Three-quarters of survey respondents invested in 3D printing last year

Additive manufacturing equipment and materials supplier MakerBot has released the results of a survey that show the use of industrial 3D printers rose in 2021.

Titled “2022 State of 3D Printing, Professional Edition,” the 39-page study states that adoption of 3D printing continues. Seventy-seven percent of respondents say they made 3D printing investments in 2021, and 69% expect to do so this year. Moreover, in the latest study, MakerBot—a Stratasys company—found that 84% of respondents who invested in 2021 said they plan to purchase more equipment, materials, and accessories this year to address new applications such as prototyping, tooling, and mass production.

“In the midst of tremendous disruption around the world, professionals in design, engineering, and manufacturing see 3D printing as the way forward,” said MakerBot CEO Nadav Goshen. “The results from our report show an eagerness to increase both use and spend as 3D printing demonstrates its ability to accelerate product development and transform businesses.”

Following are other details from the report:

• Besides better design and prototyping processes, respondents cite improvements in R&D projects (57%) and reduced dependency on external suppliers (35%).

• Eight percent of participants are, for the first time, tying 3D printing investments to large-scale manufacturing.

• 3D printing continues to expand outside of functional prototypes and concept modeling. Its use for R&D (78%) is the primary application among healthcare respondents, while R&D is listed as one of the top three applications for manufacturers of consumer products.

• Participants want to see improvements in the technology. Better print quality (83%), faster printing speeds (65%), and larger build volumes (52%) were the top areas cited as needing improvement.

• In the next three to five years, respondents want additive manufacturing start to play a bigger role in the supply chain (44%) and be utilized to localize manufacturing (32%). Respondents would also like establishment of practices to help reduce 3D printing waste (33%).

• Interest is growing in the sustainability aspects of 3D printing. For instance, 22% of respondents use 3D printing to help them reduce manufacturing waste, and 38% expect improvements in sustainability and recyclability efforts in the next three to five years.

The report includes responses from nearly 1,200 professionals from around the world who represent more than 20 industries, including aerospace, consumer products, healthcare, automotive, arts and entertainment, and manufacturing.

“2022 State of 3D Printing, Professional Edition” can be downloaded by registering at the MakerBot website.