Industries Benefit from Additive Fabrication Technology

By DE Editors

According to the Wohlers Report 2007, 29 system manufacturers and 56 service providers responded to a survey by Wohlers Associates (Fort Collins, CO) earlier this year. These 85 companies provided information based on knowledge of their customers-an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 total organizations.

The survey asked each company to indicate which industries they serve and the approximate revenues (as a percentage) that they receive from each. The chart shows that consumer products and electronics is the leading sector, similar to the past two years. Motor vehicles, government/military, and industrial machinery experienced small increases, while academic institutions, consumer products and electronics, and medical/dental experienced small declines.

"Architectural and GIS" (geographical information systems) was added this year, which partly accounts for a drop of 5.2 percentage points in the "Other" category. Last year, it was 11.2%. "Other" includes a wide range of niche industries, such as non-consumer sporting goods, commercial marine products, and various other industries that do not fit into the named categories.

This information was provided by the Wohlers Report 2007, a 220-page global study that focuses on the advances in additive fabrication worldwide. A detailed overview of the report is available from Wohlers Associates.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.