Open vs closed materials systems: In this article, IDTechEx Technology Analyst Sona Dadhania discusses how the dichotomy between "open" materials systems and "closed" materials systems (also known as platforms or architectures) affects the growth and utilization of materials for additive manufacturing.

To date, the commercialization of graphene has been more of a "material push" rather than a "market pull"; a solution looking for a problem. In this first phase, there were numerous technical and commercial barriers to overcome, which in materials science does not happen overnight. IDTechEx believes that this is changing, with graphene entering the next stage, the growth phase, of its commercial journey.

Thursday 21 July 2022 - Exploring the Dynamics of the $29.5 Billion 3D Printing Materials Market. Benchmarking relevant materials/players; identifying growth drivers and trends to watch for different classes of AM materials; examining key market activity; IDTechEx's market outlook for the industry

Nanomaterials remain a significant growth area with the potential to enable a wide range of next-generation technologies. This article will focus on CNT yarns and sheets before expanding on to high-aspect-ratio and hybrid materials; these are all at an earlier commercial stage than the main MWCNT market.

The growth potential for AM materials differs from printing equipment, as operational legacy printers continue to consume materials. Therefore, this segment of the 3D printing value chain represents a tremendous opportunity.

Perfectly imperfect - that is the technology landscape in metal 3D printing boiled down. Through an extensive benchmarking study, IDTechEx has asked the question: where are metal additive manufacturing technologies going, and where are the whitespaces for advancement in the metal AM landscape?

Commercializing a new material is not easy. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are the higher-performance variants of the carbon nanotube family, but unlike their multi-walled counterpart, they are still hunting for their killer application.

It is impossible to avoid headlines about the "graphene battery"; the concept of this Nobel Prize winning nanomaterial revolutionizing the energy storage market is naturally very enticing, but it is graphene's older sibling carbon nanotubes that have progressed beyond the hype and disillusionment phases of their commercial journey by finding a value-add high volume energy storage adoption.

Since 3D Systems commercialized stereolithography 30 years ago, 3D printer manufacturers who invented their own proprietary technology predominantly followed the same business strategy: selling their printers to customers. Until recently, it was the norm for established and rising 3D printing players, both in metal and polymer additive manufacturing, to follow the same path.

As electronics being increasingly ubiquitous, there is a clear trend toward greater integration. Rather than simply making space for a rigid 2D circuit board (PCB) within the product, electronic functionality will be either mounted conformally onto surfaces or incorporated within the structural materials.

Thursday 21 April 2022 - Entering the Next Stage in Their Commercial Journey. This webinar will give a comprehensive overview of the carbon nanotube industry including: 10-year market outlook for CNTs; deep dive into the energy storage market; assessment of other key applications; and more.

Thursday 7 April 2022 - This webinar includes discussion of the various approaches of manufacturing 3D electronics, their differentiating factors, readiness level, and the applications to which they are best suited; Case studies showing how 3D electronics can be used in many different applications; and much more.

Thursday 31 March 2022 - Rebounding From COVID to Hit $18 Billion. This webinar will include a discussion of COVID-19's effect on metal AM; key trends influencing metal AM's rise, including discussion on relevant players and news; and an overview of IDTechEx's metal AM market forecast

While 3D electronics has long been used for adding antennas and simple conductive interconnects to the surface of 3D injection-molded plastic objects, more complex circuits are increasingly being added onto surfaces made from a variety of materials by utilizing new techniques.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted a key target market for metal additive manufacturing - aviation. Additionally, global supply chain disruptions have led companies to re-evaluate their operations. Within this environment, how has metal additive manufacturing fared?

Carbon Nanotubes 2022-2032 - Market, Technology, Players - MWCNTs, FWCNTs & SWCNTs benchmarking study and critical appraisal; VACNTs, sheets, yarns, composites, slurries, and more; granular CNT market forecasts; key manufacturer profiles and analysis; interview-based company profiles

In February 2022, the White House issued an updated list of critical and emerging technologies that the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), and National Security Council (NSC) have identified as being important for US national security. Numerous technology areas have been featured, including advanced manufacturing, hypersonics, biotechnologies, and artificial intelligence. Of these, IDTechEx has highlighted which areas to watch and why exactly the White House has shortlisted them as critical technologies.

Thursday 10 February 2022 - This webinar looks at hydrogels beyond the medical applications that currently dominate the publicity, patents and research. Come away aware that someone will make a new billion-dollar business out of this and greatly benefit society, from smart cities to ample food, water, and electricity with zero emissions and so much more.

"We expect to see the additive manufacturing market consolidating in the near future" has been the refrain of many for nearly a decade now. The thought really strengthened after major acquisition moves by industry titans Stratasys and 3D Systems between 2010-2012. Stratasys would acquire wax 3D printer company Solidscape and merge with material jetting pioneer Objet in 2011-2012, while 3D Systems completed a jaw-dropping 13 acquisitions between 2011-2012. With so many major moves by market leaders in the early 2010s, it seemed like market consolidation was just around the corner.

Join the free webinar - Thursday 27 January 2022. What are the major printing technologies driving the 3D printing hardware market's growth? What are new emerging technologies to keep an eye on? Is the hardware market at a point of consolidation or expansion?