3D printer market share

North America 3D Printing Market Size, 2021 (USD Billion)

To know how our report can help streamline your business, Speak to Analyst

The Middle East & Latin America is expected to showcase high growth during the forecast period. The rapid adoption of 3D technology in the region is mainly due to technological advancements and improvements in the manufacturing industry.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Companies are Focusing on Partnership and Collaboration Activities for Safer Internet Environment

The prominent players of the market are focusing on offering advanced and innovative solutions catering to the growing needs of industries. These key players are investing in R&D to provide innovative services and materials. They are entering into strategic partnership and collaboration to provide next-generation solutions. These companies are offering consumer-centric solutions to help in boosting business growth. Similarly, the key players are keen on offering a vast range of 3-dimensional materials to grow across every industry application.

February 2022 – Imaginarium partnered with Ultimaker to introduce desktop & industrial 3D printer range in the India market. This partnership would help Ultimaker to expand its business in India, where additive manufacturing is anticipated to reach a point of breakthrough in the coming years.

November 2021 – 3D Systems is planning to enhance additive manufacturing innovation through partnerships and launch of products. The company launched new 3-dimensional printing tools and collaborated with the U.K.-based startup Additive Manufacturing Technologies (AMT) to present novel 3-dimensional printing workflows and improve AM software, which is ideal for automotive components.

List of the Key Companies Profiled:

• 3D Systems Corporation (U.S.)


• The ExOne Company (Germany)


• voxeljet AG (Germany)


• Materialise NV (Belgium)


• Made in Space, Inc. (U.S.)


• Envisiontec, Inc. (Germany)


• Stratasys Ltd. (U.S.)


• HP, Inc. (U.S.)


• General Electric Company (GE Additive) (U.S.)


• Autodesk Inc. (U.S.)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• March 2022 – South Africa’s Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) launched a pilot project to build around 25 houses by utilizing 3D printing technology to combat the shortage of housing in the country.


• March 2022 – 3DGence, a European manufacturer, launched a new industrial FFF machine, INDUSTRY F421, which is well-suited with high performance materials. Additionally, the firm has also introduced AS9100, a new high-temperature filament, which is made using polyether ether ketone (PEEK) and certified for use in defense and aerospace sectors.

REPORT COVERAGE

To get information on various segments, share your queries with us

The global 3D printing market research report highlights leading regions across the world to offer a better understanding to the user. Furthermore, the report provides insights into the latest industry growth trends and analyzes technologies that are being deployed at a rapid pace at the global level. It further offers drivers and restraints, helping the reader gain in-depth knowledge about the market.

REPORT SCOPE & SEGMENTATION

Three Areas Holding Back The $10.

Market research firm SmarTech Analysis recently released its data for the additive manufacturing (AM) industry. It determined that, in 2021, the 3D printing sector reached $10.6 billion in revenue, excluding the revenues associated with hardware maintenance contracts and post-processing equipment. The firm further projects that AM is expected to grow to over $50 billion by 2030.

The 3D printing industry is projected to reach over $50 billion by 2030, according to one market ... [+] research firm.

This growth is closely pinned to the trend that large manufacturers will increasingly use the technology for mass production. However, in order for AM to reach wide-scale adoption, it will need to advance significantly in three crucial and interrelated areas: throughput, factory integration, and quality control. Fortunately for the industry, these are all also issues that are being actively addressed.

3D Printing Throughput

Due to its roots as a prototyping technology, 3D printing was never designed with mass production in mind. Instead, its ability to create complex shapes has been limited to one-off parts or small batch manufacturing. For that reason, firms across the 3D printing industry have been working to develop systems that can make many parts as rapidly as possible, a concept known as throughput.

Among the leaders in this regard is HP, which spent years researching the technology before finally unveiling technologies capable of rapid production both in plastics and metals. The 2D printing giant has ported its expertise in inkjet printheads over to 3D printing with a technology called Multi Jet Fusion (MJF). MJF is already being used to produce large batches of polymer parts for everything from eyewear to grocery bots.

Legor Group in Italy is using HP Metal Jet to 3D print functional stainless steel accessories for ... [+] the jewelry and fashion markets.

MORE FROMFORBES ADVISOR

This is just the beginning for the company, which is now rolling out its Metal Jet technology. A form of what is called “metal binder jetting,” Metal Jet deposits a liquid binder onto metal powder, creating a component that must then be sintered in a furnace. Customers as large as Volkswagen are investing in the technology with a plan to mass produce up to 100,000 metal components annually for consumer vehicles.

However, HP isn’t the only company in this quickly evolving space. A widely publicized startup called Desktop Metal is working to speed up metal binder jetting. GE, too, is working on its own version of the technology. Altogether, these companies are ushering in an era in which low-cost metal powders can be used to 3D print large numbers of parts in a single job, potentially changing the cost structure for metal 3D printing altogether.

This means that they will be taking on the established leaders in metal 3D printing, which typically rely on zapping high powered laser beams at expensive metal powders. These companies are working on increasing throughput, as well, by adding up to 12 lasers to their machines.

3D Printing Factories

While a fleet of 3D printers may be capable of manufacturing at volume, that doesn’t mean that they’ll necessarily fit into an existing factory operation. In large part, this is due to the fact that they lack mass production-level software.

Now, a handful of startups have emerged to take on the challenge of developing AM-specific software for manufacturing execution systems (MES). These tools make it possible to both manage a fleet of 3D printers and connect them to a company’s existing production software. They typically aid in the entire order-to-fabrication workflow. This means order quoting and tracking, print file preparation, print job monitoring and data collection, printer fleet queuing, quality control, and shipping.

MES software necessarily connects to a business’s existing software tools. This includes product lifecycle management (PLM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), and general IT software. While PLM might include a company’s preferred 3D modeling software, ERP will be made up of everything from payroll programs to tools for tracking overall finances.

MES platforms are now working to take all of the software that a manufacturer might already be working with and inserting 3D printing into the mix. However, they’re not just limiting themselves to AM. Many MES developers are looking to connect with other production equipment, such as CNC machines. Then, with the help of machine learning, the entire workflow can be improved automatically as data from each order and each machine job feeds back into the work cycle. Artificial intelligence is significantly adding to the capabilities of MES software.

3D Printing Quality Control

Perhaps the biggest obstacle to widespread AM adoption is quality control. This is because, with additive, each part is distinct. Every point on the build platform may be slightly different and even the slightest variation in a printing parameter may change the microstructure of the printed object.

In turn, an object printed at one angle will not be the same as one printed at another. And, because parts are built up layer by layer, it is difficult to validate the internal geometries of an item once printing is complete. As a result, the only true way to assure the quality of a printed object is with a CT scan, typically a cost-prohibitive method for inspecting multitudes of parts.

Fortunately, not only are newer CT scanning systems with lower price tags coming onto the market, but there are other tools that are being used to ensure the quality of printed parts. Among them is computer simulation. Companies like ANSYS have developed software that can anticipate any defects that occur during the printing process and compensate for them. Hexagon is taking this one step further by predicting issues at the microscopic level.

Meanwhile, firms like Sigma Labs and Additive Assurance have created hardware to monitor the build chambers of metal 3D printers to detect errors. Increasingly, these tools will enable active feedback so that the machines can quickly correct issues during the print process. When connected with MES software and 3D printing simulation, the equipment can learn from past errors and address them before they even happen in the future.

Altogether, these areas are advancing at incredible rates, in large part because manufacturers see the value in being able to produce objects from digital files on demand. As companies as large as Ford, GE, and Siemens look to 3D printing to produce quality end parts, they are driving the entire additive market to bend to their needs. To reach a whopping $50 billion by the end of the decade, the 3D printing industry has to be capable of making millions of parts for those customers.

Overview of the 3D printing market in 2020

Analytics and business

Experts recommend

Author: Andrey Kombarov

Author: Andrey Kombarov

Additive Manufacturing Trends | Application of 3D printing | A look at additive technologies | Business Strategies for 3D Printing | Overview of the 3D printing industry over the past 6 years | Key Findings

The future of additive manufacturing starts with understanding the goals and expectations of 3D printing users around the world. This was the reason for the launch of an ambitious research project by the French company Sculpteo - the annual State of 3D Printing report. Today it is one of the most authoritative and comprehensive sources of information about the real situation and prospects of the industry.

This year, 1,600 respondents from 71 countries took part in the Sculpteo survey. According to the report, a growing number of companies are realizing the possibilities of additive manufacturing, increasing investments and demonstrating undeniable confidence in the future of professional use of 3D printing.

This material offers a complete overview of the world of additive manufacturing and will help you develop the right business strategy.

In the blog , the State of the 3D Printing Market 2020 is published in abbreviated form. You can download the full version for free in our virtual library:

Additive Manufacturing Trends

Materials

• New and available materials.
• Improving the quality and stability of budget additive technologies.
• Improving post-processing technologies to obtain parts with the highest quality surface.
• 3D printing from multiple materials at once.

Environmental sustainability

• Biodegradable materials and materials of biological origin.
• Manufactured on demand and on site to reduce transport and environmental costs.
• Application of 3D printing to meet the challenges of renewable energy and energy efficiency.

Technology Development

• Improved usability of software and printers
• Mass Production: Printing and 3D Scanning Speed ​​
• Generative design

Availability

• Reducing the cost of 3D printers and materials (metals, photopolymers).
• Low post-processing costs.
• Sharing projects and tools.

3D printing as a full-fledged manufacturing technology in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
2020 results and forecasts: the 3D printing market will grow by 25% annually

Application of 3D printing

The possibilities of 3D printing are growing every day, and with them the scope of its application is expanding. Gradually, companies begin to feel more confident in relation to 3D technologies. 68% of respondents are looking to use additive manufacturing to solve more problems, and 44% of are going to introduce new 3D printing technologies. Most professionals outsource SLS and Jet Fusion printing, as well as metal 3D printing, so they do not need to maintain their own equipment, and this will encourage them to test new technologies.

So what are the most popular 3D printing and post-processing technologies? Let's find out!

We emphasize once again that production volumes using 3D printing continue to grow. We are seeing this growth in research and development and education, which is in line with the increased demand for new materials and technologies in the market.

Click image to enlarge

The use of photopolymers is increasing through both internal and external services, while for metal 3D printing, most users outsource.

Design, testing and prototyping remain the main tasks solved with the help of 3D printing.

Stability and quality control remain a major concern for users seeking to scale up the use of 3D printing.

Most users use SLS, Jet Fusion and metal 3D printing technologies through outsourcing without purchasing equipment.

3D printing users are interested in exploring new applications, technologies and materials.

Typically, 3D printing is used in conjunction with traditional manufacturing methods such as laser cutting, CNC machining, and injection molding.

A look at additive technologies

What do respondents think about 3D printing technologies? In this section, we will look at the main benefits of 3D printing for users and their companies. How exactly does it optimize production processes?

66% of respondents use 3D printing to create parts with complex geometries. Survey participants cite the reduction in iterations, lead times and costs as the most important benefits of this technology.

In this section, we will also look at the future of the additive industry and the factors driving its growth and business adoption. What needs to be done to accelerate the adoption of 3D technologies? Now we'll find out.

As technology and materials become more accessible, the cost savings of 3D printing become clear to more and more users. Many also cite time savings due to reduced iterations and lead times as a benefit.

Set-up costs and lack of knowledge are seen as the main limiting factors for the adoption of 3D printing.

The role of 3D printing in business and manufacturing continues to grow.

New materials and reliable technologies are in demand for more than 55% industries.

Business Strategies for 3D Printing

Additive manufacturing is a huge competitive advantage. With some significant benefits of 3D printing, such as reduced lead times and speed of innovation, the vast majority of respondents view 3D printing as a significant improvement for their business.

As for money, investment in additive technologies is growing every year. Most of these users will increase their investments in 2020! It can also be seen that the vast majority of those surveyed have been using 3D printing for several years and plan to invest more in this technology in the near future. The business world believes in the promise of additive manufacturing.

Let's watch how 3D printing becomes a real asset for companies, helping them develop their business strategy!

63% of see a significant or dramatic impact on sales. Reduced lead times and speed of innovation are the most important success metrics for 3D printing.

Nearly 60% of consider 3D printing one of their strengths compared to the competition.

65% of companies plan to increase their investment in 3D printing in 2020.

The integration of 3D printing into manufacturing processes continues to increase: 74% of actively use 3D printing in their companies.

Overview of the 3D printing industry over the past 6 years

The Sculpteo report offers a look at the analysis of the state of the 3D printing industry for each year since 2015. How has the use of 3D printing evolved over the period 2015-2020? Let's look at the answers of the latest polls.

Large-scale production using 3D printing continues to spread, becoming as commonplace as prototyping and testing.

Accelerating development and offering customized products and limited editions remains a major challenge for companies using 3D printing.

The market share of photopolymers continues to increase, showing significant growth over the past two years.

Key Findings

1. Lack of stability is the Achilles' heel of 3D printing

In order for additive technologies to become an integral part of any production, it is necessary to develop equipment and materials that ensure high stability.

• 51% claims to use 3D printing mostly for quality control purposes.
• 62% of believe the 3D printing industry needs more robust technology to grow.

2. 3D printing is gaining ground in certain industries

Many industries are beginning to increase their use of 3D printing as its role in their manufacturing processes becomes more significant. Users are constantly deepening their knowledge and experience in the application of additive technologies.

• 80% of have been using 3D printing in their companies for over 2 years.
• 33% expect up to 50% increase in investment this year, which is a more conservative estimate than in previous years.

3. 3D printing may not be profitable

For wider use of additive technologies, the cost of manufactured parts must be reduced - this will attract more industries and sectors.

• More than 50% of outsource SLS, Jet Fusion, SLM/DMLS and Binder Jetting to offset equipment and service costs.
• 59% indicate that the cost of organizing production is a limiting factor for the adoption of 3D printing.

4. Changing Perceptions: From Prototyping to Full Manufacturing Technology

Despite the increasing use of 3D printing in manufacturing, its benefits are so far only apparent for prototyping and small-scale production. Businesses need to be shown the real benefits of 3D printing for industrial production.

• 60% report a significant reduction in part cost when using 3D printing.
• 52% of use 3D printing for manufacturing, while 68% of use 3D printing for prototyping.

Download material

Article published on 08/20/2020, updated on 06/11/2021

3D Printing Market Research: 6 Important Trends

Time is the most valuable commodity today. High competition and the emergence of new business models require accelerated development cycles to quickly and flexibly implement innovative ideas. With new, more efficient equipment, high productivity, and a wide choice of materials, 3D printing technology saves time and money in the development and production of parts.

3D printing was originally designed to completely change the principles of production. The technology has a number of strategic advantages, such as design flexibility, reduced time to market, mass customization, distributed manufacturing, and many others. Despite some difficulties, 3D printing continues to show undeniable advantages.

Over the past few years, Jabil, a global manufacturing services company, has sponsored three 3D printing trend studies to help guide additive manufacturing and assess current realities. The 2021 survey surveyed more than 300 people responsible for making 3D printing decisions in manufacturing companies. The report allows you to get acquainted with the experience and opinion of professionals working "at the forefront". Respondents work in a wide range of industries, including electronics, plastics and packaging, industrial engineering, automotive, healthcare, and many others, giving us a comprehensive understanding of the 3D printing market and how additive technologies are being used.

1. The field of 3D printing is rapidly expanding

Thirty years is a very short time when it comes to traditional production methods. Additive technologies are revolutionizing a wide variety of industries.

The results of the last two surveys contrast sharply with the information that was obtained during the first survey in 2017. Even in the past two years, the adoption of 3D printing has increased significantly. The rise in popularity and expansion of the scope of additive manufacturing is clearly seen in the present study.

In 2017, the most popular answer to the question “what is 3D printing used for in your company?” was the answer "for rapid prototyping". Seven out of ten respondents confirmed the use of 3D printing for this purpose. The remaining answer options lag far behind the first: only three out of ten respondents chose the second option (tooling production). Since then, the scope of 3D printing has expanded significantly.

R&D has become the most popular area for 3D printing, ahead of prototyping. At the same time, there is a sharp increase in application scenarios in other areas. Since 2017, the proportion of companies using additive manufacturing to manufacture parts and tooling has doubled, and the use of these methods for mass production of parts has tripled.

Nearly 100% of study participants reported that they use 3D printing to produce functional or final parts. Undoubtedly, the scale of their production varies. Nearly 80% of respondents report using additive manufacturing to make at least 25-50% of functional parts.

Improvements in 3D printers allow companies to experiment with additive technologies in areas where they were previously unavailable. As the price of 3D printers declines and their productivity rises, the technology will become more accessible and will change the manufacturing industry as a whole.

2. The growth of additive manufacturing: forecasts are more optimistic than ever

Prospects for the development of 3D printing are extremely positive. Market participants are confident in a significant increase in the popularity of technology in the future. 97% of respondents believe that the adoption of 3D printing in their companies will grow in the next five years.

Most of the study participants believe that the use of 3D printers in their organizations will at least double over this period of time. Nearly half of respondents expect usage to double, and 4 out of 10 expect much more significant increases (5x or more). In addition to the growing popularity of additive technologies, a significant role in expanding their use, as already mentioned, will be played by their availability.

Companies in general plan to increase their additive capacity, but the highest expectations are in mass production of parts and goods. Slightly more than 80% of respondents expect that the use of additive technologies for mass production of products in their organizations will grow at least twice over the next five years.

H. 3D printing brings many benefits to companies

During the first study, many of the benefits were perceived as "intangible" concepts. However, over the past few years, use cases have increased, concepts have become reality, and two years later, respondents are even more inspired by the benefits of additive technologies. We have identified three main benefits of additive manufacturing according to reviews.

Perhaps the rise in popularity of 3D printing is not a coincidence, but is due to increased demand for additive manufacturing during the COVID-19 crisis. As the pandemic spread, companies with 3D printers began to produce personal protective equipment such as respirators and masks that suddenly became scarce. When developing new diagnostic equipment and analysis kits, the use of 3D printing has accelerated the process of prototyping and design.

Respondents chose faster manufacturing of parts as the main benefit of additive manufacturing. Jabil saw this first hand: indeed, the desire to eliminate the labor-intensive iterative process was the driving force behind the introduction of additive manufacturing into the Auburn Hills facility. Not only did it speed up workflows, but it also helped reduce costs by being able to immediately recreate the exact geometry (no need to cut off excess material). In fact, savings amounted to 30-40% on tooling and 80% on lead times.

“With the power of 3D printing, every aspect of manufacturing has been greatly improved,” said John Wahl VI, Tooling Engineer at Jabil's Auburn Hills facility. “The first aspect is time, the second is a more creative approach, the third is costs, the fourth is materials.”

According to the distribution by job level, senior managers are more optimistic about the benefits of 3D printing than department heads. Since it is the leaders who shape the vision (and plan the budget) for the future of the company, everything points to the further spread of 3D printing.

4. 3D printing materials become more affordable

Compared to 2019, companies are using many more types of 3D printing materials. Despite the fact that plastics/polymers are still leading the way, other materials are not losing ground and are catching up. This confirms our conclusion that the scope of 3D printing is expanding.

When it comes to primary material, the difference between plastic and metal in 3D printing is not as big as you might think. More than a third of respondents answered that they use plastic and metal equally, and those who choose only plastics are only 10% more.

Certainly some problems must be overcome in order to use some materials. More than half of the respondents (twice as many as in 2019) said that it takes too long to develop the necessary materials. Slightly more survey participants said that some materials are too expensive for large-scale use, and are not available or certified.

However, as these problems are overcome, interest in different materials increases. When you look at what materials companies actually use and what they would like to use, plastic still comes out on top. At the same time, the desire to use almost all materials exceeds the current use. It is noteworthy that the interest in printing with glass exceeds the actual use by 20%, ceramics - by 14%, metal - by 10%. It will be interesting to see the changes in the use of materials in the next two years.

5. Additive manufacturing is still a source of problems

Despite the optimistic view of the development of additive manufacturing, companies still have to solve a number of problems associated with 3D printing. In 2019, half of respondents cited material costs as a problem, but this year only about two-fifths did so. All problems are located approximately on the same level: most of them fluctuate around 40%.

However, many of the current problems are related to costs, since 95% of respondents reported financial barriers to adopting additive manufacturing. Obtaining appropriate qualifications and certifications is the main challenge, followed by capital expenditures associated with equipment and the need for in-house specialists.

In 2021, pre- and post-processing costs have become a major concern. Companies are using more and more pre- and post-processing methods. In 2019, just over half of respondents reported using mechanical finishing, now it is almost three-quarters, with no polishing being the most common option. Given that the use of all processing methods has increased significantly, it is possible that companies are experiencing growth difficulties. If these problems continue to be given priority attention, they can be overcome.

6. Training of specialists is a priority

Now about three-quarters of the respondents are engaged in additive manufacturing on their own. Given that half of the time they chose “lack of in-house talent” as their problem, it can be assumed that companies are prioritizing educating their employees about additive manufacturing or attracting professionals with experience and knowledge in the field of 3D printing.

This does not mean that organizations are opposed to outsourcing additive manufacturing: in fact, almost 100% of respondents said they were considering this option. When looking at potential suppliers, companies take into account a variety of criteria. Design capability is key, and scalability, pricing, and experience continue the list.

We are seeing significant growth in 3D printing in some areas. In others, this growth is still small. Four years ago, companies used 3D printers primarily for fast, low-cost prototyping: Few businesses relied on additive manufacturing for full-scale production. However, in just four years, as the problems with materials for additive manufacturing were solved and the scope of its use increased, the situation has changed. We have seen how 3D printing has literally taken over many manufacturing industries, which is reflected in the growth of market performance. Slowly but surely, the adoption of additive manufacturing continues. Digital manufacturing is the future.

Learn more

• 
  Contour crafting 3d printer
• 
  3D printer using metal
• 
  3D printer for drone parts
• 
  Best 3d printers for jewellery
• 
  Painters tape 3d printing
• 
  Start up 3d printing companies
• 
  3D print xbox one controller stand
• 
  3D printer pen gif
• 
  Arduino 3d printer instructables
• 
  Best rated 3d printers
• 
  3D printed darksaber