Pioneers of 3D printed luminaires have slammed the lighting sector, describing it as a ‘mess’.
Pioneers of 3D-printed luminaires have criticised the traditional lighting sector, describing it as a ‘mess’ and highlighting deep inefficiencies that have long plagued the industry.
Ian Yang, founder of American additive manufacturing trailblazer Gantri, pictured, described the lighting industry as ‘extremely broken’ and in urgent need of reform.
‘We are not going back to the 20th-century manufacturing system, where there’s a very high set-up cost and the only way that you could make something work is by manufacturing it overseas to essentially utilise cheap lower labour costs,’ he told Dezeen magazine, emphasising the need for a modern, digitally driven approach to design and production.
His sentiments were echoed by Shant Madjarian of rival firm Juniper, who added, ‘The industry needs to be broken down. It’s a complete mess. I covered a lot of different industries, and this is atrocious,’ underscoring the widespread inefficiencies and outdated practices still prevalent across the sector.
The duo were referring specifically to the US lighting industry, but their criticisms are widely understood to reflect systemic issues in lighting manufacturing worldwide.
In response, Madjarian has relocated much of Juniper’s production to a factory in the state of Connecticut, bringing processes in-house, reducing reliance on overseas electronics and finishes, and streamlining operational efficiency.
Meanwhile, California-based Gantri has fully embraced 3D printing, operating a San Francisco facility lined with over 1,000 printers.
Yang emphasises that this technology circumvents the high costs and rigidity of traditional injection moulds, enabling designers to explore complex forms and intricate geometries that were previously impossible to mass-produce. Gantri’s operations integrate advanced software, robotics, and post-processing workflows, achieving industrial-scale efficiency while maintaining the flexibility needed for rapid design iteration.
Both Madjarian and Yang argue that moving away from overseas-dependent, injection-moulding-centric processes not only cuts costs and simplifies logistics but also supports more sustainable, environmentally conscious production.
Collectively, these approaches illustrate a growing trend within the lighting sector toward digital, modular, and on-demand manufacturing, fundamentally challenging traditional mass-production models and signalling a new era for the industry.
