3D printing industry: a market featuring explosive growth but still in its teething stages

3D printing emerged back in the 1980s, but its development has only recently entered the fast lane. However, the level of uptake and maturity in this booming sector varies according to the application and the sector of industry.

After chatting with sector professionals and gathering information, I came up with the idea of providing a sit-rep of the 3D printing market. I have also included the challenges that professionals need to overcome in their quest to win new market shares.

1. An increasingly mature range of solutions with growing competition

According to US industry analysis firm SmarTech Publishing, the additive manufacturing market generated revenue of $9.3 billion in 2018. According to forecasts, that figure is expected to exceed the $10 billion mark in 2019.

SmarTech Publishing’s report shows that the use of additive manufacturing technologies is increasing in many sectors, especially the automotive industry.

The market is home to a number of players, whether printer manufacturers, software vendors, hardware manufacturers or 3D printing service providers.

Newcomers are constantly flocking to the market, which in turn is driving up the level of competition. Companies need to step up their efforts to offer a competitive range of solutions and stand out from their rivals.

In recent years, the technology has come along in leaps and bounds, which explains why today’s solutions are so mature, such as the ability to print metal parts and the progress achieved in bioprinting tissue, organs and bones. At the same time, the market is opening its doors to new sectors that until now have been restricted to governments (military, aviation, aerospace, and so on). 

The major downside is that teams lack the necessary skills. There are very few courses for engineers on 3D printing and prototyping techniques. Companies will need to earmark funds to train their employees.

But the opportunities inherent in the new generation born in the digital era will surely reverse this trend in just a few years. It is down to the market to continue breaking new ground in an attempt to entice the new generation!

As Eduardo Alonson summarized during the 3D Print show in Lyon back in June, the aim is to “improve productivity and integrate into the factory of the future.“

The onus is now on sector professionals to demystify the technology and convince engineers and designers of the potential benefits that can be harnessed with 3D printing processes.

2. Diversify and mainstream the solutions available to gain a competitive advantage

Sector professionals agree in saying that it is hard to generate new business opportunities in a competitive market where prospects are not always mature.

In addition to generating leads, which remains high on the priority list for most professionals, they are all aware of the need to forge a solid brand image, communicate to maximize exposure and educate their audience.

To convince and win over prospects, continual innovation is the key to satisfying manufacturers’ needs. New alloys, certification, time savings, product quality… these are just some of the points that are an integral part of the industry of the future, which sector professionals need to be capable of delivering. To stand out from the competition and win new market shares, professionals need to be on the cutting edge of technology.

Additive manufacturing is shaking up an entire supply chain and spawning new design and production methods within industries. Such radical changes are not easy to incorporate.

As with any revolution, major efforts must be made to mainstream, popularize and raise awareness of the technology to guarantee its uptake.

Manufacturers must be clear on the advantages of using additive manufacturing.

They will be on the lookout for content that can help improve their skills on the subject of 3D printing.

The lack of skills and knowledge on additive manufacturing is a major hurdle standing in the way of the technology’s adoption.

According to the “State of 3D Printing” survey by Sculpteo, 51% of respondents claimed that they apply 3D printing technologies for production. That number was a mere 17% in 2015!

However, 60% of people using 3D printing solutions claimed that they learned how to use the technology “on the job”.

These engineers and designers taught themselves by using the tools directly and reading up on the subject on the Internet.

When it comes to taking full advantage of 3D printing, 40.7% of respondents believe that training and education are essential for the industry to continue growing.

14% of respondents consider that the lack of training is even holding back the widespread use of 3D printing.

Therefore, companies working in additive manufacturing will have every interest in offering educational content and even training courses on their tools if they are to provide users with a superior experience, gain a competitive advantage and win new market shares.