3D-Printer Industry Soars to $5.2 Billion in 2015, According to Latest Wohlers Report

Consulting and 3D-printing market-research firm Wohlers Associates reports that the desktop 3D-printer market grew by $1 billion for the second-consecutive year in a row.

According to the Wohlers Report 2016, published today, the additive-manufacturing (AM) 3D-printing industry, consisting of all AM products and services worldwide, grew 25.9 percent (compound annual growth rate [CAGR]) to $5.165 billion in 2015. The CAGR for the previous three years was 33.8 percent. Over the past 27 years, the CAGR for the industry is an impressive 26.2 percent. Additionally, more than 278,000 desktop 3D printer were sold worldwide last year.

For the Wohlers Report 2016, input was collected from 51 industrial-system manufacturers, 98 service providers, 15 third-party material producers, and many manufacturers of low-cost desktop 3D printers.The effort also included contributions from 80 experts in 33 countries.

Wohlers Associates reports that, despite challenges, growth continued in many segments of the industry, particularly in metal AM and the desktop 3D printer segments. In 2015, 62 manufacturers sold industrial-grade AM systems (valued at more than $5,000), compared to 49 in 2014, and twice as many as the 31 companies that sold industrial systems in 2011. All of these companies, and many others, are profiled in Wohlers Report 2016.

The Wohlers Report 2016 includes growth, competitive products and services, and the future outlook for the industry. The report covers the technology’s history, applications, processes, materials, and equipment manufacturers. It also documents developments in R&D, investment, and collaborative activities in government, academia, and industry. The principal authors of the report are Tim Caffrey, senior consultant, Ian Campbell, associate consultant, and Terry Wohlers, principal consultant and president, all of Wohlers Associates. The company is fortunate to have developed the largest network of colleagues and contacts in the industry. This access and trust has resulted in a report that offers an unparalleled window into AM and 3D printing.

For more information, visit Wohlers Associates here.

More Resources

• March 2016: IDC: Foreign Brands Dominate China’s 3D-Printer Market, but China Desktop Brands Making Some Gains
• March 2016: Top 3D-Printer Brands Moving Away from Consumer 3D Printing
• January 2016: IDC: Global Spending on 3D Printing Will Grow at 27 Percent CAGR
• January 2016: IDC: China to Surpass U.S. with 3D-Printer Shipments this Year
• December 2015: Global 3D-Printer Market has Hit Half-a-Million Shipments, but Market Struggling Lately
• October 2015: U.S. 3D-Printer Market is ‘White Hot,’ According to New Research from IDC
• September 2015: Gartner Forecasts that Almost Half-a-Million 3D Printers Will Ship in 2016
• July 2015: Global Shipments of 3D Printers More than Double in First-Quarter 2015
• April 2015: 3D-Printer Market Reaches Over $3.3 Billion Worldwide in 2014