China leads recovery in industrial AM machine shipments
Market intelligence and analytics company Context, headquartered in London, UK, has reported that global shipment of industrial Additive Manufacturing machines saw 5% growth year over year in Q3 2025, attributed to increased demand in aerospace and defence and a surge in China’s domestic market.
Context noted that industrial machines benefitted from a general recovery in metal machines, while low-end, entry-level machines are seeing continued growth.
“The mood across the high end of the market is still cautious, but it is no longer defensive,” stated Chris Connery, Vice President of Global Analysis at Context. “The industry has moved past the expansion-at-any-cost phase and is now concentrating on sectors where Additive Manufacturing is already delivering clear economic value. Aerospace, defence and domestic Chinese manufacturing are doing most of the heavy lifting.”
Industrial and mid-range machines
Shipments of industrial machines (defined as those priced at $100,000) rose 3% YoY in unit terms. China saw the largest growth, with shipments up 22%.
The recovery in this section was concentrated in metal Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) machines; these saw a global shipment increase 25% YoY. China’s domestic aerospace and private space sectors were the main drivers. Shipments from Chinese metal PBF vendors rose 35% YoY, with most of these machines remaining within the local market. Context noted that Western aerospace and defence customers also showed renewed buying activity, although at a more measured pace.
Among Western suppliers, EOS delivered a strong quarter with revenues up 20% YoY, while Nikon SLM Solutions maintained its position in large-format metal machines. China’s Eplus3D also posted revenue growth as demand shifted toward multi-laser, extra-large platforms. BLT recorded double-digit year-to-date revenue growth.
The mid-range segment (machines costing between $20,000 and $100,000) reportedly remained under pressure, with shipments falling -13% YoY. This is said to reflect ongoing financing constraints and the uneven impact of regional on-shoring initiatives.
Across industrial and mid-range price classes combined, unit shipment leaders noted by Context include: UnionTech, Stratasys, ZRapid Tech, Formlabs, 3D Systems, Flashforge, HP, Nano Dimension (including Markforged), EOS and BLT. Notable positive year-on-year shipment growth was recorded by UnionTech, ZRapid Tech, BLT, EOS and HP.
Professional machines
The professional price band (machines between $2,500-20,000) declined -14% YoY. This contraction was attributed almost entirely to falling demand for Material Extrusion (MEX) Additive Manufacturing machines.
Shipments of Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) machines in this price class dropped again, with users reportedly migrating toward lower-priced entry-level machines.
Quarterly global Additive Manufacturing machine shipments (units) and trends by price class (note different scales)
Outlook
Context expects global Additive Manufacturing revenues to grow at a modest, single-digit rate for full-year 2025, with stronger momentum building into 2026. According to the organisation, recent interest rate cuts in the United States are expected to ease capital spending constraints from early next year.
“Much of 2025 was spent simplifying operations and clearing the decks of M&A distractions,” Connery added. “Supply chain resilience, defence investment and regional manufacturing strategies continue to favour additive manufacturing. China is leading the recovery today, but improving access to capital should support a broader rebound across Western markets next year.”
