A new report on the metal 3D printing market estimates that its revenues reached $2.85 billion in 2022, corresponding to year-on-year growth of 26%. Published by VoxelMatters Research, it highlights the importance of additive manufacturing machines in this sector. More than half the revenue comes from the development of 3D equipment, followed by services and materials. Aerospace is the highest earning business sector. If growth continues at this rate, the market could reach $40 billion by 2032 – a much higher estimate than the one made last year by IDTechEx.
The study surveyed more than 400 companies in the metal additive manufacturing sector. This includes 3D equipment manufacturers, materials manufacturers, and service providers. The report includes more than 170 tables and charts analysing sectors like automotive, medical, aerospace, energy, and consumer goods. It gives an extensive overview of metal 3D printing technologies, focusing on lesser-known processes such as cold spraying and friction stir welding. The aim is to show that there are other possibilities beyond mainstream powder-based processes.
We haven’t yet fully reviewed the report, but it appears to emphasise the verticals that use metal 3D printing, with aerospace leading the pack. This is expected, considering the rapid adoption of additive manufacturing by this sector for tooling, prototyping, and finished parts. Major market players such as Airbus and Boeing have established dedicated centers that use various metal solutions to meet their sector’s demands. There are still some challenges that need to be addressed, such as process and material certification, but progress is being made swiftly and the market is more mature than ever before.
In terms of players, Germany is a pioneer of the technology, and more specifically of the laser-melting powder bed process, with historic manufacturers such as EOS, Trumpf and SLM Solutions. In Asia, Chinese companies are more focused on powder-based processes, while Japan seems to be specializing in DED technologies. Finally, the study underlines that the American market is topping the charts with the most national players generating the highest revenues. The U.S. market is therefore very active and dynamic, driven by players such as Desktop Metal, GE Additive, 3D Systems and Velo3D.
The future looks bright for metal additive manufacturing, even if it’s still a long way off from the figures for the polymer market. To access the full study, it is available for order HERE.
“Why did the 3D printer go to therapy? Because it had too many layers of unresolved issues!”
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