Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, has seen increased adoption across industries and regions for producing a variety of end-use parts. In 2020, traditional personal protective equipment supply chains, operating under reduced capacity or entirely shut down, heavily relied on AM. Prior to COVID-19, just-in-time manufacturing was a key driver for AM to gain a foothold in specific industries when traditional manufacturing methods could not meet the timeframe for low-quantity orders.
Even with the impact of 2020, the global market value of 3D-printed parts is projected to increase at around a 15% CAGR from 2020-2030, rising from $12 billion last year to $51 billion by the start of the next decade. The medical and dental industries are anticipated to represent the largest share of end-use parts at $4.5 billion by 2030, followed by aerospace at $3.9 billion.1