Stratasys Direct Manufacturing, a subsidiary of Stratasys, a leading 3D printing company, recently released a report on the impact of 3D printing on the manufacturing industry. The paper is based on a survey of , engineers and managers working in advanced companies ("advanced manufacturing"), 40 percent of whom are employed by companies with more than $50 million in revenue. For this reason, according to Stratasys, it is the only study dedicated to 3D printing focused on user-professionals.
The paper offers food for interesting thought. A large number of respondents indicated that the ability to create complex designs (79 percent) and reduced lead times (76 percent) are the most significant benefits of advanced technologies.
In terms of obstacles to the application of advanced technologies, most professionals responding to the questionnaire cited equipment costs (63 percent) and the limited number of materials (54 percent); these are two obstacles that have also emerged in previous studies conducted by PlasticsToday on the industry under consideration. Respondents also mentioned production costs (38 percent) and post-production requirements (39 percent). According to the survey results, "two of the top four challenges are economic, indicating that cost remains a barrier to implementing advanced technologies." The ability to have a wide range of materials available was also identified as one of the factors that will have the greatest effect on the market for advanced technologies. In this category, equipment costs ranked first (20 percent), mechanical properties second (16 percent) and materials third (10 percent).
Respondents strongly believe that more end-use parts will be designed for advanced technologies in the future. The aerospace andautomotive sectors, which have been early adopters of these technologies, are the ones that will expand end-use production the most, according to the survey results. It should also be noted that respondents expect substantial growth in applications of advanced technologies to production tools, production models and test production segments by 2018.
Source: Stratasys 2015
While 84 percent of respondents answered that they would like to see more development regarding metals, a substantial percentage (61 percent) indicated rubber materials and plastics. Separately, interest in materials development for 3D printing is specifically related to the sector being considered: for example, aerospace and automotive professionals are overwhelmingly interested in carbon fibers, while medical professionals would like there to be more research on biomaterials-based polymers.
The full report can be downloaded for free (after registration) from the Stratasys Direct Manufacturing website http://pages.stratasysdirect.com/trend-forecast.html
The paper offers food for interesting thought. A large number of respondents indicated that the ability to create complex designs (79 percent) and reduced lead times (76 percent) are the most significant benefits of advanced technologies.
In terms of obstacles to the application of advanced technologies, most professionals responding to the questionnaire cited equipment costs (63 percent) and the limited number of materials (54 percent); these are two obstacles that have also emerged in previous studies conducted by PlasticsToday on the industry under consideration. Respondents also mentioned production costs (38 percent) and post-production requirements (39 percent). According to the survey results, "two of the top four challenges are economic, indicating that cost remains a barrier to implementing advanced technologies." The ability to have a wide range of materials available was also identified as one of the factors that will have the greatest effect on the market for advanced technologies. In this category, equipment costs ranked first (20 percent), mechanical properties second (16 percent) and materials third (10 percent).
Respondents strongly believe that more end-use parts will be designed for advanced technologies in the future. The aerospace andautomotive sectors, which have been early adopters of these technologies, are the ones that will expand end-use production the most, according to the survey results. It should also be noted that respondents expect substantial growth in applications of advanced technologies to production tools, production models and test production segments by 2018.
Source: Stratasys 2015
While 84 percent of respondents answered that they would like to see more development regarding metals, a substantial percentage (61 percent) indicated rubber materials and plastics. Separately, interest in materials development for 3D printing is specifically related to the sector being considered: for example, aerospace and automotive professionals are overwhelmingly interested in carbon fibers, while medical professionals would like there to be more research on biomaterials-based polymers.
The full report can be downloaded for free (after registration) from the Stratasys Direct Manufacturing website http://pages.stratasysdirect.com/trend-forecast.html