With the publication of Q2 market numbers for the additive manufacturing (AM) space, as well as the official rebranding of SmarTech Analysis to Additive Manufacturing Research (AMR), it’s time we identify some long running trends about the AM market and its future.
The market is growing at a steady pace, maybe more consistently than any other technology area in recent memory. However, because of the importance that AM holds as a technology to improve our world via sustainability and advanced manufacturing, there is broad interest from financial and government interests in its rapid acceleration, and this is where a disconnect exists that needs to be understood. The AM market has been, and will likely continue to be, subject to cyclical growth periods that are more consistent—or possibly lower and more gradual—than the current stakeholders want to admit.
To set the stage, let’s look at a couple of metrics.