3D Printing Metals Market Continues to Grow

A report from IDTechEx Research expects the 3D printing metals market to expand to $12 billion by 2028. The report, “3D Printing Metals 2018-2028: Technology and Market Analysis,” features an analysis of the industry’s rapid growth since 3D print commercialization in the 1990s and evaluates implications for the future. More than 30 company profiles from manufacturers such as EOS, Concept Laser, and Arcam AB are included.

Key takeaways include:

A report from IDTechEx Research expects the 3D printing metals market to expand to $12 billion by 2028. The report, “3D Printing Metals 2018-2028: Technology and Market Analysis,” features an analysis of the industry’s rapid growth since 3D print commercialization in the 1990s and evaluates implications for the future. More than 30 company profiles from manufacturers such as EOS, Concept Laser, and Arcam AB are included.

Key takeaways include:

• Direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) remains the leading printer technology, with a market share of 84 percent at the end of 2016.
• Nascent metal printing technologies such as liquid metal deposition, metal and polymer filament extrusion, and electroplating remain uncommercialized as of 2016, but IDTechEx expects them to “take significant market share over the medium to long term as they compete with established technologies on price and specification,” according to a release.
• Printer sales in recent years have seen exponential growth rates, which is expected to continue as new technologies hit the market with lower prices.
• The total installed base for metal printers is expected to see a CAGR of 23 percent between 2018 and 2028.
• Material revenues are predicted to grow at a faster rate than printer revenues, due to a combination of customers seeking more cost-effective printers and materials suppliers serving a continually increasing customer base.

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The report also includes analysis and growth potential of the latest technologies; key market growth drivers and restraints; direct comparison of new printer specifications with current market technology; insights into established 3D printer technologies, including DMLS, electron beam melting (EBM), directed energy deposition (DED), and binder jetting; and discussion of key technological capabilities, applicable markets, SWOT analyses, and key manufacturers for each type of printer. The report is now available through IDTechEx.

For more on 3D printing in the functional field, read Julia Goldstein’s “The Migration of Printed Electronics to 3D.”