From 2013 to 2014, 3D printing has become a hot topic in a short time. However, the word-of-mouth trend soon faded, and many people haven't even figured out what 3D printing can do. From the data of markets and markets, the global 3D printer market size is expected to be around 9.9 billion US dollars in 2018, and 34.8 billion US dollars in 2024 - of course, the forecast at that time should not take into account the international situation and economic trend of nearly two years.

What is the main target market of 3D printing?

In the past, the traditional methods of prototype product development and customization were metal extrusion, processing and manual modeling. In fact, in the whole cycle of product design and development, there may be several different stages that require such prototype display, whether it is used for internal communication, development improvement, or visual display of products for customers.

There are many limitations in this traditional and "carving" like production method, including the need for specialized technical personnel or cooperation with third parties, which is time-consuming and labor-consuming. In particular, it takes a lot of time. For the redundancy of product design errors, and the subsequent redesign, until the product is finally put on the market, this cycle will cause a lot of time waste. This is a very inefficient solution for design iteration and production improvement.

3D printers have clear advantages in function, quality, ease of use, speed and cost. In the whole design stage, 3D printers can cover from concept modeling, design display, confirmation, functional prototype, mold manufacturing, to some components that can be temporarily used, customized terminal products. So in general, 3D printing is a way to speed up the time to market and reduce the cost of product development.

In the past, 3D printing was mainly used in the design stage. In the current market, 3D printing also began to show its power in manufacturing applications. More specifically, 3D printing has more and more extensive market applications in automobile, aerospace, medical, education and consumer products, as well as in prototype, mold and manufacturing. For example, in the education industry, many educational institutions have integrated 3D printing into engineering and design curriculum projects; in the jewelry industry, 3D printers can be used to display custom designed jewelry styles; in orthodontic applications, 3D printing models are gradually replacing stone models, etc.

Sources from: https://creality3dpro.store/blogs/news