The Wohlers Report 2024 shows metal Additive Manufacturing growth of 24.4%
April 3, 2024
Wohlers Associates, Inc., Fort Collins, Colorado, USA, powered by ASTM International, has announced the release of the Wohlers Report 2024. Published for twenty-nine consecutive years, the report is aimed at providing organisations worldwide with detailed guidance, perspective, and research results on the Additive Manufacturing industry.
Shipment of Additive Manufacturing systems for metal parts, as shown in the above graph, increased by 24.4% in 2023. An estimated 3,793 metal Additive Manufacturing machines were sold in 2023, compared to 3,049 in 2022. Meanwhile, the AM industry grew by 11.1% to $20.035 billion, an estimate based on hard data received from hundreds of companies worldwide.
“Investors, government agencies, and organisations adopting AM are eager to know what will drive growth in the future,” shared Terry Wohlers, head of advisory services and market intelligence at Wohlers Associates. “Significant expansion will come from a much wider range of applications and demand for end-use parts. For this to occur, systems will become faster, reducing the production cost per part. A reduction in material pricing, due largely to competitive pressures, will lower costs further.”
Wohlers Report 2024 details how new materials and their qualification will contribute, especially to the aerospace, defence, healthcare, and energy sectors. The certification of new designs, coupled with industry standards, will also impact growth, according to the new report. Wohlers notes that as Additive Manufacturing machines and methods of post-processing improve, the industry will see new, robust solutions. These developments will change the equation when determining whether Additive Manufacturing fits a production application. Breakeven points will reportedly shift from thousands of parts to hundreds of thousands, and even millions for small parts.
The new report was supported by the extensive contribution of information and data from 245 organisations, including service providers, manufacturers of Additive Manufacturing systems, and third-party material producers. More than 110 people, including 100 experts from thirty-five countries, contributed to the Wohlers Report 2024. The report is said to draw on three decades of data and market intelligence work around the world.
Access the full report here.
Download Metal AM magazine
