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Worldwide 3D-Printer Shipments Up 29 Percent in 2016, According to IDC

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The IDC Worldwide 3D Printer Shipment Tracker found that 3D-printer shipments increased 29 percent in 2016 while revenue grew by more than 18 percent year-over-year in 2016.

“The 3D printing market surge continues on a worldwide basis with more technology and materials options, which are driving more investment in 3D printers and greater utilization of the equipment that has been installed” said Tim Greene, research director for IDC’s Hardcopy Solutions group. “We’re seeing exciting growth in some of the key technology segments, with FFF/FDM, SLA, and Powder-bed Fusion all growing at double-digit rates year over year” Greene continued.

Technology Segment Highlights

The fastest-growing technology segments were FFF/FDM and Stereolithography, which each grew shipments by nearly 30 percent in 2016 versus 2015.

On the revenue side, powder-bed fusion-based 3D printers grew by nearly 40 percent from 2015 to 2016.

Regional Highlights

The strongest growth in 3D-printer shipments came from the Asia/Pacific region (excluding Japan), Central and Eastern Europe, and the Middle East and Africa.

Shipments in Asia/Pacific surged in 2016, making it the largest 3D-printer region in the world in 2016.

3D-printer shipments in North America “recovered nicely” in the second half of 2016, but were still down for the year.

Vendor Highlights

Chinese manufacturers like Flashforge, XYZ Printing, and Tiertime selling low-end FFF/FDM printers make up more than 30 percent of shipments but less than 5 percent of worldwide hardware revenue.

Stratasys and 3D Systems make up just over 6 percent of worldwide shipments, but over 30 percent of total hardware revenue in 2016.

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