Six 3D Printing Firms Ready For A Post-COVID World
3D printing is proving to be a resilient industry. For Printer Week 2022, CRN looks at the prospects for additive manufacturing and the companies leading the path forward.
While a raging pandemic the likes of which the world has not dealt with in more than 100 years ravaged the global economy, the booming 3-D printing industry proved to be a resilient and reliable business model. Additive manufacturing claimed a market size of $16.75 billion in 2022, according to Grand View Research. And with a projected annual growth rate of 20.8 percent, the market is expected to soar to $76.17 billion by 2030.
3D printing could also alleviate some of the supply chain issues made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. One printer for example, HP Inc.’s Metal Jet S100, is a scalable mass production component printer that could help industries shore up their supply chain with component alternatives.
“We are witnessing entire industries, from industrial to consumer, and healthcare to automotive, looking to digitally transform their manufacturing processes and supply chaines in a world where volatility is the new normal,” Dider Deltor, president of HP’s personalization and 3D printing business, said in a statement.
Clearly, 3D printing has a bright future that will weather economically uncertain times.
CRN takes a look at some of the biggest names in the industry set to take on the post-COVID-19 landscape:
Stratasys Ltd.
Rehovot, Israel-based Stratasys has made its mark on the aerospace, automotive, consumer products and healthcare industries. With the company’s arsenal of Industrial, commercial and professional 3D printers, Stratasys uses FDM, PolyJet SAF, P3, or Stereolithography technologies to provide solutions to a wide range of needs – from rapid prototyping to manufacturing.
Product examples:
Object30 Dental Prime (3-D printer for use in dental offices)
Origin One (flexible parts production)
J8 Series (series of 3-D printers for medical protypes and models)
Materialise
Materialise was at the forefront of 3D printing when founded in 1990. With its focus on medical innovation, the company led the way in producing anatomical models that would provide an alternative to testing on cadavers and would allow medical professionals to test devices on a specific person’s anatomy. This virtual patient process has slashed the time needed to bring a medical device to market by accelerating the design process. Leuven, Belgium-based Materialise also provides industrial applications with software solutions and digital manufacturing services.
Product/Services:
Point-of-Care 3D Printing (provides localized 3D printing for patient care)
EnvisionTec Inc.
The German company EnvisionTec (ETEC) and its North American headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., is the original inventor of digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing technology and posts of one of the most advanced portfolios of precision polymer printers and materials on the market. The company is supported by more than 130 issued and pending patents and serves a broad range of industries, including automotive, aerospace, medical devices and jewelry. The company’s solutions are used for prototypes, tooling and low volume to mass production.
Product/Services:
3D Systems Inc.
Rock Hill, S.C.-based 3D Systems, Inc. has been in the 3D printing business for more than 35 years. The company offers hardware, software, materials and other services across a broad range of industries. The company says their solutions address a variety of advanced applications in healthcare and industrial markets such as medical and dental, aerospace & defense, automotive and durable goods. Most recently, the company announced two new production-grade materials – Figure 4 Tough Clear and DuraForm Pax Black – to address a breadth of industrial applications.
Products/Services:
DMP Factory 500 Solution (scalable metal additive manufacturing for large parts)
Figure 4 Production (customizable factory solution for direct digital production)
Made in Space
One company is taking 3D printing beyond the limits of our planet. Jacksonville, Fla.-based Made In Space (MIS) is the industry leader for manufacturing technologies designed for the outer space environment. The company uses various manufacturing techniques, including fused deposition modeling, injection molding, casting, stereolithography, substractive and more. MIS uses the benefits of microgravity to develop innovative new products and concepts that can only be realized in space, according to its website. The company currently owns and operates a commercial additive manufacturing facility aboard the International Space Station (ISS) that is used by both government and commercial customers. The company’s ZBLAN optical fiber is the first commercially available (on Earth) product to be manufactured aboard the ISS.
Voxeljet AG
Germany-based Voxeljet was founded in 1999 as a startup from the Technical University of Munich. Intitially developed for the metal casting industry, the applications of Voxeljet’s technology extend into other offerings as well. The company’s goal is to establish a new manufacturing standard, according to its website.
Products/Services: