Full article is available for a fee
May 5, 2008
The
market for additive fabrication, consisting of all products and services
globally, grew 16% to an estimated $1.141 billion in 2007, according to
Wohlers Report 2008. This is up from an estimated $983.7 million
generated in 2006. Reaching the $1 billion mark is a first for this
industry.
The market size is just one of thousands of bits of information about
the additive fabrication (AF) industry in Wohlers Report 2008, a
240-page quantitative and qualitative analysis of the new developments
and trends in AF worldwide. AF technology encompasses a wide range of
applications, including design review, concept modeling, prototyping,
pattern making, and tooling. It is also being used to manufacture
products that are difficult or impossible to produce any other way.
“Additive fabrication significantly reduces labor costs, making it
much easier for organizations in the West to compete with companies in
countries where labor rates are low,” said Terry Wohlers, principal
author of Wohlers Report 2008 and president of Wohlers Associates. “This
will become especially important as companies apply AF technology to the
manufacture of end-use products.”
Wohlers Associates (WA) expects the industry to grow substantially
over the next several years. By 2012, annual sales of AF products and
services will reach an estimated $2.3 billion worldwide, with unit sales
reaching 12,000 systems for the year. By 2015, the company believes the
industry will grow to an estimated $3.5 billion for the year, with unit
sales reaching 20,000 systems.
