3D printing as an industry is seeing increased attention for its versatility and convenience. The different avenues of this technology, including metal additive manufacturing, highlights the scope for diversity, bringing new materials and possibilities to a reliable and longstanding process. IDTechEx's report, "Metal Additive Manufacturing 2025-2035: Technologies, Players, and Market Outlook", explores applications and approaches to metal 3D printing, alongside benchmarking and forecasts spanning the next ten years.
The landscape of metal additive manufacturing
Metal additive manufacturing has existed since the 1990s and has proven to bring diversity, design freedom, and potential time and cost savings to the 3D printing industry. Powder bed fusion, binder jetting, directed energy deposition, sheet lamination, vat photo-polymerization, extrusion, and material jetting, are 7 metal 3D printing technologies outlined in IDTechEx's report, each with their own subsections, and each providing suitability for different applications. The portfolio of 3D Printing Research Reports explores other avenues for additive manufacturing, including polymer additive manufacturing and 3D electronics.
The Chinese metal additive manufacturing market is currently a large driver for growth in the industry, carrying the market's success despite fluctuations in Europe and North America. Amongst domestic companies, the Chinese metal additive manufacturing could be likened to an almost-monopoly, with businesses purchasing from local 3D printer manufacturers, likely as a result of competitive pricing. Partnerships with Western companies could be a driver for additional growth within the industry, however there are currently political barriers to this possibility.
Reshoring is a trend within the additive manufacturing industry that sees manufacturing brought closer to the locations in which parts are needed. After the effects to supply chains and access during the pandemic, reshoring became a solution to support on-demand requirements for 3D printing, whilst also bringing about the potential for increasing manufacturing quantity and automation.
Larger applications, complex laser systems, and cutting costs
Aerospace, energy, and space exploration are some of the large industries driving growth for large-format LPBF printers, outlined as a key technology trend for metal additive manufacturing in the report. Multi-laser systems that are able to print parts of up to 3 meters tall could see increased demand, and increased productivity as a result of advanced laser configurations, according to IDTechEx.
Low-cost systems that still boast industrial-grade capabilities are able to make adoption easier for applications within research labs, universities, and smaller businesses, with more competitive pricing. Within the Chinese market, manufacturers are reportedly coming up with lower cost LPBF machines, allowing for smaller companies to benefit from 3D printing technologies for prototyping and low-volume production.
Sustainability has a role to play within metal 3D printing, where recycled feedstocks and circular supply chains can help contribute towards less waste within the industry. Some startup companies have begun to produce metal powders from 100% scrap, which has the knock-on effect of drastically reducing CO2 emissions. IDTechEx also reports that some metal powders are being recycled for healthcare applications such as medical implants, while the UK Royal Air Force is reportedly reusing titanium from old fighter jets to produce new 3D printed parts, highlighting the scope for sustainability.
For more information on developments and trends within the industry, visit IDTechEx's report, "Metal Additive Manufacturing 2025-2035: Technologies, Players, and Market Outlook", and the wider portfolio of 3D Printing Research Reports.
