopolymerization process with optical homogenization and image processing algorithms; claims world-class precision and speed comparable to international DLP leaders; non-toxic resin chemistry reduces occupational hazards; self-developed supply chain (equipment + software + materials) reduces dependency on third parties.

Patent position

Carima filed 12 patent families in 2022–2024, down from 24 in 2019–2021: filings fell 50%, versus 31% for tracked AM filings in the same patent offices; vat photopolymerization rose from 83% to 100%. AMPulse analysis

Filing momentum
12 families filed 2022–2024, 24 in 2019–2021 (-50%); all tracked AM filings in the same offices -31%
Process mix, 2019–2021 → 2022–2024
Vat photopolymerization 83% → 100%
Focus, 2019–2021 → 2022–2024
Equipment 91% → 92%
Filed in
KR 80%WO 16%US 3%CN 1%
Named competitors, AM patent families
Graphy 76InssTek 30

75 AM patent families in total. Recent years are still being published, so read a filing change against the same-office figure.

Differentiation

Value Proposition

High-speed, high-precision DLP 3D printing with self-developed proprietary equipment and materials; enables rapid prototyping and production of dental prosthetics, jewelry, and automotive components with superior surface quality and optical clarity.

How They Differentiate

Korean-made DLP systems with proprietary algorithms (optical homogenization, image processing); vertical integration across hardware, software, and materials; focus on high-precision applications (dental, jewelry) where optical clarity and surface finish are critical; educational mission ('Leading the Imagination with 3D Printers') suggests brand differentiation around accessibility and training.

Market & Competition

Target Customers

Dental labs, jewelry manufacturers, automotive parts producers, prototyping/R&D facilities, figurine makers

Industry Verticals

Dentistry (prosthetics, crowns, bridges); Jewelry manufacturing; Automotive parts; Industrial prototyping; Consumer product R&D

Competitors

Graphy, Inc., InssTek, Inc., FabWeaver

Growth & Milestones

Growth Metrics

20+ years of continuous production and market presence; exports high-end DLP printers globally; educational specialist training in 3D printing (indicates growing customer base and market influence).

Major Milestones

2000: Company founded as Korea's first DLP 3D printer manufacturer; 2000+: Continuous product development and market expansion (20+ year history); Product evolution: Master → DP110E → IM series (jewelry-specific) → DM series (industrial) → DM250K (4K UHD generation)

Notable Customers

Dio Implant (500 units delivered 2018–19); Shofu, Japan (IMD-S sales contract signed 2022)

https://www.carima.co.kr

Recent coverage of Carima

AM patents

AM-relevant patents linked to this company.

Patents
76
Granted
37
Families
75

Leading domains: process (75), equipment (54), application (6)

Filings by year: 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 11

  1. 고향균성 보철소재의 3D프린팅장치1020230157571 · KR
  2. REMOTE THREE-DIMENSIONAL FIGURE MANUFACTURING SYSTEM AND REMOTE THREE-DIMENSIONAL FIGURE MANUFACTURING METHOD2020196972 · WO
  3. 3D printer12390988 · US
  4. STEREOLITHOGRAPHY APPARATUS FOR THE RAPID PRODUCTION OF LAYER-UPON-LAYER FORMS2011111957 · WO
  5. 3D프린터1028914900000 · KR