Essentium: AM ready for prime time

 Essentium, Inc. has announced the first in a series of findings from independent global research on the current and future use of industrial 3D printing.

The third annual study reveals that the use of large-scale AM has more than doubled in the past year for 70 per cent of manufacturing companies. The number of companies that have shifted to using AM for full-scale production has doubled from seven per cent in 2019 to 14 per cent in 2020.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, AM proved it can step in to make quantities of supplies at scale, or at least the mould to make the product, to keep the assembly lines moving. The survey found 57 per cent of manufacturers increased 3D printing for production parts to keep their supply chains flowing during the crisis. 3D printing investment plans have also changed at many companies: 24 per cent of respondents have gone all-in; 25 per cent of manufacturers are ramping up; and 30 per cent of respondents are evaluating industrial-scale 3D printing to fill supply chain gaps.

The survey highlighted the increasing expectation for more reliable and affordable 3D printing materials to deliver on AM’s promising range of benefits. The survey showed continued agreement that the manufacturing industry could see vast cost savings once 3D printing technology matures. The majority of respondents think that companies investing in AM will have a clear competitive advantage in the next five years. Materials innovations will be critical to overcome obstacles. 

Essentium is removing these barriers by creating an open ecosystem comprising the HSE printing platform, which re-writes the speed and economics of industrial-scale AM, an open software environment, and a broad choice of materials.

Blake Teipel, Ph.D., CEO and Co-founder, Essentium, said: “The results of this survey show we’re at the beginning of radical change. Additive is ready for prime time, and manufacturers are already moving into actual manufacturing to save manufacturing costs while building stronger supply chains.”