Metal 3D Printing Services to Hit $16.1B by 2031

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SmarTech Analysis has released the latest edition of its metal 3D printing services report, "The Market for Metal Additive Manufacturing Services: 2023-2031." The market research firm estimates that, for 2023, the segment will generate $3.8 billion in revenues with projections for 2031 reaching $16.1 billion.

Though SmarTech has lowered its forecasts by about 20 percent from three years ago, due to current economic and geopolitical conditions, this estimate essentially suggests that metal 3D printing services in 2031 alone will be worth as much as the entire additive manufacturing (AM) industry today.

The numbers include forecasts for revenues from core rapid manufacturing and prototyping services, alongside newer value-added services, such as design services, training, and non-AM manufacturing. Verticals range from aerospace, automotive, medical/healthcare and dental to jewelry, consumer goods, and oil and gas, with breakouts including revenues by type of material and by geography. Additionally, the report features forecasts of printers sold to AM service bureaus, with a breakout by printing technology used.

Greg Morris, CTO of Zeda and Rush LaSelle, CEO of AddUp welcome the placement of the firstFormUp350 system at Zeda's new 75,000-square-foot facility in Cincinnati, OH. The company focuses on 3D printing services for regulated industries, including the medical field.

The report highlights such opportunities in medical 3D printing as implants made from Ti64, pure titanium, and cobalt chrome alloys chosen for their light weight, biological inertness, and ability to function in load-bearing products. Because healthcare professionals and hospitals don't generally have medical AM knowledge in-house, they turn to service bureaus to provide the items they need. Because there are only a few metal service providers that specialize in medical 3D printing, there is significant room for growth, according to the report.

The oil and gas industry is also a segment ripe for service opportunities, according to SmarTech. Though there are non-specialist service bureaus that work with this sector, it is not widely known. As demand for 3D printing from oil and gas increases, there will be a greater need for service bureaus dedicated to this segment. Because the cost of a rig being out of service is high, the ability to deliver 3D printed spares quickly will be of great value.

Impellers 3D printed for Shell's Dutch refinery. Image courtesy of Shell.

The report additionally highlights the increased attention to value-added services, such as design work, and non-additive offerings, like CNC. While some bureaus aren't chasing value-added services as significantly as others, SmarTech does see this as a growing trend, as is non-additive production.

SmarTech has provided a full table of contents at the report page, which includes an executive summary and four chapters that detail business analysis of the metal service bureau sector and its players; what types of services are being demanded and from where that demand stems; detailed ten-year forecasts of that demand; and strategic profiles of over 30 leading service bureaus. Among the companies profiled are: 3DEO, BLT, Burloak, Carpenter Additive, Digital Metal/Markforged, ExOne/Desktop Metal, FIT, GE Additive, GKN Forecast 3D, HP, Materialise, MTI, Oerlikon, Protolabs, Quickparts, Sandvik, Sculpteo, Shapeways, Shining3D, Seurat, Siemens, Sintavia, Stratasys, Thyssenkrupp, voestalpine and Xometry.

For more information about the report or to purchase, visit the "The Market for Metal Additive Manufacturing Services: 2023-2031" report page.

Feature image, courtesy of WeNext, displays 11 Farsoon's 403P and Flight 403P systems installed at service bureau WeNext.

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