The new Protolabs Network 3D Printing Trends Q1 2019 have been released. This special edition of the Trends Report marks its re-launch and re-design. The spotlight is given to professional & industrial 3D printing with a special on the Automotive industry. To produce this report data from multiple sources were considered to draw a holistic picture of the current state of 3D printing.
The most significant change in 2018 was the evolution of our perception of the technology. Here are some of the key findings of the report:
- Automotive leads in the development of AM toward full-scale production.
- SME’s are THE power-users of online 3D printing services.
- The 3D printing market is set to double in size every three years.
- California and the UK are the most savvy when it comes to online 3D printing.
- Education is the main barrier to broader adoption of Additive Manufacturing.
💡Psst! We've just published our 2020 trends on 3D printing report. Get your copy here
In the Protolabs Network 3D Printing Trends Q1 2019, we take a look back at 2018 to help you understand what lies ahead.
To produce this report, we drew information from five different sources:
- Transactional data from orders on the Protolabs Network platform
- A survey of 400 companies using 3D printing
- Publicly available data from market analysts
- A systematic review of the news reported by the media
- Exclusive interviews with the CTO of Desktop Metal and the VP of Ultimaker
By following this approach, a holistic picture of the current state of 3D printing was created.
So what should we expect to see in the months ahead? Brian Garret, co-founder & CPO of Protolabs Network, mentions standardization as the key to greater industrial adoption.
“Engineers want to receive the same result every time they press print. Ensuring repeatable results has been the holy grail of industrial 3D printing for many years now. However, it takes time for international organizations like ASTM and ISO to publish their technical standards. So many early innovators, like BMW and Protolabs Network, are coming up with their in-house processes to ensure quality. This will expedite the wider industrial adoption of 3D printing.“
Read the full report and keep up-to-date with the latest industry developments in the 3D Printing Trends Q1 2019 or download the 2020 edition here.
