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Survey reveals current and future impact of 3D printing on manufacturing

Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, a subsidiary of 3D-printing technology leader Stratasys (Eden Prairie, MN) published a report on the impact of 3D printing on manufacturing. The document is based on a survey of 700 designers, engineers and executives who work for companies committed to advanced manufacturing (AM) technology. 40% of them are employed by companies with more than $50 million in revenue. It is the only business report of its kind, dedicated to 3D printing and insights from professional users, such as the following: by a large margin, respondents ranked complex design capabilities (79%) and reduced lead time for parts (76%) as the most significant benefits of AM. In terms of current AM challenges, a majority cited equipment costs (63%) and limited materials (54%), issues that have often come up in our coverage of the technology in PlasticsToday. Manufacturing costs (38%) and post-processing requirements (39%) were also mentioned. As the report notes, "two of the top four challenges are financial-based, indicating that cost remains a barrier to implementation." Interestingly, the availability of a range of materials was also identified as one of the issues that would have the greatest future impact on the AM market. Materials came in third (10%) in that category, trailing mechanical properties (16%) and equipment cost (20%). Respondents strongly believe that more end-use parts will be designed specifically for AM in the future. The aerospace and automotive sectors, which were early adopters of the technology, will expand end-use production the most, according to the survey. It is also worth noting that respondents anticipate substantial growth in AM applications by 2018 in the manufacturing tools, tooling and patterns, and trial/bridge production segments (see chart below).

chart-survey-reveals

Moreover, while 84% of respondents said they would like to see further developments in metals, there is also pent-up demand for rubber-like materials (61%) and high-temperature plastics (61%). Overall, the interest in materials development for 3D printing are industry specific: employees in the aerospace and automotive sectors were disproportionately interested in carbon fiber, for example, while those working in the med-tech space wanted to see further research done on bio-based polymers. The full report is available free of charge, though registration is required, on Stratasys Direct Manufacturing at the following link: https://www.plasticstoday.com/3d-printing/survey-reveals-current-and-future-impact-3d-printing-manufacturing?cid=nl.plas04.2015082