How are different industries adopting additive manufacturing?

Recently AMFG, company based in London and provider of workflow automation software for businesses seeking to integrate 3D printing into their wider manufacturing operations, put out a small report on the state of adoption of additive manufacturing in different industries. It is true that the benefits of additive manufacturing have become well-known among most, however many companies are still unsure if it is the right time to invest in this technology for their sector and how they will benefit if they do.

We have some idea of the industries that have embraced and adopted 3D printing and those which are still in the early stages of adoption. As a matter of fact, according to AMFG, the two sectors that are most mature in their adoption of additive manufacturing technologies are aerospace and medical. By mature, AMFG means “The technology is proven, well-understood and established as a manufacturing method across many industry sectors. The key standards have been developed, enabling repeatable quality at scale.” Neither the aerospace nor the medical sector has reached this stage of maturity, but they are closest to it.

The maturity chart illustrating the adoption rates of 3D printing across different industries | Image Credits: AMFG

For the aerospace industry, it makes sense as it was one of the earliest adopters of the technology. Aerospace companies see an undeniable advantage in investing in 3D printing as it is extremely important for prototyping and tooling applications as well as end-part production. The Gartner Hype Cycle, published at the beginning of this year also predicted that the aerospace and defence would reach its plateau of productivity in 5 to 10 years. Moreover, AMFG reports “When looking at the projected growth of 3D printing in aerospace, market reports predict a CAGR between 17.5% and 20.24% over the next five years. These figures suggest that the use of the technology will continue to proliferate, as aerospace companies are finding new use cases and deepening their expertise in 3D printing.”