3D Printing Market Size & Share Analysis - Trends, Drivers, Competitive Landscape, and Forecasts (2024 - 2030)

3D Printing Market Size

3D Printing Market Trends & Drivers

Efficient Use of Material, Less Labor and Transportation Costs

The advantages offered by the technology, such as reduced material usage, less labor cost, decreased transportation cost is impacting the manufacturers and fueling growth of the market. It offers the technology, which is quite helpful in reducing the amount of material used compared the subtractive manufacturing. The scraps left from the jobs, such as metal cutting are wasted and may be destroyed in some other processes, theoretically it produces no waste. Practically some waste is inevitable in the post production supports and some in production contamination, but the waste still can be reduced to below 10% fueling the growth of global 3D printing market.

As 3D printing is an automatic process, it cuts down the cost of labor associated with the traditional manufacturing. Although, some additional cost of appointing skilled labor is added but it still proves to be lower than the labor cost in large and complex applications. There are many implications with the labor in traditional process, such as injuries, emergencies and intentional leaves that harm the businesses, this is curbed by the use of this technique.

Growth Opportunity

DDM is the process that makes the required parts directly using CAD or other data, to drive an additive manufacturing. Companies are integrating DDM process into their business processes to eliminate investment in tooling, disregard time lag between design and production, and eliminate penalty for redesign. DDM is used for fabrication and assembly testing and making of end- user parts. DDM offers shorter lead times and allow immediate design changes in prototype stages. 3D printing technologies enable DDM to accomplish these objectives, which in turn increases the demand for 3D printing. Hence, due to these reasons the use of DDM would lead to the expansion of 3D printing in DDM in the coming years.

3D Printing Market Analysis

Printers are Majorly Used

The printer category accounted for the largest share of more than 40% in 2022 in terms of revenue. This can be attributed to the fact that the technology is still in adoption phase by various large organizations. Industrial printers are high in demand attributed to their ability to produce complex geometric forms in a single step resulting in higher efficiency and lower price of production.

The service category is expected to register highest growth rate during the forecast period owing to the increasing requirements of equipment maintenance in the upcoming years. In services, after sales services are in high demand. This can be attributed to the rising sale of 3D printers globally, which in turn is pushing the demand for after sales services, such as periodic maintenance and replacement of parts.

Vat Photopolymerization is Dominating

Vat Photopolymerization category is expected to grow at a fastest rate with a highest CAGR of 22.8% during the forecast period. This is mostly due to its high accuracy, excellent finish, reasonably quick procedure, and the fact that these are often enormous build areas: Objet 1000 measures 1000 by 800 by 500 and has a maximum model weight of 200 kg. Hearing aids, facial prostheses, and surgical learning aids are some of the most notable applications in the medical and dental fields. Vat photopolymerization can be used by manufacturers to create molds for low-volume injection molding.

Stereolithography Technology is Widely Adopted

Stereolithography category held the largest share of 16% in 2022. This is due to various benefits associated with it, such as lower price, high precision and lesser time required for casting. However, the fuse deposition modelling (FDM) technology will register the highest growth rate in the years to come. Due to the stereolithography process's extremely thin layer (0.05 to 0.10 mm) and the precise laser beam, it is feasible to create prototypes with intricate geometrical designs and a highly realistic finish. Despite the use of substitute materials (resin), the parts created by this technology have excellent functional quality, and a smooth finish.

Prototyping is Boosting the Industry

Prototyping category held the largest share in 2022 and it is witnessed to grow fastest during the forecast period. Prototyping with 3D printing provides a fair number of advantages, such as the ability to test the products before mainstream production and improving the efficiency of product design in a relatively lesser time as compared to conventional methods. Making high-fidelity prototypes can cut-down on communication expenses dramatically, and they are also more accurate. Additionally, prototyping enhances the quality of requirements and specifications offered by clients and helps minimize misconceptions and miscommunications during the development process.

Mostly Used in Aerospace and Defense

The aerospace and defense category accounted for a significant market share of 16% in 2022 owing to its widespread adoption by aerospace and defense components manufacturers to design and test products in a shorter duration along with reducing the price of making tools and fixtures. The energy category will witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period. The energy sector is exhibiting increasing advancements in 3D printing technology in the form of high-resolution prototypes and complex production parts.

The aerospace industry offers significant opportunities to the market players. The stringent necessities, such as precision and accuracy in the designs of aircraft parts and lightweight components, are some of the factors predominantly escalating the growth for the industry. The industrial 3D printing technology provides maximum flexibility in production planning and processes, which requires less energy and raw material than conventional manufacturing operations. Also, construction with this technique enables faster iteration, decision-making and response to industry. The airlines hinge on this technique for alleviating supply chain constraints, limiting warehouse space, and reducing waste materials from traditional processes of manufacturing.

Regional Analysis

North America Held Largest Share

North America accounted for highest revenue share of more than 32% in 2022 owing to widespread adoption of 3D printing technology, various technological advancements, and increasing R&D investments. In the region, there are many government initiatives that are financially supporting the advanced manufacturing and 3D printing research. The National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII) is a public-private institute for manufacturing innovation in the U.S. that helps accelerate these technologies to the U.S. manufacturing sector. The leading players in the region, include 3D Systems, Autodesk Inc., Stratasys Ltd., Organovo Holdings Inc., and EnvisionTEC.

Moreover, APAC will be the fastest growing region during the forecast period. Countries that majorly contribute to this region’s progress are China, Japan, and India. Being the most technologically advanced country in APAC, Japan is presently leading the APAC industry. However, the market is expected to grow fastest in China, during the forecast period.

As 3D printing offers freedom of designing and enables to create the most complex and unconventional designs, 3D printed Jewelry is gaining traction in the region. Besides, with surgeons and healthcare experts concentrating on experimenting with various 3D printing materials for implants and automotive assemblers utilizing 3D printers to produce parts in lesser cost and time, the healthcare and automotive industries are the major end-users of 3D printing technologies in the region.

Market Breakdown

This fully customizable report gives a detailed analysis of the 3D printing industry from 2019 to 2030, based on all the relevant segments and geographies.

Based on Component

• Printer
• Software
• Material
• Service

Based on Process

• Powder Bed Fusion
• Binder Jetting
• Direct Energy Deposition (DED)
• Sheet Lamination
• Vat Photopolymerization
• Material Extrusion
• Material Jetting 

Based on Technology

• Stereolithography
• Fuse Deposition Modelling (FDM)
• Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) 
• Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM)
• Digital Light Processing (DLP) 
• Polyjet Printing 
• Inkjet Printing 
• Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) 
• Electron Beam Melting (EBM) 
• Laser Metal Deposition (LMD) 

Based on Application

• Prototyping 
• Product Development
• Innovation
• Efficiency Increment
• Cost reduction
• Supply Chain Improvement

Based on Industry

• Aerospace & Defense
• Healthcare 
• Jewelry
• Automotive 
• Industrial 
• Architecture & Construction 
• Energy 

Geographical Analysis

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada
• Europe
  • U.K.
  • Germany
  • France
  • Italy
  • Spain
• Asia-Pacific
  • China
  • Japan
  • Australia
  • India
  • South Korea
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
• Middle East & Africa
  • Saudi Arabia
  • South Africa

Top 3D Printing Companies