Market for 3D printing is growing faster than expected

Using key industry data and based on a recent survey of more than 700 engineers worldwide, Protolabs' annual 3D Printing Trends Report shows a positive sentiment within the market, boosted in particular by small- and large-format 3D printing applications, and a growing potential for additive manufacturing at production level as the technology's applications increasingly move beyond prototyping.

The most important results: The market for 3D printing is growing 10.5 percent faster than previously assumed. The total volume of this market is estimated to reach 25.89 billion euros by 2024. By the end of 2028, the market for additive manufacturing will reach a volume of 52.7 billion US dollars. 70 percent of companies will have printed more parts in 2023 than in 2022. 77 percent of respondents stated that the medical industry has the greatest potential for the use of 3D printing technologies.

Additive manufacturing: Potential for production

The results of the Protolabs study clearly show, among other things, that the central fields of application of additive manufacturing are increasingly evolving from prototyping to a variety of manufacturing applications. The annual report also shows that a steady production volume is being served by 3D printing: The number of respondents who stated that they had printed more than ten parts in the comparative period rose from 36% in 2020 to 49% in 2021, reaching a new high of 76% in the current 2023 survey.

The attitude of design and engineering teams towards the interaction between additive processes and production is also changing: the factor "production volume and scalability" was cited by 45 percent of respondents as the main reason for preferring other manufacturing methods to 3D printing - a slight decrease from 47 percent in the previous year.

Innovative materials on the rise

Furthermore, the report shows that a comprehensive range of available materials and printing technologies will play a crucial role in shaping future use cases. For example, almost a third of respondents said that multi-material printing will have the biggest impact on 3D printing, followed by hybrid manufacturing, which combines additive manufacturing with traditional manufacturing and fabrication processes.

Industry experts also emphasize the importance of the materials available for 3D printing. For example, future market launches of highly specialized materials developed for 3D printing applications will offer even more room for innovation. Adam Hecht from 3DP design studio Dive explained: "Many companies are currently developing material blends that are explicitly and exclusively adapted to additive manufacturing. The main focus here is on adapting the materials to the different fields of application - be it conventional thermoplastics that have been newly developed for 3D printing or resins that are not only suitable for prototyping, but also for very special applications with high temperatures and high elasticity."

AI as a driving force

The enthusiasm surrounding artificial intelligence can be felt in almost every industry. 3D printing is no exception. The Protolabs survey shows that although the great expectation of a complete revolution within the industry through AI has not yet been fully realized, intelligent 3D printers are getting smarter, which has a significant impact on the user experience. Almost a third of respondents cited automatic print optimization as the most important influencing factor of AI, followed by non-planar FDM printing through improved slicer software (25 percent). In addition, respondents believe that design for additive manufacturing will also benefit from AI innovations, for example in terms of topology optimization, multiphysics process simulation and AI-generated CAD.

For Protolabs, the results of the study also suggest that German industry and business need to focus more on the opportunities and possibilities of additive manufacturing in order to fully benefit from the technology.