Of the seven types of 3D printing technologies that currently dominate the 3D printer market it is little surprise that the leading process will remain material extrusion or FDM 3D printers for the foreseeable future. In 2015, FDM 3D printers are expected to account for a whopping 232,336 of the 244,533 units expected to be sold this year. By 2019 that number is expected to jump up to 5,527,493 units, a massive 97.5% of all printers sold. That number is mostly due to a massive and unexpected uptick in sales for low cost, entry-level 3D printers being sold to homes and small businesses.
Gartner specifically notes that 3D printer prices will be playing an ever increasing role in which units are purchased by new or inexperienced users. As you would expect, sub-$1,000 3D printers and 3D printers priced between $1,001 and $2,500 remain the two most popular price points in the market. Currently, units costing less than $1,000 make up about 25.5% of all 3D printers sold at those two prices points combined. However, by 2019 sub-$1,000 3D printers are expected to make up 40.7% of units sold for all printers under $2,500.
“Rapid quality and performance innovations across all 3D printer technologies are driving both enterprise and consumer demand, with unit shipment growth rates for 3D printers increasing significantly. The 3D printer market is continuing its transformation from a niche market to broad-based, global market of enterprises and consumers,” said Gartner research vice president Pete Basiliere.
While sales to makers and the hobbyist market are expected to remain strong, the primary reason for the huge jump in sales of 3D printers priced under $2,500 is expected to be purchases made by schools and universities. The low buy-in cost and ease of use make them particularly attractive for educational uses. Just as the growing ability of FDM 3D printers to produce finished-piece quality objects and a more varied range of filament types will drive an increase in small businesses opting to purchase lower cost alternatives.
“Enterprise 3D printers can not only prototype new products and produce tools and fixtures that are used to make other items, but also print high-quality, short-run finished goods. This multifaceted ability is driving their growth worldwide,” continued Basiliere.
Currently the most expensive 3D printing process is directed-energy deposition printers like electron beam melting (EMB) printers, which are used primarily for industrial and aerospace applications. After metal 3D printing, powder bed fusion 3D printing processes like selective laser sintering (SLS) or selective laser melting carry the second most expensive price tags. Price points in these areas are expected to remain relatively unchanged for the next few years, which will price them well beyond reach of the desktop market.
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