The Wohlers report discusses the growth of this market. They compare 2013 with 2012, in which there was a 75.8% growth in the market. However, as
3D metal printers are extremely expensive, and require special safety precautions. They are not printers that would be operated in a home or office. They are printers that are mostly being used by large corporations such as Airbus, GE, and Lima Corporate, in order to print out specialized metal parts.
“Printing in metal is another animal,” Terry Wohlers told Forbes. “Temperatures are much higher, so safety is an issue. Also, removing support material and finishing parts require shop tools such as band saws and grinders, as well as a lot of know-how. Printing in plastic is difficult enough and most consumers will never do it.”
We should probably expect to see an increase of similar proportions over the next few years, with perhaps more and more companies deciding to go the route of 3D printing. However, we appear to be a long ways off from 3D metal printers becoming commonplace for most companies.
Discuss these stats, and let us know what you think. Post in the ‘Growth of 3D metal printers‘ thread on 3DPB.com