ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING
Technavio forecast the metal additive manufacturing market size to increase by US $ 18.7 billion at a CAGR of 29.7 % between 2024 and 2029. In its report covering North America( U. S./ Canada); Europe( Germany, UK, Italy, France); APAC( China, India, Japan); South America( Brazil) and Middle East & Africa, it highlighted advances in new materials, which are expanding the application areas of metal additive manufacturing in various industries.
“ The North American region dominates the market, driven by significant demand from industries such as aerospace and healthcare. The U. S., Canada and Mexico are key contributors to the market’ s revenue growth in North America. The healthcare sector, particularly in the U. S., is witnessing an increase in demand for metal additive manufacturing in the production of dental implants and other medical devices. Additionally, the maturity of the North- American economy( with investments in industries like automotive, chemical and tools and moulding) further boosts market expansion. Metal additive manufacturing technologies( including Electron Beam Melting( EBM), Intelligent Layering and Nano Dimension) are increasingly adopted in these industries for their efficiency and precision,” confirmed Technavio.
Benefits and challenges
Businesses looking to increase their manufacturing sustainability have an advantage owing to additive manufacturing’ s favourable environmental effects.
“ Compared to conventional production, additive manufacturing offers several advantageous environmental advantages. The two most notable ones are energy and waste minimisation. Comparatively, additive manufacturing technologies are more effective and dramatically lessen the environmental impact of waste products than traditional manufacturing procedures. As additive manufacturing only uses what is necessary to make a product, it offers higher material efficiency,” explained Precedence Research.
One of the main benefits of additive manufacturing is increased speed, enabling a more productive process and generating a paradigm shift for the development of tooling and components.
“ Automotive parts can be designed and made in a matter of days rather than the typical turnaround time of weeks. By including additive manufacturing equipment outside the design studio and on the factory floor, automakers can create multiple assemblies from one machine to save time and reduce the amount of component inventory on the shelf,” commented manufacturer, BASF.
However, additive manufacturing technology’ s adoption is not without challenges. While the unit economics of
printing parts is favourable in low volume production runs, additive manufacturing is more expensive per unit when building parts in large quantities.
“ One significant challenge is the high production cost due to the expensive metal powders and the high cost of metal additive manufacturing equipment. The costs of metal powders are significantly higher than the materials used in traditional manufacturing methods such as CNC machining, injection moulding or stereolithography,” commented market analyst, Technavio.
A model created in a laser sintering machine.
“ Copyrights, licensing and patenting issues must be addressed to ensure intellectual property protection. Installation services and ongoing maintenance are also essential considerations for companies implementing this technology. As the market continues to evolve, the focus on improving efficiency and reducing the cost of metal additive manufacturing processes will be crucial. The integration of advanced 3D printer software and the development of new materials will further expand the technology’ s applications and potential,” it added.
Technavio also highlighted the limited build envelopes of current technologies which, it said, hinder the production of large metal components. Large AM components often require additional processes, such as mechanical joining and welding, which increase production time and costs.
Image: Shutterstock. com.
“ The production of complex products, such as those in the aerospace and defence industry, can result in significant waste generation and increased costs. The design and production of customised products and metal prototypes require significant investment in 3D printer software, additive manufacturing technology, installation services and inspection software,” concluded the analyst.
Design to print
“ AM marks an inflection point in manufacturing that allows previously impossible structures to be produced. If you can design it, you can print it. What was once a physical inventory can now become a digital library, bringing a radically more efficient logic to logistics and eliminating multiple links in the supply chain such as packaging, warehousing and transport,” commented additive specialist, Sandvik.
“ Moreover, as an additive process, where only the exact amount of required raw materials are used, AM makes waste a thing of the past. Just imagine what this can do for performance throughout all industries as well as what it means for our planet in the long run,” it continued.
“ In additive manufacturing, a complex design is often as easy to produce as a simple one. This means that designers can use geometry, rather than bulk, to achieve structural strength with less weight. It’ s also ideal for components where complex inner shapes( curved channels, for instance) can provide new functionalities and efficiencies,” it concluded.
The strengths of additive manufacturing lie in those areas where conventional manufacturing reaches its limitations. The technology is of interest where a new approach to design and manufacturing is required to come up with solutions. It enables a design-driven manufacturing process, where design determines production and not the other way around. n
Image: Shutterstock. com.
20 | ismr. net | ISMR April 2025