The fourth quarter of 2022 capped a robust yr for additive manufacturing markets, in keeping with SmarTech Evaluation. Even within the face of unsure financial situations, the expansion charge for all 3D printing {hardware}, supplies, software program, and companies develop by 23% in 2022. The year-end spending on additive manufacturing hit $13.5 billion.
Sectors within the business expanded at completely different charges. The metals market grew 25%, to $4.9 billion, whereas the polymers market grew 20%, to $7.3 billion. The software program phase reached $1.2 billion, and the additive manufacturing companies totaled $6.0 billion.
Sector-by-Sector Progress
The massive movers in additive adoption continued to be aerospace and dental. In each industries, 3D printing has morphed right into a matured manufacturing course of. But different sectors are actually exhibiting robust progress. “Although the aerospace business drove progress in additive manufacturing during the last decade, adopted by medical/dental, different sectors are beginning to meet up with rising adoption, notably main as much as and after COVID hit,” Michael Molitch-Hou, editor-in-chief of 3DPrint.com, informed Design Information. “Particularly, automotive and, extra just lately, oil and gasoline, have been utilizing the expertise at rising charges.”
One other change available in the market is the acceptance of 3D-printed components in automotive manufacturing. “Whereas automotive has lengthy been a consumer of the expertise since its inception within the Eighties and 90s, automotive has solely begun utilizing 3D printing for finish components extra just lately. Beforehand it was too costly for implementation,” mentioned Molitch-Hou. “Now, there are greater throughput printers in the marketplace that scale back the associated fee.”
A brand new participant in additive manufacturing within the vitality sector. “For the oil and gasoline business, the vitality transition pushed by local weather change and excessive fossil gasoline costs, is demanding that the price of vitality be diminished,” mentioned Molitch-Hou. “Ideally, this may be carried out via the adoption of renewable vitality applied sciences, however extra realistically, fossil gasoline firms and customers are doing this by adopting additive manufacturing to enhance the effectivity of programs that depend on fossil fuels, reminiscent of extra energy-efficient engines and energy mills.”
Progress Slowed Barely within the Second Half of 2022
Whereas progress in 3D printing throughout 2023 was aggressive, the second half slowed a bit. “Most areas grew aggressively within the first half of the yr, and nonetheless achieved progress within the second half regardless of the deteriorating financial outlook,” Scott Durham, EVP of analysis at SmarTech Evaluation, informed Design Information. “Nonetheless, within the metals phase – which grew a little bit quicker in comparison with nonmetal 3D printing – the realm of powders utilized by additive manufacturing machines grew fairly a bit in 2022, practically 50%.”
The general progress through the years was balanced by protection and aerospace. “Business progress could have occurred no matter all the provision chain shakeups that are usually credited for lots of renewed curiosity in additive manufacturing as a result of multi-year improvement initiatives now choosing up steam. The entire exercise within the protection/hypersonics and aerospace sectors helped so much,” mentioned Durham.
The Pull for Producers
A lot of the expansion in 3D printing has been pushed by producers which are adopting the expertise at a larger velocity than in earlier years. “The worth proposition hasn’t modified – it is all about getting components that may be very tough to supply so much quicker, and in lots of instances with decrease total value,” mentioned Durham. “Generally that is via inventive design work to mix components that would not be potential in any other case; generally it’s about making issues with out the necessity for a mould or tooling. Within the post-pandemic provide chain world, this worth proposition has turn out to be much more related.”
Provide chain points are nonetheless behind a variety of the choices to make the most of 3D printing. “The most important driver of adoption proper now could be provide chain resilience. COVID and the navy battle between Russia and Ukraine, amongst different macro occasions, have highlighted points within the provide chain that require native, on-demand options,” mentioned Molitch-Hou. “3D printing showcased its potential to execute this throughout COVID and now, producers perceive the potential of the expertise in the long run.”
One other mover in 3D printing progress is authorities incentives to buffer unstable provide chains. “Nationwide governments are implementing a wide range of applications which are directed at provide chain resilience, which is being handed onto the additive manufacturuing business and designed to combine the expertise into the provision chain of conventional producers,” mentioned Molitch-Hou. “This can solely be compounded as vitality transition is extra totally pursued as a result of a lot of that can require native, on-demand manufacturing utilizing as few supplies and as little vitality as potential, one thing that AM is optimally positioned to attain.”
