The global metal 3D printing market size was valued at USD 3.0 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.2% from 2020 to 2027. Globally, 13.8 thousand units of metal 3D printers were shipped in 2019 and the shipments are expected to reach 180 thousand units by 2027. The metal 3D printing is one such market that has benefitted significantly from the growing necessity of rapid prototyping and advanced manufacturing practices. The industry is poised to witness unprecedented growth over the forecast period owing to the rising application of additive manufacturing in various industry verticals. The global industrial printer market is increasingly advancing towards consolidation to stay ahead of the competition. A substantial growth factor for this market is increasing innovation, which is leading to several benefits through the adoption of metal 3D printing across heavy industry applications.
Increasing adoption of metal 3D printers for designing and prototyping of products and objects, coupled with the reduced manufacturing expenditure and accuracy in the end-product, is a key market proliferating factor. The market is poised to witness high demand arising prominently from the healthcare, automotive, and aerospace and defense sectors. Growing advancements in the healthcare sector so as to curb physical disabilities and ensure healthy living are influencing the sector to flourish and adopt new innovative methodologies, such as 3D printing.
Additionally, the automotive and aerospace sectors, where prototyping and designing plays a vital role in research & development so as to achieve perfection in their production are leading towards greater opportunities and increasing adoption of the 3D printing process.
However, the prevailing misconceptions with respect to the prototyping processes held by the small and medium-scale manufacturers are hindering the adoption of additive manufacturing. Companies involved in designing, particularly small-scale and medium-scale enterprises are deliberating before considering investments in prototyping as accountable investments rather than trying to understand the advantages and benefits of prototyping. The general notion prevailing among these enterprises is that prototyping is merely an expensive phase prior to manufacturing. Such perceptions regarding the prototyping, coupled with the lack of technical knowledge and a looming lack of standard process controls, are expected to hinder the market growth.
Selective Laser Melting (SLM) technology led the market and accounted for more than 24.0% share of the global revenue in 2019. Although the advantages and ease of operations associated with the SLM technology are encouraging the adoption of this technology, advances in technology and aggressive research and development activities undertaken by the industry experts and researchers are opening opportunities for several other efficient and reliable technologies. Other technologies used for metal 3D printing include Selective Laser Sintering (SLS), Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS), Inkjet printing, Electron Beam Melting (EBM), Laser Metal Deposition (LMD), Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM), and Electron-beam Freeform Fabrication (EBF3).
EBM accounted for a considerable revenue share in 2019 owing to the extensive adoption of the technology across various metal 3DP processes. The DMLS, EBF3, and SLS are also expected to witness high adoption over the forecast period as these technologies are applicable in specialized additive manufacturing processes. Growing demand from aerospace and defense, healthcare, and automotive verticals would open opportunities for the adoption of these technologies.
Design software led the market and accounted for around 37.0% share of the global revenue in 2019. Design software is used for constructing the designs of the object to be printed, particularly in automotive, aerospace and defense, and construction and engineering verticals. Design software acts as a bridge between the objects to be printed and the printer’s hardware.
The scanning software segment is expected to witness rapid growth and generate considerable revenue over the forecast period in line with the growing adoption of scanners. The segment is projected to expand at the highest CAGR of 19.8% from 2020 to 2027. Demand for scanning software is estimated to grow on account of the growing trend of scanning the objects and storing the scanned documents. This ability to store the scanned images of the objects irrespective of their size or dimensions for the 3-dimensional printing of these objects whenever necessary is expected to fuel the growth of the scanner software segment over the forecast period.
The prototyping segment led the market and accounted for more than 55.0% share of the global revenue in 2019 owing to extensive adoption of the prototyping process across several industry verticals. The automotive and aerospace and defense verticals particularly use prototyping to design and develop parts, components, and complex systems precisely. Prototyping allows manufacturers to achieve higher accuracy and develop reliable end products. Hence, the prototyping segment is expected to continue dominating the market over the forecast period.
Functional parts include smaller joints and other metallic hardware connecting components. The accuracy and precise sizing of these functional parts are of paramount importance while developing machinery and systems. The functional parts segment is expected to expand at a significant CAGR of 19.5% from 2020 to 2027 in line with the increasing demand for designing and building functional parts.
The hardware segment led the market and accounted for more than 55.0% share of the global revenue in 2019. The hardware segment is anticipated to maintain its lead over the forecast period. The metal 3D printing hardware component segment is bifurcated by technology and application. Similarly, the software segment is further categorized by design software, inspection software, printer software, and scanning software.
The services segment is expected to expand at a significant CAGR of 19.8% from 2020 to 2027. With the adoption of methodology, metal 3D printing services help manufacturers to produce complicated and delicate functional parts with greater ease and accuracy. Moreover, the production expenditures are being reduced significantly owing to the enhanced prototyping and benefits offered by the technology. As such, the benefits and advantages of 3D printing are gaining greater attention from the players of various industry verticals.
The automotive segment led the market and accounted for more than 16.0% share of the global revenue in 2019. Other verticals include aerospace and defense, healthcare, consumer electronics, industrial, power, and energy, among others. The aerospace and defense, healthcare, and automotive verticals are anticipated to contribute significantly toward the growth of the metal 3D printing over the forecast period owing to the active adoption of technology in various production processes associated with these verticals.
The healthcare segment is expected to expand at a significant CAGR of 19.4% from 2020 to 2027. In the healthcare sector, additive manufacturing helps in the development of artificial tissues and muscles, which replicate the natural human tissues and can be used in replacement surgeries. These capabilities are expected to help in driving the adoption of metal 3D printing across the healthcare vertical and contribute significantly towards the growth of the industrial segment.
North America dominated the market and accounted for over 35.0% share of global revenue in 2019 owing to the extensive adoption of additive manufacturing in the region. North American countries, such as the U.S. and Canada, have been one of the prominent and early adopters of these technologies in various manufacturing processes. The regional market is offering lucrative opportunities for metal 3D printing in different applications. Europe happens to be the largest region in terms of its geographical footprint. It is home to several additive manufacturing industry players, which hold strong technical expertise in additive manufacturing processes. Hence, the European regional market happens to be the second largest.
Asia Pacific is projected to witness remarkable growth, expanding at the highest CAGR over the forecast period. This rapid adoption of metal 3D printing in the Asia Pacific can be attributed to the developments and upgrades across the manufacturing industry within the region. The Asia Pacific region is also emerging as a manufacturing hub for the automotive and healthcare industries. A stronghold on the production of consumer electronics, coupled with rapid urbanization, is also contributing towards rising demand for three-dimensional printing in the region.
Market players in the market are improvising the technology continuously in response to the growing demand for metal 3D printing applications from the automotive, healthcare, and aerospace and defense verticals for manufacturing purposes. Several key market players are increasingly undergoing mergers and acquisitions along with the new industry entrants so as to expand their geographical presence and capture the escalating market potential. For instance, in August 2017, GE Additive (U.S.), an additive manufacturing company, acquired Arcam AB (Sweden) to expand the service as well as solution offerings to the customers. Some of the prominent players in the metal 3D printing market include:
Materialise NV
3D Systems, Inc.
GE Additive
Autodesk Inc.
Optomec, Inc.
Report Attribute |
Details |
Market size value in 2020 |
USD 4.3 billion |
Revenue forecast in 2027 |
USD 14.6 billion |
Growth Rate |
CAGR of 19.2% from 2020 to 2027 |
Base year for estimation |
2019 |
Historical data |
2016 - 2018 |
Forecast period |
2020 - 2027 |
Quantitative units |
Revenue in USD million and CAGR from 2020 to 2027 |
Report coverage |
Revenue forecast, company ranking, competitive landscape, growth factors, and trends |
Segments covered |
Component, technology, application, vertical, software, region |
Regional scope |
North America; Europe; Asia Pacific; South America; MEA |
Country scope |
U.S.; Canada; Mexico; U.K.; Germany; France; Italy; Spain; Japan; China; India; South Korea; Singapore; Brazil |
Key companies profiled |
Materialise NV; 3D Systems, Inc.; GE Additive; Autodesk Inc.; Optomec, Inc. |
Customization scope |
Free report customization (equivalent up to 8 analysts working days) with purchase. Addition or alteration to country, regional & segment scope. |
Pricing and purchase options |
Avail customized purchase options to meet your exact research needs. Explore purchase options |
The report forecasts revenue growth at the global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends and opportunities in each of the sub-segments from 2016 to 2027. Additionally, the report covers shipment estimates and forecasts as well as ASP qualitative analysis from 2016 to 2027. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global metal 3D printing market report based on component, technology, software, application, vertical, and region:
Component Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)
Hardware
Software
Services
Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)
Selective Laser Sintering
Direct Metal Laser Sintering
Inkjet printing
Electron Beam Melting
Laser Metal Deposition
Laminated Object Manufacturing
Electron beam freeform fabrication
Selective Laser Melting
Software Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)
Design Software
Inspection Software
Printer Software
Scanning Software
Application Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)
Prototyping
Tooling
Functional Parts
Vertical Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)
Automotive
Aerospace & Defense
Healthcare
Consumer Electronics
Power & Energy
Others
Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)
North America
The U.S.
Canada
Mexico
Europe
The U.K.
Germany
France
Italy
Spain
Asia Pacific
China
Japan
India
South Korea
Singapore
South America
Brazil
The Middle East & Africa
b. The global metal 3D printing market size was estimated at USD 2,995.6 million in 2019 and is expected to reach USD 4,257.0 million in 2020.
b. The global metal 3D printing market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 19.2% from 2020 to 2027 to reach USD 14,555.5 million by 2027.
b. North America dominated the metal 3D printing market with a share of 35.9% in 2019. This is attributable to the extensive adoption of metal 3DP in the region. Countries, such as the U.S. and Canada, have been one of the prominent and early adopters of these technologies.
b. Some key players operating in the metal 3D printing market include Materialise NV, 3D Systems, Inc., GE Additive, Autodesk Inc., Optomec, Inc.
b. Key factors that are driving the market growth include increasing adoption of metal 3D printers for designing and prototyping of products & objects coupled with the reduced manufacturing expenditure and accuracy in the end-product.
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