The 3D printing industry has entered a new year, with many exciting opportunities looming on the horizon.    To give you an idea of what to expect in the 3D printing industry in the year ahead, we’ve reached out to 20 3D printing industry experts. Below, they share their vision and expectations of how 3D printing will evolve in 2020.    1. John Barnes, Founder of The Barnes Group Advisors:   ‘I think, coming out of Formnext, the feeling I very much got was that the “tire kicking” in AM for the early movers is closing, ...

The market for 3D printing materials is growing rapidly. Demand is increasing, with more companies buying additive manufacturing (AM) hardware and scaling their AM usage. In 2019, the AM materials market is valued at $1.5 billion. In the next five years, it’s expected to grow into a whopping $4.5 billion opportunity.   With such an opportunity at hand, material suppliers, particularly giant chemical companies and metal producers, are becoming increasingly involved in the industry. Alongside developing new materials, they are contributing heavily to the industrialisation of AM.    In today’s article, we’ll delve into ...

Check out Part 1 of AM Around the World series, which explores the adoption of 3D printing in North America and Europe.     Asia-Pacific (APAC) is transforming into the fastest growing 3D printing market. The region is expected to grow at the highest rate of 18% and to spend $3.6 billion on 3D printing within the next 5 years.    Until recently, the region has been lagging behind in 3D printing’s adoption, compared to North America and Europe. However, growing interest from APAC manufacturing companies and the introduction of many government-led strategies and policies ...

North America and Europe remain the two regions with the largest share in the additive manufacturing (AM) market. A considerable number of companies developing, adopting or investing in AM are headquartered in these regions, making them hotbeds of technology advancements.    At the same time, however, North America and Europe could be at risk of losing their role as leaders in AM to the rapidly growing AM market in Asia.    So how is the 3D printing industry evolving in these regions? And what should North America and Europe do to secure their competitiveness?    [caption ...

Over the last 12 months, many railway companies, including Deutsche Bahn, Bombardier and Angel Trains, have invested in 3D printing or have been ramping up their 3D printing capabilities.    16 per cent of companies in the logistics and transportation sector are now using 3D printing to manufacture spare parts, according to a recent report by EY.    What is driving this adoption?    In this week’s Application Spotlight, we’ll be looking at the drivers behind the increased adoption of additive manufacturing (AM) in the railway industry, alongside exploring the most exciting use cases.    Take a look ...

Design flexibility, material efficiency and viable low-volume production are just some of the reasons why companies have increasingly turned to additive manufacturing (AM). But to make the most of AM in production, there are still some issues to tackle.    Below, we’re looking at some of the most pressing challenges the technology needs to overcome to accelerate its adoption:    Technological challenges    1. Slow production speeds  [caption id="attachment_9572" align="aligncenter" width="700"] EOS's LaserProFusion technology will be equipped with up toa million of diode lasers to enable faster SLS 3D printing [Image credit: EOS] [/caption]   No one would argue ...

Without a doubt, 2019 is an exciting time for 3D printing. The industry continues to move towards industrialisation, and the technology is increasingly becoming part of the wider manufacturing ecosystem.   But in such a rapidly evolving industry, it can be difficult to keep up with the key trends that are driving the future of 3D printing.     To help you better understand where 3D printing is headed, we’ve sifted through over 30 of our Expert Interviews conducted over the last 12 months and extracted key insights as to what the future holds for ...

[Image credit: Ultimaker]   Earlier this month, desktop 3D printer manufacturer, Ultimaker, announced a new branding strategy, aimed at strengthening its focus as a B2B company.    Ultimaker’s new business trajectory points to a broader trend within the 3D printing market: the shift towards industrial applications of the technology, as businesses begin to recognise the industrial potential of 3D printing. And Ultimaker is not the only company reflecting this trend.   In today’s article, we’ll explore key examples that demonstrate how 3D printing has evolved to become an industrial, business solution.   Making the leap from consumer to ...

What are the secrets to a successful additive manufacturing operation?   This is a question posed by many indusry stakeholders, as additive manufacturing increasingly moves towards end-part production. While 3D printing has come a long way, particularly over the last 10 years, there remain core challenges that need to be addressed.   The 3 pillars of 3D printing success The keys to a successful AM operation lie in 3 crucial areas:   1. Hardware 2. Materials 3. Software   These elements make up what we've termed the 3 pillars of industrial 3D printing, as the technology's move into end-part ...