AM market value hit $3 billion in Q1

SmarTech Analysis, a firm that tracks additive manufacturing (AM) sector data, said the sector’s value reached $3 billion in the first quarter of 2022, a 27 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

The company said macroeconomic challenges are looming, but if the sector can avoid the negative effects of inflation and global supply chain disruptions, the market for printers, materials and services could top $12 billion this calendar year.

The company said disruptions including pandemic response and supply chain interruptions led estimates of the AM market’s value to grow 40 percent since the end of Q1 2020.

Scott Dunham, SmarTech Analysis EVP for research, commented, “The first quarter of 2022 was historic for the additive industry, with sequential growth continuing in earnest even beyond the rebound of 2021. Utilization of AM technologies is strengthening rapidly all over the world as the supply chain continues to be a challenge. The longer this continues, the better the outcomes for quality AM platforms.”