3D Drucker Filaments
3D Drucker Filaments
A fresh report on the 3D printing materials market has indicated this sector could experience growth of nearly 20 per cent in the coming four years.
According to RnRMarketResearch.com's 3D Printing Materials Market by Plastics (ABS, PLA, Nylon & Others), By Metals (Steel, Titanium, Gold & Others), by Ceramics (Silica, Glass & Others), by Others (Laywood & Others), by Forms & by End-User Industries - Global Trends & Forecasts to 2018, the market will expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.9 per cent.
The document stated "the demand for 3D printing materials is influenced by the growing awareness of the ability to manufacture objects with the use of 3D printing technology where a simple CAD design and 3D printer are necessary", adding that certain applications will determine the popularity of individual materials.
The demand for various 3D printing materials depends entirely on the applications in which they prove most successful. Growth sectors such as dental, medical and aerospace will spur demand for some materials more than others, particularly metals, ceramics and durable plastics.
But despite the surge in additive manufacturing in heavy industry, the report states that plastics are notably still in high demand, particularly ABS and PLA - commonly used in prototyping and in desktop 3D printing, which has experienced aggressive growth in recent years. Indeed, this upward trajectory is anticipated to last for another five years.
Metals are the strongest material available in the 3D printing market but at present remain quite expensive, the report stated. The available materials for additive manufacturing include steel, titanium, aluminium, nickel, copper, silver, gold and cobalt - but of course the list is growing and many companies are developing innovative alloys to complement metal additive manufacturing processes such as laser sintering, binder jetting and electron beam melting. Aerospace, automotive and energy sectors are investing in metal additive manufacturing, while all eyes are on the leading metal 3D printing companies such as ExOne, LayerWise and EnvisonTEC as they advance this side of the materials sector. Moreover, ceramics and other affordable materials are increasing in popularity and the report suggests their demand will continue to rise.
The document explains that the 3D printing materials market is moderately fragmented, 3D Systems, Stratasys, Arcam and ExOne capture around 75 per cent of the market share in production and supply, with companies in the market competing with one another with respect to prices, product range and advanced technology. However, some of these big players have a better handle on what specific industries want than others.
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