200+ 3D Printing Statistics, Trends And Facts 2023

Today, we’re rounding up the best 3D Printing statistics for 2023 your business must know.

Let’s get started.

3D Printing Benefits Statistics

1. The UK’s 3D printing industry is expected to grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 10%.
2. The UK is the fifth highest country in the world in terms of adoption.
3. 3D printing was most widely used for proof of concept and prototyping.
4. Most companies believe quicker part delivery is the most significant benefit of 3D printing.
5. 72% of all prototyping needs in the aerospace industry are met by 3D printing.
6. 55% of manufacturers said they preferred 3D printing due to lower costs.
7. As of 2021, 3D printing comprises around 0.1% of the global manufacturing market.
8. In 2019, the global 3D printing market was worth over $10 billion.
9. In 2019, the 3D printing materials market was valued at $1.5 billion.
10. 82% of 3D printing is done using plastics as the printing material.
11. Other benefits include mass reduction (23%), reduction of assembly steps (22%), continuous improvement , and supply chain optimization (9%). 
12. More than 40% of enterprises say that rapid iterations of prototypes and lead time reductions are the leading benefits followed by mass customization and cost savings. 

3D Printing Usage Statistics

3. 54% of engineering businesses increased their 3Doriented usage for functional end use parts in 2020. 
4. Metal 3D printing is becoming more popular by the day, as industries around the world face rising concerns over the use of plastic. In 2018, 65% of 3D printers used plastic, and 36% used metal.
5. 7 per cent of 3D printing service providers reported producing between 1,001 and 10,000 parts annually. This was followed by a quarter who reported producing between 10,001 and 50,000.

3D Printing Market Statistics

4. Although 3D printing is still less than 1 per cent of the global manufacturing market, the technology is set to become an invaluable tool for production workflows. 
5. In 2019, the global additive manufacturing market grew to over $10.4 billion, crossing the pivotal double-digit billion threshold for the first time in its nearly 40 year history. (SmarTech Analysis, 2020 Additive Manufacturing Market Outlook and Summary of Opportunities Report)
6. 2. In 2018, VC funding exceeded $300 million in start-ups related to 3D printing. The common thread of all investment: industrial solutions and applications. (Hubs, The 3D Printing Trends Report 2019)
7. 3. The 3D printing market is set to double in size every 3 years with the annual growth forecasted by analysts varying between 18.2 and 27.2 per cent. (Hubs, The 3D Printing Trends Report 2019)
8. 4. 71 per cent of companies say that a lack of knowledge is the greatest factor on project-by-project choices to use 3D printing or traditional methods, while 29 per cent insist that it’s a lack of confidence in 3D printing as being reliable. (Jabil, A Survey of 3D Printing Stakeholders in Manufacturing 2019)
9. 5. Based on the number of industry players, systems manufacturers make up the biggest group in the AM market (38 per cent), although the number of service providers has risen dramatically, reaching 34 per cent. (Ernst & Young, 3D printing: hype or game changer? A Global EY Report 2019)
10. The 3D printing market is set to double in size every 3 years with the annual growth forecasted by analysts varying between 18.2 and 27.2 per cent. 
11. HP’s Multi Jet Fusion has become one of the fastest-growing polymer 3D printing processes. More than 10 million parts are said to have been produced using MJF 3D printers in 2018.

4. Based on the number of industry players, systems manufacturers make up the biggest group in the AM market , although the number of service providers has risen dramatically, reaching 34 per cent. 
5. In 2019, footwear 3D printing revenues made up approximately 0.3 per cent of global footwear market revenues, according to SmarTech Analysis. 
6. The orthopaedics 3D printing market was valued at $691 million in 2018 and is predicted by SmarTech Analysis to grow into a $3.7 billion market by 2027. 
7. The market for medical 3D printing, including materials, services, software and hardware, is currently estimated to be worth $1.25 billion, according to SmarTech Analysis. 
8. 6. In 2019, footwear 3D printing revenues made up approximately 0.3 per cent of global footwear market revenues, according to SmarTech Analysis. (SmarTech Analysis, Markets for 3D Printed Footwear 2019 Report)
9. 7. The orthopaedics 3D printing market was valued at $691 million in 2018 and is predicted by SmarTech Analysis to grow into a $3.7 billion market by 2027.
10. 8. The market for medical 3D printing, including materials, services, software and hardware, is currently estimated to be worth $1.25 billion, according to SmarTech Analysis.
11. Research firm, CONTEXT, estimates that metal 3D printer shipments will see year-on-year unit-volume growth rates of over 49 per cent.

4. 9. A report by SmarTech Analysis suggests that revenues for 3D-printed dentistry will grow to $3.7 billion by 2021, and the technology will become the leading production method for dental restorations and devices worldwide by 2027.
5. 10. The USA, UK, Germany, France and China are the top 5 countries with the highest 3D printing adoption and investment rates. (Ultimaker, 3D Printing Sentiment Index)
6. The global metal AM market was worth EUR 1.51 billion in 2018 and is set to grow at a 25 per cent CAGR. 
7. The 3D printing ceramic materials market is expected to grow from a $20 million revenue opportunity in 2020 to over $450 million by 2029, according to a report by SmarTech Analysis. 
8. The global 3D printing market size was valued at USD 13.84 billion in 2021 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 20.8% from 2022 to 2030. 
9. The industrial printer segment led the market and accounted for more than 70.0% share of the global revenue in 2021. 
10. Germany generated around €1 billion in AM-related revenues during 2019.

4. The global 3D printing market size was estimated at USD 13.84 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 16.75 billion in 2022. 
5. The global 3D printing market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 20.8% from 2022 to 2030 to reach USD 76.17 billion by 2028. 
6. The metal segment led the global 3D printing market and accounted for more than 50.6% share of the global revenue in 2021. 
7. The stereolithography segment led the global 3D printing market and accounted for more than an 8.9% share of the global revenue in 2021. 
8. This trend is expected to last the global additive manufacturing marketis projected to grow by almost 24 percent between 2023 and 2025, and the market for 3D printing is expected to almost triple in sizebetween 2020 and 2026.
9. The job market of 3D printing related firms is not very dynamic as 60% of the firms did not plan on hiring professionals in 2019. 
10. 63% of them are of the opinion that the technology will have a positive effect, 89% think that it will substantially reduce lead times making products take less time to reach the market. 
11. Medical, automotive, and aerospace sectors are poised to account for 51% of the total 3D printing market by 2025. 
12. As of 2021, 3D printing comprises around 0.1% of the global manufacturing market. 
13. The government aims to increase the country’s market share to 8% from 5%. 
14. As of 2021, 3D printing comprised around 0.1% of the global manufacturing market. 
15. According to a report by Ernst and Young, the 3D printing market is dominated by system manufacturers (consisting of 38%). 
16. That is followed by service providers, which constitute around 34% of the entire market. 
17. The AM market is projected to double in size and reach avaluation of $37.2 billionby 2026, according to the HUBS trend report. 
18. When divided into software, hardware, and services, hardware leads the market by a majority of over 63%, followed by software, then services. 
19. The stereolithography segment of the 3D printer marketaccounted for over 10%of the market’s global revenue in 2020, holding the largest share as one of the most established and conventional printing technologies. 
20. The 3D printing market value is predicted to reach$9.4 billion by 2022in the medical industry alone. 
21. Compared to other markets – like the drone market – 3D printing boasts relatively high CAGR percentages and has expected revenue operating in the billions over the next few years. 
22. For application, prototyping leads this market segment by more than 55% of the revenue worldwide in 2020 due to the rise in industries adopting 3D printing for prototyping. 
23. Functional parts, another segment of the application market, is expected to grow at a CAGR of 21.5% from 2021 to 2028, along with an increased demand for designing and building functional parts. 
24. When looking at verticals, automotive holds the largest share of the industrial 3D printing market accounting for over 23% of the segment’s global revenue. 
25. As far as materials used in 3D printing, metal led the market with more than 48% of the global revenue and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 23.3% over the next six years. 
26. Between 2018 and 2026, the 3D printing materials market is predicted to grow by 12% annually, reaching just under$4 billion by 2026. 
27. Design software was responsible for more than 36% of global revenue for the 3D printing market in 2020 and is expected to continue dominating the 3D printing software market. 
28. Healthcare’s 3D printing market size was valued at $1,036.58 million in 2020 and is predicted to reach $5,846.74 million by 2030 at a registeredCAGR of 20.10%. 
29. According to a SmartTech Analysis, the 3D printed prosthetics, orthotics, and audiology market will accrue $509 million in revenue by 2026 and grow to $996 million by 2030. 
30. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 32.4% and is anticipated to reach around USD 5167.9 Million by 2026. 
31. Growing demand for 3D printed components in aerospace & defense is likely to boost the 3D printing metals market. 
32. As per our primary respondents, the 3D printing metals market is set to grow annually at a rate of around 32.4%. 
33. The 3D printing market is set to double in size every 3 years with the annual growth forecasted by analysts varying between 18.2 and 27.2 per cent. 
34. Based on the number of industry players, systems manufacturers make up the biggest group in the AM market , although the number of service providers has risen dramatically, reaching 34 per cent. 
35. In 2019, footwear 3D printing revenues made up approximately 0.3 per cent of global footwear market revenues, according to SmarTech Analysis. 
36. The orthopaedics 3D printing market was valued at$691 million in 2018 and is predicted by SmarTech Analysis to grow into a $3.7 billion market by 2027.8. 
37. The market for medical 3D printing, including materials, services, software and hardware, is currently estimated to beworth $1.25 billion, according to SmarTech Analysis.9. 
38. The global metal AM market was worth EUR 1.51 billion in 2018 and is set to grow at a 25 per cent CAGR. 
39. The 3D printing ceramic materials market is expected to grow from a $20 million revenue opportunity in 2020to over $450 million by 2029, according to a report by SmarTech Analysis. 
40. The market size of the 3D Printer Manufacturing industry is expected to increase 20.7% in 2022. 
41. The market size of the 3D Printer Manufacturing industry in the US has grown 13.9% per year on average between 2017 and 2022. 

3D Printing Software Statistics

59. The market for medical 3D printing, including materials, services, software and hardware, is currently estimated to be worth $1.25 billion, according to SmarTech Analysis. 
60. The design software segment led the market and accounted for more than 30.0% share of the global revenue in 2021. 
61. The scanning software segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 21.7% from 2022 to 2030 and generate considerable revenues during the forecast period in line with the growing adoption of scanners. 
62. When divided into software, hardware, and services, hardware leads the market by a majority of over 63%, followed by software, then services. 
63. 3D printing software should grow from $787.5 million in 2018 to $2.1 billion by 2023 at a CAGR of 22.2%. 
64. Design software was responsible for more than 36% of global revenue for the 3D printing market in 2020 and is expected to continue dominating the 3D printing software market. 
65. Scanning software is expected to grow rapidly and generate increased revenue with a projectedCAGR of 21.4%from 2021 to 2028. 
66. The market for medical 3D printing, including materials, services, software and hardware, is currently estimated to beworth $1.25 billion, according to SmarTech Analysis.9. 

3D Printing Adoption Statistics

67. AM adoption is growing across shop floors globally, evidenced by more than 70 per cent of enterprises finding new applications for 3D printing in 2019 and 60 per cent using CAD, simulation and reverse engineering internally. 
68. The scanning software segment is expected to register the highest CAGR of 21.7% from 2022 to 2030 and generate considerable revenues during the forecast period in line with the growing adoption of scanners. 
69. AM adoption is growing across shop floors globally, evidenced by more than 70 per cent of enterprises finding new applications for 3D printing in 2019 and 60 per cent using CAD, simulation and reverse engineering internally. 
70. Additive manufacturing adoption is growing across shop floors globally, evidenced by more than 70% of enterprises finding new applications for 3D printing in 2019 and 60% using CAD, simulation, and reverse engineering internally. 

3D Printing Latest Statistics

71. The number of surveyed organisations with AM systems in house more than quadrupled in the past 3 years, leaping from 9 per cent in 2016 to 40 per cent in 2019. 
72. The number of manufacturers using 3D printing for full scale production has doubled between 2018 and 2019 21 per cent and 40 per cent respectively. 
73. 79 per cent of surveyed companies expect their use of 3D printing for production parts or goods to at least double in the next 3 to 5 years. 
74. In the aerospace and defence industry, the most popular application of 3D printing is prototyping , followed by repair , research and development and production parts. 
75. Research firm, CONTEXT, estimates that metal 3D printer shipments will see yearonyear unit volume growth rates of over 49 per cent. 
76. 62 per cent of the globally installed PBF metal AM systems come from German suppliers. 
77. In metal PBF processes, 20 per cent to 40 per cent of the raw part costs are associated with material costs. 
78. In powder based DED processes, the material can make up 70 per cent of the raw part cost, in Wire Arc Deposition even up to 80 per cent. 
79. The Powder Bed Fusion family plays the largest role in metal AM, comprising 80 per cent of all metal AM system installations worldwide. 
80. 72 per cent of companies, surveyed for EY’s Global 3D Printing Report 2019, are using polymer AM systems, compared to 49 per cent that use metal ones. 
81. These trends taken together indicate a healthy maturation of the materials industry, which is predicted to grow into a whopping $4.5 billion opportunity in the next 5 years. 
82. 99 per cent of manufacturing executives believe an open ecosystem is important to advance 3D printing at scale. 
83. The most commonly used material for 3D printing continues to be plastics, at 82 per cent. 
84. Companies using 3D printing are also working with carbon fibre and composites. 
85. The polymer AM segment grew to an estimated nearly $5.5 billion in 2018. 
86. 94 per cent of surveyed companies say designers choose traditional manufacturing due to the lack of additive materials. 
87. According to a whitepaper by RIZE . 
88. The Impact Of Postprocessing), postprocessing can add between 17 per cent and 100 per cent to 3D printing time on a batchby. 
89. 66 per cent of companies report experiencing 2 or more challenges with their current Post. 
90. 75 per cent of companies indicate Length of Time to Finish Parts as a key challenge in their Post Printing, while for 51 per cent of respondents, the challenge lies in a lack of consistency. 
91. According to the EY Report 2019, service providers make up 34 per cent of the global AM landscape. 
92. By 2022, nearly one third of 900 surveyed companies expect to design and produce their AM parts via service providers. 
93. Small and medium sized enterprises are the power users of online 3D printing services, representing more than 75 per cent of the global customer base. 
94. The industry most commonly served by 3D printing service bureaus is consumer goods. 
95. In second and third place are automotive and industrial goods. 
96. 37 per cent of 3D printing service providers reported producing between 1,001 and 10,000 parts annually. 
97. The number of companies using service providers has more than tripled from 8 per cent in 2016 to 26 per cent in 2019. 
98. Around 81 per cent of companies cite a reluctance to invest in their own systems as their reason for working with service providers in the future. 
99. 48 per cent cite their unfamiliarity with AM processes and standards, while 38 percent cite their uncertainty around AM design. 
100. The industry is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of some 17 percent between 2020 and 2023. 
101. Available to download in PNG, PDF, XLS format 33% off until Jun 30th. 
102. The functional parts segment is expected to expand at a significant CAGR of 21.4% from 2022 to 2030 in line with the increasing demand for designing and building functional parts. 
103. Some 32 percent were located in the Americas and only 13 percent in Asia.
104. The study involved 1,000 respondents from Europe (60%), America (25%), Asia and Oceania (9%), and Africa (1%). 
105. The most popular 3D applications in 2018 were production (43%), prototyping (55%), and Proof of Concept Models (41%). 
106. 93% of the firms that employed 3D printing were able to gain a competitive edge through shorter period runs. 
107. 36% of firms used metal components for 3D printing in 2018 compared to the 28% in 2017. 
108. SME’s are the major users of online 3D printing services, accounting for over 75% of the world’s customer base. 
109. Most companies are implementing 3D printing for accelerating product development as seen in the increase from 29% in 2017 to 39% in 2018. 
110. 98% of power users reported identifying competitive advantages with 3D printing while 55% said that their highest priority is accelerating product development. 
111. Companies which identify as 3D printing first companies increased from 15% to 22% in 2018. 
112. 46% of firms are employing 3D printing equipment based on FDM which is a jump from the 12% recorded in 2017. 
113. The most popular finishes used on 3D printed products are polishing (48%), painting (27%), and machining (23%). 
114. In terms of spending, firms that disbursed over $100K were noted to have increased to 12% in 2018 from 4% in 2017. 
115. Manufacturers are adopting 3D printing to distinguish their organization on the dimensions of customization, quality, and speed in the percentages of 21%, 30%, and 29% respectively. 
116. 74% of the companies said that their competitors have also implemented 3D printing as compared to the 59% that said so in 2017. 
117. 3D printing is increasingly being valued as a means of gaining competitive advantage as confirmed by 93% of the respondents. 
118. 46% of companies reported that they witnessed more return on investment in 2018, and 49% experienced the same results in 2017. 
119. The top departments that have embraced 3D printing the most are R&D, design, in production for 46%, 43%, and 41% respectively. 
120. 48% of the firms also prefer 3D printing to conceive complex geometries. 
121. The use of plastics in 3D printing is decreasing as 65% of the companies were using them in 2018 as compared to the 88% in 2017. 
122. 66% of the firms own a printer while 44% of them have more than one. 
123. In the 2017 study, 53% of the respondents did not have a printer, and only 28% had more than one. 
124. 29% of the companies had SLA when 15% owned SLS 3D printers. 
125. DMLS 3D printers are the most popular with metal printing at 16%. 
126. 40% of the users identified themselves as beginners in 2017 compared to the 15% that identified as beginners in 2018. 
127. 41% of the professionals regarded themselves as intermediates while almost half of them identified as experts in the field. 
128. In terms of how the professionals gain more skills in 3D printing, 41% prefer the inhouse approach, 15% consume 3D printing blogs, 14% are attendees in the sector’s events, while 11% attend online and real. 
129. There is however a noted growth in the hiring of project managers as 13% firms expected to hire some in 2018 when compared to the 3% willing to hire the managers in 2017. 
130. 38% of firms did not note any change in turnover as compared to 47% in 2017. 
131. Manufacturers of industrial goods, when compared to other users, use 3D printing mostly for production instead of for the regular sample at a rate of 50% to 43%. 
132. There are also more 3D printing firms in this sector (30% vs. 22%). 
133. Manufacturers of industrial products also use more metals (46% vs. 36%) and fewer plastics (56% vs. 65%). 
134. This industry also has more professionals (50% vs. 42%). 
135. There are more beginners in the consumer industry compared to other sectors (16%). 
136. This sector makes more use of the technology of the entire lifecycle of an item than the regular sample as seen in 7% more for prototyping, 7% more for production, and 9% for proof of concept. 
137. 57% of the firms also reported a higher ROI in 2018 than in 2017. 
138. Few beginners are using 3D printing technology in Aeronautics 59% of the professionals in Aeronautics identified as experts with 38% being intermediates. 
139. 64% of the users apply it in production which is more the level of other sectors. 
140. 37% of these users further channeled over $100K in 3D printing in 2018. 
141. 61% of the professionals, for example, employ metal 3D printing when compared to 30% of the regular sample. 
142. 91% of this leadership also view 3D as a means of increasing creativity. 
143. 53% believe that the technology is operating below its full potential and it needs more training and reassurance. 
144. 20% of the globally leading 100 consumer goods firms will implement 3D printing in the production of consumer goods. 
145. 20% of enterprises will be running internal startups to innovate new 3D print based items and services. 
146. The additive manufacturing sector is poised to top $22 billion by 2022 with a corresponding compound yearly growth rate of 27% between 2016 and 2022. 
147. In 2015, the aviation giant Boeing was estimated to have fitted their airplanes with more than 20,000 3D printed parts. 
148. The UK’s 3D printing industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10%. 
149. 72% of all prototyping needs in the aerospace industry are met by 3D printing. 
150. 55% of manufacturers said they preferred 3D printing due to lower costs. 
151. 82% of 3D printing is done using plastics as the printing material. 
152. The UK’s 3D printing industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10% between 2021 and 2026. 
153. The main reason behind Italy’s rapid expansion is that the Italian government offers a tax break of around 300% for any investments made in the sector. 
154. In 2019, the number of manufacturers who stated that they used 3D printing technology for their manufacturing was 40%. 
155. A survey found that the technology found the highest application in prototyping, followed by research and development (44%), repair (43%), and the production of parts (39%). 
156. 66% of companies stated that the most significant benefit of 3D printing was faster part delivery. 
157. The speed is likely attributed to the fact that 3D printers are digitised instead of purely mechanical. 
158. Each 3D printer is capable of producing parts according to the input received. 
159. Other challenges faced by the technology include higher cost (53%), unavailability of materials (33%), and time constraints (27%). 
160. Moreover, as mentioned earlier, while the industry is still in its nascent stages, it is expected to grow at a quick clip of 10% CAGR. 
161. The most commonly used material for 3D printing is plastic, followed by other materials, including carbon fibre (24%) and composites (20%). 
162. The 3D printing industry expanded7.5% in 2020despite the pandemic to nearly $12.8 billion. 
163. This is compared to the past average growth of 27.4% over the last 10 years. 
164. Industrial printers account for more than76% of the global revenuefor printer types, with the remaining being desktop 3D printers, which are primarily made up of hobbyists and small businesses. 
165. FDM 3D printers make up48% of all 3D printersin use. 
166. The ceramic segment, while fairly new, is expected to grow at a CAGR of 23.3% over the forecasted period. 
167. Throughout 2020, established 3D printer manufacturers saw a decline in sales while independent service providers saw a 7.1% increase in sales worldwide, resulting in a $5.3 billion revenue for the group. 
168. 65% of engineering businesses used 3D printing more in 2020 whilst traditional manufacturing technologies were limited. 
169. 73% of engineering businesses believe they will manufacture or source more 3D printed parts in 2021. 
170. Over the last four years, they’ve developed 4D footwear and their signature 4D lattice midsoles, which are made of 40% bio. 
171. According to Forbes, the future of 3D printing lies heavily in prototyping for both desktop and industrial printers. 
172. According to the [190+ Pages] research study; the global 3D Printing Metals Market in 2019 was approximately USD 724.6 Million. 
173. “According to the research study, the global 3D Printing Metals Market was estimated at USD 724.6 Million in 2019 and is expected to reach USD 5167.9 Million by 2026. 
174. The global 3D Printing Metals Market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 32.4% from 2019 to 2027”. 
175. Recommended Reading Facts & Factors Demand for Global Online Language Learning Market Size & Share Will Surpass USD 28.5 Billion Mark, at 18.8% CAGR Growth By 2028 | e. 
176. Share Worth USD 7915.1 Million by 2028, Exhibit a CAGR of 4.1% Growth | Industry Trends… 
177. 71 per cent of companies say that a lack of knowledge is the greatest factor on projectby project choices to use 3D printing or traditional methods, while 29 per cent insist that it’s a lack of confidence in 3D printing as being reliable. 
178. The number of surveyed organisations with AM systems in house more than quadrupled in the past 3 years, leaping from 9 per cent in 2016 to 40 per cent in 2019. 
179. The number of manufacturers using 3D printing for full scale production has doubled between 2018 and 2019 21 per cent and 40 per cent respectively. 
180. 79 per cent of surveyed companies expect their use of 3D printing for production parts or goods to at least double in the next 3 to 5 years. 
181. In the aerospace and defence industry, the most popular application of 3D printing is prototyping , followed by repair , research and development and production parts. 
182. Research firm, CONTEXT, estimates that metal 3D printer shipments will see yearonyear unit volumegrowth rates of over 49 per cent. 
183. 62 per cent of the globally installed PBF metal AM systems come from German suppliers. 
184. In metal PBF processes, 20 per cent to 40 per cent of the raw part costs are associated with material costs. 
185. In powder based DED processes, the material can make up 70 per cent of the raw part cost, in Wire Arc Deposition even up to 80 per cent. 
186. The Powder Bed Fusion family plays the largest role in metal AM, comprising 80 per cent of all metal AM system installations worldwide. 
187. 72 per cent of companies, surveyed for EY’s Global 3D Printing Report 2019, are using polymer AM systems, compared to 49 per cent that use metal ones. 
188. These trends taken together indicate a healthy maturation of the materials industry, which is predicted to grow into a whopping $4.5 billion opportunityin the next 5 years. 
189. 99 per cent of manufacturing executivesbelieve. 
190. The most commonly used material for 3D printing continues to be plastics, at 82 per cent. 
191. Companies using 3D printing are also working with carbon fibre and composites. 
192. The polymer AM segment grew to an estimated nearly $5.5 billion in 2018. 
193. 94 per cent of surveyed companies say designers choose traditional manufacturing due to the lack of additive materials. 
194. According to a whitepaper by RIZE . 
195. The Impact Of Postprocessing), postprocessing can add between 17 per cent and 100 per cent to 3D printing time on a batchby. 
196. 66 per cent of companies report experiencing 2 or more challenges with their current Post. 
197. 75 per cent of companies indicate Length of Time to Finish Parts as a key challenge in their Post Printing, while for 51 per cent of respondents, the challenge lies in a lack of consistency. 
198. According to the EY Report 2019, service providers make up 34 per cent of the global AM landscape. 
199. By 2022, nearly one third of 900 surveyed companies expect to design and produce their AM parts via service providers. 
200. Small and medium sized enterprises are the power users of online 3D printing services, representing more than 75 per cent of the global customer base. 
201. The industry most commonly served by 3D printing service bureaus is consumer goods. 
202. In second and third place are automotive and industrial goods. 
203. 37 per cent of 3D printing service providers reported producing between 1,001 and 10,000 parts annually. 
204. The number of companies using service providers has more than tripled from 8 per cent in 2016 to 26 per cent in 2019. 
205. Around 81 per cent of companies cite a reluctance to invest in their own systems as their reason for working with service providers in the future. 
206. 48 per cent cite their unfamiliarity with AM processes and standards, while 38 percent cite their uncertainty around AM design. 
207. 80% of enterprises say 3D printing is enabling them to innovate faster. 
208. 51% of enterprises are actively using 3D printing in production. 
209. The study’s methodology is based on interviews with 1,300 respondents coming from Europe (64%), United States (16.6 %) and Asia (20.2%). 
210. Eight industries are included in the research design including Industrial Goods (13.6%), High Tech (10.6%), Services (9.9%), Consumer Goods (8.6%), Health & Medical (6.2%), Automotive (5.7%), Aerospace & Defense (5.5%), and Education (4.9%). 
211. Manufacturers are increasing their reliance on 3D printing as part of their broader manufacturing strategies, with production use up to 51% of all respondents from 38.7% in 2018. 
212. Nearly 50% of enterprises say that quality control is their top challenge of using their 3D printers. 
213. When responses were asked which areas related to 3D printing and additive manufacturing, they spend the majority of their time, nearly 50% said CAD design. 
214. 80% of high tech manufacturing respondents are relying on 3D printing for prototyping, leading all industries in this category. 
215. 47% use 3D printing to accelerate product development. 
216. Shares of 3D Systems ( DDD 5.68%) and Stratasys ( SSYS 0.92%). 
217. According to Wohlers Report 2015, a leading 3D printing insights report, the 3D printing industry is expected to grow by more than 31% per year between 2014 and 2020 to eventually generate over $21 billion in worldwide revenue. 
218. During this period, 3D Systems saw its revenue increase by a modest 3.6%, while Stratasys saw its revenue fall by 2% both of which are nowhere near that 31% growth expectation. 
219. Both technologies are likely to make at least some of 3D Systems’ and Stratasys’ existing technology portfolio appear inferior. 
220. Compared to the $4.1 billion in revenue the 3D printing industry generated in 2014, 3D Systems’ 2014 revenue comprised 15.9% of the total, while Stratasys’ represented 18.3%. 
221. According to HP, there are hundreds of thousands of enterprises that could benefit from 3D printing, but have yet to purchase a 3D printer. 

Wrap Up

3D printing is growing at a fast rate, and its use has only been growing in the UK. The UK remains one of the foremost destinations when it comes to 3D printing and its adoption. Policy-makers and manufacturers alike are coming to terms with the benefits of using 3D printing for manufacturing a wide range of products.

These 3D printing statistics prove that the industry is just getting started and has a long way to go.