Pick of the Week: Wohlers Report 2007

By Anthony J. Lockwood

Wohlers Associates (Fort Collins, CO) has released the 2007 edition of its annual review and analysis of additive fabrication — i.e., rapid prototyping — technology and applications as well as the global business of rapid prototyping.

The Wohlers Report 2007, like its predecessors, covering all facets of additive fabrication, including business, product, market, technology, research, and applications. Technology coverage ranges from modeling to prototyping, tooling, series production, and applications that are not as widely known. In addition to the growing range of applications and technologies, Wohlers Report 2007 investigates the challenges organizations confront as they try to understand leverage of this RP technology.

Wohlers Report 2007

Topics discussed in Wohlers Report 2007 include the industries embracing the technology, annual revenues from products and services, growth estimates, sales forecasts, and investor information. It also provides current information on trends and developments in the areas of service providers, system manufacturers, cast metal parts, direct metal fabrication, advanced approaches to tooling, and new applications in rapid manufacturing.

The study also reports on new developments in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and other parts of the world, follows the advances in the materials used for additive processes, highlights opportunities in medical modeling, and lists applications and technologies for 3D scanning and reverse engineering. Emerging technologies, government-sponsored research and development, and college and university education and research are also covered. Wohlers Report 2007 also offers a discussion on the future of additive fabrication—where it is headed and what to expect—to assist in strategic planning and investing.

The 220-page, softbound Wohlers Report 2007 was developed with input from 50 co-authors, 56 service providers, 29 system manufacturers, and many others worldwide, according to Wohlers Associates. It includes 32 charts and graphs, 47 tables, 97 photographs and illustrations, and eight appendices. It costs $475 (US), which includes Priority Mail shipping. For complete details, click here.