Wohlers Report 2013 Reveals Continued Growth in 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing

Growth of low-cost "personal" 3D printers cools significantly

FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, USA, May 23, 2013—Wohlers Associates, Inc. today announced the release of the Wohlers Report 2013, the company’s annual in-depth analysis of additive manufacturing and 3D printing worldwide.

Wohlers Report 2013 covers all aspects of 3D printing, including its history, applications, processes, manufacturers, and materials. It documents important developments from the past 18 months, covers R&D and collaboration activities in government, academia, and industry, and summarizes the state of the industry in countries around the world. This edition marks the report’s 18th consecutive year of publication.

Wohlers Report 2013 provides an in-depth look at market forces, competitive products and services, and industry growth. The market for 3D printing in 2012, consisting of all products and services worldwide, grew 28.6% (CAGR) to $2.204 billion. This is up from $1.714 billion in 2011, when it grew 29.4%. Growth was 24.1% in 2010. The average annual growth (CAGR) of the industry over the past 25 years is an impressive 25.4%. The CAGR is 27.4% over the past three years (2010–2012).

Growth of the low-cost (under $5,000) “personal” 3D printer market segment averaged 346% each year from 2008 through 2011. In 2012, the increase cooled significantly to an estimated 46.3%, according to research by Wohlers Associates. Most of these machines are being sold to hobbyists, do-it-yourselfers, engineering students, and educational institutions.

The 3D printing industry is expected to continue strong double-digit growth over the next several years. By 2017, Wohlers Associates believes that the sale of 3D-printing products and services will approach $6 billion worldwide. By 2021, Wohlers Associates forecasts the industry to reach $10.8 billion. It took the 3D printing industry 20 years to reach $1 billion in size. In five additional years, the industry generated its second $1 billion. It is expected to double again, to $4 billion, in 2015.

About Wohlers Associates: Wohlers Associates is an independent consulting firm that provides technical, marketing, and strategic advice on the new developments and trends in additive manufacturing and 3D printing. (The company uses the terms interchangeably.) For more information, visit https://wohlersassociates.com.

Wohlers Report 2013: The 297-page annual study is packed with up-to-date and practical information. It includes 35 charts and graphs, 55 tables, and more than 200 photographs and illustrations. The report, which sells for US$495, was created with support from 74 service providers, 31 system manufacturers, and the valuable contributions of 70 co-authors from around the world.

Report Development Team
The following individuals and organizations contributed to Wohlers Report 2013
and served as important sources for information.

 

Nadra Angerman

Angerman Communications Group U.S.
Mukesh Agarwala 3D Product Development India
Paulo Jorge Bártolo Institute Polytechnic of Leiria Portugal
Joseph Beaman, Jr. University of Texas at Austin U.S.
Josh Berman William Blair & Company U.S.
Alain Bernard Ecole Centrale de Nantes France
Craig Blue Oak Ridge National Laboratory U.S.
Milan Brandt RMIT University Australia
Craig Brice NASA Langley Research Center U.S.
David Bourell University of Texas at Austin U.S.
Ian Campbell Loughborough University England
William Cass Cantor Colburn U.S.
Andy Christensen Medical Modeling U.S.
Shane Collins Oxford Performance Materials U.S.
Mel Cossette Edmonds Community College U.S.
Frank Cox Edmonds Community College U.S.
Deon de Beer Vaal University of Technology South Africa
Carl Dekker Met-L-Flo U.S.
Olaf Diegel Massey University New Zealand
Brian Drab William Blair & Company U.S.
Igor Drstvenšek University of Maribor Slovenia
Sara Ebright Direct Dimensions U.S.
Pablo Elenter Robtec Brazil
Claus Emmelmann LZN Laser Zentrum Nord Germany
Ismail Fidan Tennessee Tech University U.S.
Tim Gornet University of Louisville U.S.
Joan Guasch Ascamm Spain
Ola Harrysson North Carolina State University U.S.
Seiji Hayano Aspect Japan
Ed Herderick EWI U.S.
Dirk Herzog LZN Laser Zentrum Nord Germany
Forrest Higgs Brosis Innovations U.S.
Neil Hopkinson University of Sheffield England
Luca Iuliano Politecnico di Torino Italy
Jason Jones De Montfort University England
Volker Junior Junior & Tacke Germany
Karolien Kempen Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Belgium
Eric Klemp Direct Manufacturing Research Center Germany
Jannis Kranz LZN Laser Zentrum Nord Germany
Janet Krech Wohlers Associates U.S.
Jean-Pierre Kruth Katholieke Universiteit Leuven Belgium
Tom Kurfess Georgia Institute of Technology U.S.
Feng Lin Tsinghua University China
Ulf Lindhe netfabb Germany
Blake Marshall U.S. Department of Energy U.S.
Wilhelm Meiners Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology Germany
Jorge Mireles University of Texas at El Paso U.S.
Ed Morris National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute U.S.
Greg Morris GE Aviation U.S.
Tim Mulrooney William Blair & Company U.S.
Erkut Neğiş TurkCADCAM Turkey
Randall Newton Jon Peddie Research U.S.
John Obielodan University of Wisconsin–Platteville U.S.
Charles Overy LGM U.S.
Joris Peels Voxelfab Netherlands
Michael Raphael Direct Dimensions U.S.
Phil Reeves Econolyst England
Alex Rekout Moscow Business College #11 Russia
Stephen Rouse Medical Applications of Additive Manufacturing U.S.
Jeff Rowe Cairowest Group U.S.
Kevin Scanlan Anubis Manufacturing Consultants Corp. Canada
Joel Segal University of Nottingham England
Michael Siemer Innovative Medical Device Solutions U.S.
Chris Spadaccini Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory U.S.
Jürgen Stampfl Vienna University of Technology Austria
Ian Stewart Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker U.S.
Brent Stucker University of Louisville U.S.
Jukka Tuomi Aalto University Finland
Bart van de Vorst TNO Netherlands
Juan Vargas University of Texas at El Paso U.S.
Marius Vermeulen Aerosud South Africa
Andreas Wegner University of Duisburg–Essen Germany
Ryan Wicker University of Texas at El Paso U.S.
David Wimpenny Manufacturing Technology Centre England
Gerd Witt University of Duisburg–Essen Germany
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