Formlabs just published their first research, fittingly titled “2022 3D Printing Application Report.” The business performed the market study in cooperation with Industry Week and Machine Design in November 2021
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The research especially reveals how much 3D printing adoption and mindset has changed. According to Formlabs report , the utilization of additive manufacturing has evolved over the last two years. This is due to changes in customer behavior and requirements. Furthermore, the survey clearly demonstrated what we have already begun to see: 3D printers are being utilized for more industrial applications, including end-use components, in addition to prototyping.
Maxim Lobovsky, co-founder and CEO of Formlabs, noted in the study’s introduction that the pandemic was a critical turning point in the digital revolution. “Over the last several years, we’ve witnessed a significant spread of digital fabrication applications into manufacturing processes,” he said. We’ve seen 3D printing provide flexibility, decrease risk, improve workflows, and assist traditional manufacturing methods in new and interesting ways, accelerated by COVID supply chain disruptions.” Manufacturing has benefitted the most, he noted, with corporations rapidly growing their own 3D printing capacities.
What You Will Learn From The Report (From the Website)
No longer primarily the domain of hobbyists, powerful, reliable 3D printers have developed into essential tools for businesses. 3D printing can increase manufacturing speeds, reduce costs, enable rapid prototyping, and facilitate innovative products and designs. But how is the 3D printing landscape changing? What new applications are gaining traction? That’s what this report is all about.
Our respondents belong to industries such as: manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, consumer goods, and more. We surveyed a wide range of users, from early adopters (those that have been 3D printing for five years or more), to recent adopters (those who have made their first investments in the past two years). Formlabs report also included a group of businesses who have yet to make their first investments into 3D printing in order to better understand potential roadblocks to future adoption.
Here are some questions we wanted answered:
- Given the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on global supply chains, has 3D printing played a bigger role in solving supply chain issues?
- With the decline in prices for desktop and benchtop 3D printers, including machines like the Fuse 1 SLS printer, has there been increased adoption of manufacturing systems for end-use parts?
- The 3D printing industry has been growing consistently over the years. Is the growth coming from the same or new applications?
- Has investment in 3D printing peaked, or will the market continue to grow? If so, why?
- Which types of printer technology are the most popular, and has that changed over the past few years?
Let’s examine one of these questions: is 3D printing playing a bigger role in addressing supply chain challenges? Our survey data shows the answer is a resounding yes.
Due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic, many new benefits of in-house 3D printing have surfaced. Recent adopters of additive manufacturing seem to have looked to 3D printing to help them during the pandemic, with 57% of them “agreeing” or “strongly agreeing” that their internal 3D printing capabilities are helping to solve supply chain issues. This trend is heavily skewed towards recent adopters, showing that the next generation of 3D printing users see a wider-range of business applications for their printers.
| RECENT ADOPTERS | EARLY ADOPTERS |
|---|---|
| 57% | 22% |
This is a trend that should continue into the future. Formlabs expects that as businesses expand the ways they use 3D printing, they will not revert back fully to traditional manufacturing methods. In this case, protecting themselves from external supply chain shocks is a major new benefit that few businesses will want to surrender. Be it massive storms, blocked trade routes, or a global pandemic, 3D printing enables small-batch production and easy machine repair to keep businesses running even when shipments are delayed.
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The 2022 3D Printing Applications Report is packed full of information on the current state of the 3D printing industry. It covers changes in perceived benefits (such as addressing supply chain shocks) of 3D printing, to adoption of new applications, and more.
