Three factors will increase investment in additive manufacturing in 2020

There will be a lot of hype in the early stage of any new technology, and 3D Printing is no exception. The industry regards it as one of the signs of the “third industrial revolution”, and it is an omnipotent existence in the hype. Consumers initially regarded 3D printers as “microfactories”, but they soon realized that the products they produced did not function well. As the hype fades, new concerns have emerged in the manufacturing sector, and the revenue of some companies that use 3D printers has fallen year-on-year. The rise and fall of additive manufacturing occurred in just a few years, but the story of additive manufacturing has just begun… Judging from the recent development trajectory, additive manufacturing is on an upward trajectory. The reason for this recovery is that the types of 3D printing materials have more than doubled in the past five years. The increasing popularity of mixed-material printers is another reason for the re-emergence of 3D printers because they were initially unable to use multiple materials to make parts. The current situation has changed, and it is certain that additive manufacturing will continue to exist.

In addition, there are many signs that, due to the improvement of printing capabilities, the expansion of application areas, and the transition to a more environmentally friendly economy, it is expected that investment in additive manufacturing will increase in 2020.

The ability of additive manufacturing continues to improve. The ability to improve additive manufacturing is mainly through three aspects: increasing the types of materials that can be printed, increasing the speed, and increasing the print size. Current 3D printers can print more types of materials than ever before, and multi-metal 3D printing technology is also emerging, which initially meets some application requirements, but the industry must continue to work in this direction. The slow printing speed has always been a major shortcoming of additive manufacturing technology. Although it is much faster than many other technologies, it is still far from the expected speed. The printing speed of new machines is getting faster and faster, which will help manufacturers improve production efficiency and reduce costs. Increasing the speed of equipment is undoubtedly a big step in the right direction, and the speed needs to continue to increase in order for additive manufacturing to occupy a place in the manufacturing industry for a long time. More importantly, the size of printable objects is constantly increasing. The increase in “build volume” will increase the number and complexity of items that the equipment can handle.

The expansion of the application field of additive manufacturing With the enhancement of 3D printer functions, more industries adopt additive manufacturing technology. The aerospace industry has realized the benefits of additive manufacturing technology, and companies such as Airbus and Boeing have chosen to incorporate additive manufacturing into their core manufacturing strategies. Other large-scale manufacturing industries, such as automotive, dental and healthcare industries, have also begun to regard additive manufacturing technology as a treasure. They invest time and research to integrate this technology more effectively and integrate this technology into their own production processes. For example, companies in the medical field began to produce 3D printed stents and customized auxiliary equipment, and no longer regarded it as a simple model provider. With the help of the additive manufacturing process, 3D printed medical equipment and prostheses began to be accepted by the majority of patients, and advanced technology began to be integrated into the lives of the general public. Dean Franks, head of global sales for additive manufacturing company Autodesk, believes that consumer products, industrial machinery, automotive and mold applications are growth opportunities for additive manufacturing. He believes that as additive manufacturing becomes more mature in the aerospace, medical and dental markets, the application markets for these industries will begin to grow substantially. As many people in the industry predict, 3D printing in the medical field will flourish due to the increasing demand for personalized healthcare, treatment and medical equipment. With the passage of time, there are many applications of this technology to be developed urgently. There is no doubt that new and improved applications will continue to appear and attract a lot of investment. It was a huge surprise.

The choice for sustainable development of the manufacturing industry my country is one of the first countries to invest in additive manufacturing technology, partly because additive manufacturing is more environmentally friendly than most other manufacturing methods. In the past, China relied heavily on raw materials and fuels to make products. Any technology that can help my country reduce the use of oil and natural gas is a “treasure” for us. This is in line with what we have advocated to “take the path of sustainable development”. In addition to environmental protection and sustainable development, additive manufacturing technology can also reduce the costs of manufacturers, enabling them to carry out repeatable manufacturing and adopt more effective methods in manufacturing. Reducing costs and improving efficiency through more sustainable processes can also save time and money, allowing manufacturers to have more time and money to implement more sustainable practices in the manufacturing process. In time, when the technology of additive manufacturing mass production matures, manufacturers will be able to save more time and money. And now it will become vital to seize the opportunity to invest in this technology. Conclusion The continuous improvement of additive manufacturing capabilities, the expansion of additive manufacturing application fields, and the choice of sustainable development in the manufacturing industry have enabled more and more things that additive manufacturing technology can do, and it is more and more in line with investors’ expectations. These are all reasons to support additive manufacturing to obtain investment opportunities in 2020 and beyond. Big companies such as General Electric and Berkshire Hathaway have invested heavily in the industry, which reflects their confidence in the growth of this segment. The bold investments of these big companies have undoubtedly injected a boost from small manufacturers. In the past, smaller companies might be hesitant because the future is still unknown, but now they are no longer alone and do not need to take risks alone. , The investment and operation of large companies make them full of confidence in the technology and future of additive manufacturing.