Report: Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing Industry Grows 24.1%

By DE Editors

Wohlers Associates, Inc. has announced the publication of Wohlers Report 2011, an annual global study on the additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing state of the industry. This 270-page report marks its 16th consecutive year of publication.

Additive manufacturing is the process of joining materials to make objects from 3D model data, usually layer upon layer, as opposed to subtractive manufacturing methodologies. Additive manufacturing is used to build physical models, prototypes, patterns, tooling components, and production parts in plastic, metal, and composite materials.

The new report documents the latest developments in additive manufacturing technologies, including the explosive growth of low-cost “personal” systems that support the do-it-yourself “maker movement.” It discusses other trends in the industry, such as the rapid development of metal materials and the increasing use of these technologies for the production of end-use products.

According to Wohlers Report 2011, the AM industry rebounded strongly in 2010 from the global economic recession. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of revenues produced by all AM products and services in 2010 was 24.1%. In 2009, the industry declined by 9.7%. The CAGR for the industry's 23-year history is 26.2%.

“I am happy to see the additive manufacturing industry recover as quickly as it has,” says Tim Caffrey, associate consultant at Wohlers Associates and a major contributor of content and editorial for the new edition of the report. “We expect the industry to continue its strong double-digit growth over the next several years.” Wohlers Associates conservatively forecasts industry-wide growth to be $3.1 billion by 2016 and $5.2 billion by 2020.

The report includes new sections on intellectual property and product liability implications, and expanded information on end-use part production. It also includes industry growth estimates and forecasts, new developments and business opportunities, emerging applications, research and development, and where the industry is headed in the future. The study was created with support from 58 co-authors, 70 service providers, 32 system manufacturers, and many others worldwide. To support the review and analysis, the report includes 43 charts and graphs, 60 tables, and 176 photographs and illustrations.

The report is priced at $495 and is available in PDF form.

For more information, including the report’s table of contents, visit Wohlers Associates.

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