3D Printing & Additive Manufacturing techniques potentially have widespread disruptive potential. The deployment of such technology can flatten manufacturing scale curves, lead to the wholesale restructuring of supply chains, and enable the manufacture of previously unthinkable objects.
Whilst additive manufacturing techniques have been used in aerospace industries for some time, printer capabilities are now rapidly increasing as prices are falling and mass market volumes and even mass-customisation are becoming viable. A host of considerations can potentially drive the adoption of additive manufacturing techniques by end users, ranging from a need for rapid prototyping to mitigating high assembly costs, and from a need for high performance parts to situations where material waste costs are potentially high.
Emerging concepts include the potentially spectacular results of generative design, physics-based modelling to help optimise components, and class approval of printing equipment to support warranty and regulatory compliance.
This Technology Insight Report provides an overview of 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing, as key technologies in the wider Digital Transformation space. It describes the overall market dynamics for these technologies, including market size and development trajectory, use cases, best practices, and recent market developments. The report explores the vendor landscape for 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing, innovative players, vendor selection criteria, and highlights opportunities and risks for end users.
The report also includes an analysis of the key solution characteristics of relevant case studies contained in Transforma Insights’ Best Practice & Vendor Selection database, including payback time, process efficiency and value proposition impact, and a range of technology-specific characteristics.
