Prototech, a South Korean additive manufacturing total solutions provider, announced on May 20 that it will exhibit 3D-printed robot grippers and cable guides at the 15th Smart Tech Korea 2026 Robotech Show, held June 10–12 at COEX in Seoul. The parts are production-grade end-effectors, not prototypes, designed with consolidated multi-part assemblies to reduce assembly steps and enable rapid design iteration. Prototech is the largest domestic partner for Stratasys and Formlabs, offering FDM, PolyJet, SLA, SAF, and DLP processes, and will provide one-on-one consultations on design review, process selection, material choice, and prototype production for robotics and automation industry visitors.

This announcement sits squarely in the industrial-tooling and automation vertical, where additive manufacturing is increasingly used for low-volume, high-variation end-of-arm tooling. The value proposition here is not novel — part consolidation, weight reduction, and design flexibility are well-established AM benefits — but Prototech’s move reflects a broader service-based adoption pattern. As collaborative robot adoption accelerates in Asian manufacturing, the demand for custom grippers and cable management parts grows, creating a recurring revenue stream for service bureaus that can bridge design and production. Prototech’s multi-process capability (FDM for tough PA12/carbon-fiber composites, SLA for high-detail fits, PolyJet for overmold-like soft-touch features) lets it match material properties to specific robot payload and cycle-time requirements, a flexibility that subtractive or injection-molded tooling cannot economically match at low volumes. The company’s existing relationships with Samsung, LG, Hyundai, and KAI provide credibility, though the robot-gripper market is fragmented and price-sensitive, with local competitors likely offering similar FDM-based solutions at lower cost.

For Prototech, the practical challenge is converting booth traffic into qualified design-for-AM engagements that lead to repeat orders, not one-off prototypes. The robotics end-user should evaluate Prototech’s ability to deliver functional parts with documented mechanical properties — especially for grippers that must survive thousands of cycles without failure. This is a routine service-bureau product showcase, not a technology breakthrough, but it signals that AM is becoming the default option for custom robot tooling in Korea’s automation ecosystem.

Prototech to showcase 3D-printed robot grippers at STK 2026 Robotech Show in Seoul