3D Printing Materials Market Size and Share Analysis by Type (Plastics, Metals, Ceramics), Form (Powder, Filament, Liquid), End User (Aerospace and Defense, Medical and Dental, Automotive, Consumer Goods), Technology (FDM, SLS, SLA, DMLS), Application (Prototyping, Manufacturing, R&D) - Global Industry Demand Forecast to 2030

Market Overview

The global 3D printing materials market was valued at $2,578.8 million in 2022, and the market size is predicted to reach $16,230.8 million by 2030, advancing at a CAGR of 25.9% during 2022–2030. The market is driven by the increasing use of 3D printing in the manufacturing sector, enabling mass customization, and the growing demand for automobiles in emerging economies.

The high demand for these materials in China is attributed to the flourishing application of 3D printing by various industries. Under the Made in China 2025 plan, the country aims to become a world leader in high-end manufacturing, including 3D printing. With a focused approach on promoting this technology in the country, the demand for these materials in China will continue to grow during the forecast period.

The adoption of 3D printing in the education sector, to help students think conceptually and turn their ideas into the physical form, is a key trend. This technology allows students to design basic 3D shapes on tablets and explore new ideas. Various progressive schools have already integrated 3D printing technologies into their curriculums, to enhance students’ creativity and allow them to test their ideas in the real space. At the university level, 3D printing is improving the quality of education, particularly in science, technology, engineering mathematics (STEM).

This technology is helping in learning difficult concepts, as students are now using a combination of 3D models to understand different processes and models. Such type of learning is not possible with 2D drawings. Owing to the rapidly evolving role of 3D printing and the revolution it is bringing to the education sector, by offering a practical hands-on approach, promoting problem solving skills, stimulating creativity and innovation, and increasing engagement and interactivity, the education sector is expected to witness rapid transformation in the years to come.

Plastics Are Dominating Market

In terms of volume, the market for 3D printing plastics is the largest, holding over 30% share, in 2022. This is attributed to the easy availability and low prices of plastics and their usage in a range of designs. In addition to this, over other types, plastic materials offer high versatility, resistance to abrasion, shock, extreme temperatures, physical deformation, and chemicals; exceptional flexibility, durability, and high elasticity, which further boosts their consumption. Moreover, 3D-printed products made from plastics are economically priced.

Moreover, plastic materials are considered ideal for 3D printing applications as they come in a range of colors, along with possessing low weight and being easily available. Apart from this, plastics can sustain stress and be readily molded into various forms. Therefore, polymers are widely demanded in the medical, consumer goods, automotive, and electronics industries of European countries.

Filament Is Most-Widely Used Form

The filament form held the largest volume share in the global 3D printing materials market in 2022. This is attributed to the application of filaments in a variety of household objects, toys, educational models, and cars. Some of the commonly used filaments are TPU, PP, nylon, ABS, PLA, and PVA. Owing to the low cost, high strength, and wide application areas, the demand for 3D printing filaments will continue to rise during the forecast period.

Moreover, the powder category is expected to grow at the highest CAGR. This is attributed to the fact that powder is used to create large, dense parts in the aerospace, military, and oil and gas industries. Additionally, the powder form is capable of withstanding high temperatures; hence, it is preferred over others, especially in the aerospace and oil and gas sectors.

Increasing Use of 3D Printing in Manufacturing Sector

Manufacturing companies are exploring opportunities to integrate additive manufacturing into their established processes, to yield better and fast results, which is expected to fuel the market growth. Currently, the majority of the companies are using it more for prototyping, which is the most-accepted use of 3D printing. However, the aerospace and defense and medical and dental sectors have already begun using it as a full-scale production process, rather than just prototyping.

Manufacturing, for years, was dependent on the subtractive process, in which a substantial amount of raw material is wasted and reused repeatedly. For instance, in an automobile plant, metal sheets are cut and shaped into different parts, while the leftover metal is melted again to form metal plates, so that it can be reused for further manufacturing processes.

Additive manufacturing is a revolutionary technology as it involves the 3D printing of raw materials, which does not require any cutting, thereby generating little or no leftover material. Thus, this process is additive in nature, rather than subtractive. Owing to this advantage, 3D printing also saves time. As a result, with its rising popularity in a wide range of manufacturing processes, the demand for 3D printing materials is likely to rise at a considerable pace.

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North America Held Largest Share

North America held the largest share, around 45%, in 2022 in the global 3D printing materials market. This is attributed to the wide acceptance and the growth in the application of this technology in mass customization and product manufacturing. The governments of various countries are encouraging the use of 3D printing. For instance, in the U.S., the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute (NAMII) helps in accelerating the penetration of additive manufacturing technologies in the U.S. manufacturing sector. The institute brings together a network of manufacturing firms, community colleges, universities, and NGOs from the Ohio–Pennsylvania–West Virginia Tech Belt and offers $40 million to promote research activities in this field.

Moreover, North America’s aerospace original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are striving hard to reduce their overall fleet weight, by reducing the number of components. Additionally, the growing manufacturing sector is one of the main driving forces for the North American market growth. Medical equipment manufacturers, industrial plastic fabricators, industrial designers, and other manufacturers use 3D printers to create prototypes of products for customers. For instance, medical device manufacturers use such systems to create customized medical devices, such as prosthetics and artificial limbs.

Moreover, Europe held the second-largest share, around 35%, in 2022. The industry advance in the region is powered by the presence of established aircraft manufacturing companies, such as Airbus SE, EuroJet Turbo GmbH, ArianeGroup, and European Satellite Navigation Industries. As 3D printing materials provide users with a simple supply chain, mitigate risk, and are lightweight, their adoption has increased in the aerospace industry.

Further, in Europe, the increasing cost pressure on medical device manufacturers has forced them to adopt the technology to eliminate the traditional prototyping process. In addition, the growing income and need for lower manufacturing costs have augmented the interest of players in the regional market. In Europe, Germany and Italy have the highest prevalence of hearing loss, which leads to the adoption of hearing aids, thus driving material demand for additive manufacturing.

Top 3D Printing Material Providers Are:

• 3D Systems Corporation
• Arkema group
• Royal DSM N.V.
• ExOne Operating LLC
• Stratasys Ltd.
• General Electric Company
• EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems
• Materialise NV
• Sandvik AB
• Höganäs AB

3D Printing Materials Market Size Breakdown by Segment

The study uncovers the biggest trends and opportunities in the market, along with offering segmentation analysis at the granular level for the period 2017 to 2030.

Based on Type

• Plastics
• Metals
• Ceramics

Based on Form

• Powder
• Filament
• Liquid

Based on End User

• Aerospace and Defense
• Medical and Dental
• Automotive
• Consumer Goods

Based on Technology

• FDM
• SLS
• SLA
• DMLS

Based on Application

• Prototyping
• Manufacturing
• R&D

Geographical Analysis

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