2022 TRENDS IN 3D PRINTING, FORECASTS FROM ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING EXPERTS AND LEADERS
Posted on 19th Jan 2022
What are the 2022 3D printing trends that additive manufacturing experts consider the most important?
3D Printing Industry asked academics, C-level executives, engineering experts, and investors to tell us about the future of 3D printing in 2022.
The message is clear, 3D printing’s potential across verticles including aerospace, automotive, and medical is still growing.
The pandemic has provided a shot in the arm for the industry, as weak links in the supply chain were cast in sharp relief additive manufacturing as part of the factories of the future took prominence on the agenda once again. Progress in material qualification and demand for higher performance materials at increasing volume illustrates the confidence manufacturers are placing in the suite of AM technologies. While addressing sustainability challenges demonstrates an industry in tune with modern times.
Turning to finance, the burst of IPO activity in 2020 and 2021 may not be as strong, however, funding raised from investors is likely to accelerate M&A activity during 2022.
The responses cover trends towards consolidation, production, automation, wider developments in the manufacturing eco-system (including post-processing), and advances in software such as the digital thread, simulation, and the increasing use of AI.
Do you have a different opinion or want to let us know your thoughts? As always, please get in touch, we love hearing from readers.
Finally, this is the first article in a series looking at the future of 3D printing and manufacturing technology, so make sure you subscribe to our free newsletter and don’t miss the next installment.
This is a long read, with over 40 CEOs, leaders, and experts weighing in. So make yourself a nice cup of tea, get comfortable and settle in for insights, analysis, hot-takes, and even the answer to that eternal question: what links Taylor Swift with Titanium?
Arno G. Held, Managing Partner, AM Ventures
After the big SPACs and IPOs in 2020 and 2021, the year 2022 is going to show a continued market consolidation. I do not expect many companies to go public anymore but those who have taken this step in the past will certainly work hard on delivering on their promises to their investors by announcing major acquisitions serving to expand their offerings. Especially the first half of the year could be densely packed with news and activities.
On top of this, a whole range of exciting start-ups is once again preparing the launches of interesting new resin-based technologies which is going to unlock entirely new applications. In the metals arena, there are several high-volume applications in the making that could boost the two- and four-wheeled electro-mobility.
Just like in the past year, there is a likelihood that the summer dull could be skipped once again in order to make use of a good climate in our industry to close and announce deals. However, there are also increasing concerns that the current hype cycle is facing a cool down towards mid/end of the second half of 2022.
Dr. Jeffrey Graves, President & CEO, 3D Systems
Across our markets, we’re seeing the adoption of additive manufacturing (AM) solutions rapidly accelerating to address a broader range of applications. More organizations are thoughtfully exploring AM for very specific applications and wanting to work with a partner who can not only integrate the entire solution and make it work seamlessly in their existing production workflow but also collaborate on developing a custom solution for their needs. This includes industrial applications such as exotic machine components for rocketry, automobiles, and semiconductor capital equipment, as well as in healthcare for patient-specific medical devices and tools that can elevate the patient experience.
As we enter 2022, I believe we’ll continue to see AM play a critical role in transforming manufacturing workflows and supply chains. Significant delays in logistics are hampering organizations’ ability to deliver products and services in a timely fashion. Being able to manufacture all critical components at the point of assembly, or point of care can streamline these activities.
I also anticipate AM’s ability to enable mass customization will bring enormous value to a host of applications to benefit both industries and people. From automotive to aerospace, semiconductor capital equipment manufacturers to service bureaus, and healthcare providers, AM has the power to improve efficiencies by simultaneously producing numerous unique, end-use parts.
At the heart of each production application is the material which is used to bring an innovative design to life. Materials play a significant role in AM and have really changed the game. With advances in this area, we’ve seen AM move from a technology for prototyping to one that is addressing production applications. As we look to the year ahead, I anticipate we’ll see advances in materials, including extending the technology to biological materials, which are what the human body is made of. These new materials have the opportunity to play a key role in the field of regenerative medicine enabling the use of AM to address key laboratory research applications for drug discovery, as well as to create arteries, veins, and eventually human organs. This can allow us to move beyond changing how businesses operate and how healthcare is delivered to directly improving the human condition.
Andreas Langfeld, President EMEA, Stratasys
In 2022, we will see a bigger move towards certified additive production to replace or complement traditional production processes. Specifically for spare parts, we will see less warehousing and more on-demand additive production, which will also support corporate sustainability goals. Selected materials and technologies will be certified and built parts will meet industry-specific requirements such as accuracy or flammability. We have already seen this with aerospace-certified FDM printed parts in aircraft.
Mohsen Seifi, Director of Global Additive Manufacturing Programs, Martin White, Head of Additive Manufacturing Programs – Europe Region, UK, Alexander Liu, Head of Additive Manufacturing Programs – Asia Region, Singapore, & Terry Wohlers, Head of Advisory Services and Market Intelligence, ASTM International’s Additive Manufacturing Center of Excellence
In the year ahead, we anticipate a push in two key areas: 1) the use of in-situ monitoring systems for process and component certification and 2) post-processing to improve products quality. For critical applications, in-situ monitoring will provide a method for risk-based structural integrity and allow certification of large parts that cannot easily go through CT scanning. From an ASTM perspective, we are currently working with NASA on a three-year project to understand where in-situ monitoring can be used to detect and understand the effects of defects on structural integrity.
On the post-processing side, it is evident that to develop robust/reliable parts and products, surface finish and internal structure (microstructures, porosity level) needs to be optimized. In some cases, more than 60% of the final product cost is coming from post-processing, so we are seeing a real push in the industry to improve product quality. We believe post-processing will have a major impact on the success of AM, as was apparent at Formnext 2021.
Ric Fulop, co-founder, and CEO, Desktop Metal
Additive manufacturing will provide companies the opportunity to re-shore production. There has been massive growth and consolidation in the additive manufacturing space, which is providing companies the ability to rethink their manufacturing operations and re-shore them back to the U.S. as it becomes more affordable. For example, the jewelry industry started in Manhattan, but most of the jewelry hasn’t been manufactured there for over 50 years due to costs. Now, companies have access to additive manufacturing wherever they want the parts made and don’t have to rely on consolidation and transportation across the world. This will result in an increase in jobs within the U.S., an emphasis on education for the workforce, and a decrease in reliance on long supply chains.
Innovation in manufacturing won’t be new, it will be the standard. Manufacturing has stalled due to the ongoing challenges facing companies. From commodity shortages to supply chain issues, the industry has been stuck in a “new normal” for the last 18 months, but has been unable to employ the tools needed to adapt. With manufacturing accounting for just 14 percent of GDP in the U.S. in 2019 and dropping even more throughout the COVID-19 pandemic (McKinsey Sept 2021), the manufacturing industry embracing new technology will need to become the standard. This means that the industry can’t wait for tomorrow’s innovations—the industry giants need to look to emerging technologies to solve problems, today.
By: MICHAEL PETCH