Report Predicts Rapid Growth for Rapid Prototyping, 2 in a Series

By DE Editors

Frost & Sullivan says world rapid prototyping equipment markets, which includes revenue forecasts, technology developments, and market trends in the industry,reached a total market value of $300 million in 2006.  Frost & Sullivan expects that figure to reach $859.4 million in 2013.

The report covers 3D printers and high-end rapid prototyping equipment. In addition, Frost & Sullivan breaks the market into segments based on application: concept modeling, rapid prototyping, and rapid manufacturing.

According to the report, the evolution of 3D printers now makes concept modeling and rapid prototyping affordable for most end users, fueling explosive growth in this area. Despite this activity, most manufacturers are not using rapid prototyping.

“Even though rapid prototyping has been adopted early on by the automotive and aerospace markets, research indicates that only a handful of companies, about 15 to 20 percent of the end users worldwide, have taken advantage of the various rapid prototyping technologies,” says Frost & Sullivan Senior Research Analyst S. Vidyasankar. “This clearly demonstrates that the technology's potential has not reached the end users over the years, and thus highlights the need to elevate their awareness levels.”

“There is also an increasing interest and growing trend toward services within the rapid prototyping market,” says Vidyasankar.

Frost & Sullivan
Palo Alto, CA
frost.com