HP and GE Additive are now among the biggest sellers of 3D printers

With the recent unveiling of a study on the largest vendors of industrial 3D printers in 2017, there is no doubt that HP and GE Additive, the additive manufacturing subsidiary of General Electric, have upset the market, entering the list as the top 5 largest vendors of industrial 3D printing machines.

In December 2016, General Electric bought Concept Laser; a few months later, it acquired Arcam, displaying their desire to accelerate the development of additive metal manufacturing. The company has since invested millions of euros in 3D printing and developed their large format 3D metal printer. It gained quite a bit of the market share in the second half of 2017 – 9% – generating $145 million in revenue, up 39% from last year. GE Additive, however, remains behind the historical players Stratasys and EOS who have $405.5 million and $240.4 million, according to Context. It’s important to note, however, that Stratasys is not positioned in the same market as GE Additive since they focus on the market for 3D polymer printing, although they have recently announced their desire to develop a 3D metal printer.

HP’s newest printer

HP has specialized in the additive manufacturing of polymers with its Multi Jet Fusion technology, with sales amounting to $97.3 million, according to the study. A growth of 7760% over the previous year. With a 6% market share, HP could well be ahead of the giant, 3D Systems, thanks to its strong network of partners, a promising and encouraging feedback. Their new line of machines could also upset the market and place the manufacturer at the top of the food chain.