A new report from technology market research firm Canalys predicts annual global growth of 44 per cent for the 3D printing
industry.
The report put the value of the industry – including
printers, materials and services – at $US 3.3 billion last year. It predicts
the meteoric pace of growth to continue, and the figure to reach $US 20.2
billion in 2019.
Additive manufacturing would continue to spread into
more and more industries, and 3D printing companies would establish their own
niches.
“Long-existing
vendors such as Stratasys and 3D Systems are well placed to take advantage of
this growth but may find their dominant positions challenged by newer rivals,” said analyst Joe Kempton in a statement.
According to Kempton’s firm, major growth had been in
extrusion technologies (such as used deposition modeling), but vat polymerisation would play a
bigger role in future.
The report follows the release earlier this month of
the annual Wohlers Report, also
surveying the global state of the industry. It calculated the worldwide value of the industry to be $US 4.1 billion in 2014.
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