3D Printing Polymers Market - Forecast(2024 - 2030)

3D-Printing Polymers Market Overview

3D- Printing Polymers Market size is forecast to reach $10.5 billion by 2026, after growing at a CAGR of 5.3% during 2021-2026. 3D-Printing Polymers take over the 3D printing also known as additive manufacturing (AM) hardware arena. Thermoplastics that are dominating the 3D-Printing market include Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), Polyamide, Polyvinyl alcohol plastic (PVA) water-soluble material, polylactic acid (PLA) and Photopolymer. The evolution of 3D printing has seen rapid growth in the number of companies adopting the technology. The applications and use cases vary across industries, but broadly include tooling aids, rapid prototyping which is obtained mostly by fused deposition modeling, photopolymerization powder bed fusion, and material extrusion manufacturing process. The growing success of Additive Manufacturing is due to its advantages over conventional manufacturing. The 3D printing polymers market in the Asia Pacific region is expected to register the maximum CAGR between 2018 and 2023. North America and Europe are projected to continue the major markets for 3D printing polymers, due to the convincing existence of the aerospace & defense, and healthcare industries, which are the major end-users of 3D printing plastics.  The market for 3D printing polymers is growing rapidly and demand is increasing, with more companies buying Additive Manufacturing hardware and grading their usage.

COVID-19 Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively influenced the 3D printing materials requirement across numerous end-use industries such as aerospace & defense, automotive, and other industries. These industries are harshly affected by COVID-19. The interference in the supply chain has led to delays or non-arrival of raw materials, interrupted financial flows, and increasing nonappearance amongst construction line workers, which have compelled aircraft and automobile manufacturers to operate at zero or partial capacities. The impact of the pandemic in these certain industries have hindered the growth of 3D-printing polymers market.

Report Coverage

The report: “3D- Printing Polymers Market- Forecast (2021-2026)”, by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the 3D- Printing Polymers Industry.

By Form: Liquid Based, Powder Based, Solid Based

By Material: Thermoplastics (Nylon, Polycarbonate (PC), Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), Polylactic acid (PLA), Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), Polyetherimide (ULTEM), Polyether ether ketone (PEEK), Polyetherketoneketone (PEKK), Others), Elastomers (Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), Silicone, Others), and Others. 

By Production Process: Fused deposition modeling, Photopolymerization, Material Jetting, Binder Jetting, Material Extrusion, Powder Bed Fusion, Sheet Lamination, and Direct Energy Deposition. 

By Application: Modeling and Prototyping, Beauty & Cosmetics, Tooling, and Molding, 3D-printed implants & prosthetics, Consumer Goods, and Others. 

Key Takeaways

• Asia Pacific dominates the 3D-Printing Polymers Market owing to the rapid increase in the Aerospace and Defense sector.
• The market drivers and restraints have been assessed to understand their impact on the forecast period.
• The report further identifies the key opportunities for growth while also detailing the key challenges and possible threats.
• The other key areas of focus include the various applications and end-use industry in 3D-Printing Polymers Market and their specific segmented revenue.
• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the countries have gone under temporary shutdown, due to which operations of 3D-Printing Polymers related industries have been negatively affected, thus hampering the growth of the market.

Figure: APAC 3D- Printing Polymers Market Revenue,  2020-2026 (US$ Billion) 

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3D-Printing Polymers Market Segment Analysis - By Form

Solid Based or Filament dominates the 3D-Printing polymers Market with a share of 36% in 2020. Filaments created from materials such as polymers are expended in Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technology, which has low cost in comparison to other forms of 3D printing materials. These filaments are favorable in the manufacturing of objects with complicated structures. Hence, escalating demand for mass customization from industries such as aerospace and defense is a major influencing factor for the growth of the 3D printing filament market. In addition, high demand for thermoplastic filaments in the production of medical devices and components due to the outbreak of COVID-19 is expected to gear up the development of 3D printing filament in the medical & dental segment. For instance, Royal DSM, a known market player, to help accelerate Dutch Covid-19 testing by making 2.8 million nose swabs. The design was developed with DSM’s 3D-printing expertise and scaled-up by injection molding to produce millions of swabs for test kits in the Netherlands. This initiative will escalate the exposure of 3D-printing polymers industry amidst Covid-19 pandemic.

3D-Printing Polymers Market Segment Analysis - By Material

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) dominates the 3D-Printing polymers Market growing at a CAGR of 6.2% during 2020-2026. ABS filament is the most commonly used 3D printing polymers, an impact-resistant engineering thermoplastic & amorphous polymer. ABS is composed of over 50% styrene and varying amounts of butadiene and acrylonitrile. Several properties like high impact strength, heat performance, and others make ABS suitable for use in automotive, electronics, building & construction industries, and many more. It is mostly used in the bodywork of cars, appliances, and mobile phone cases. It is a thermoplastic that contains a base of elastomers based on polybutadiene, making it more flexible, and resistant to shocks. Expanding outlet for ABS is the electronics industry where it is used in business machines, computers, radios, televisions , and telephone handsets. And in the automobile sector where it is used in instrument panels, consoles, radiator grills, headlight housings and interior trim parts with growing use in recreational vehicles is rapidly increasing the growth of the 3D-printing polymer market.

3D-Printing Polymers Market Segment Analysis - By Production Process

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), as known as fused filament fabrication (FFF), dominates the 3D-Printing polymers Market growing with a share of 30%. FDM is one of the most popular 3D printing methods for industrial uses. It prints 3D objects by using a heated filament to manually build up layers of material and is a popular choice for prototyping projects, as functional parts can be created from the same materials that will be used for the final production versions. The thermoplastics used in FDM are highly versatile and durable, allowing for a high level of accuracy and stability. It is also used for low-volume production applications. The high usability and grown practicality of 3D printing of complex shapes have boosted the demand for the technology, as the largest revenues from shipments came from this category of machines in 2020, reaching almost $150 million.

3D-Printing Polymers Market Segment Analysis - By Application

Modeling and Prototyping held the largest share of 32% in the 3D-Printing Polymers Market in 2020. 3D Systems’ digital prototyping solutions have made transforming a design into a physical object even faster and more affordable. 3D Systems’ digital prototyping solutions offer a streamlined workflow to advance and accelerate your projects. 3D printing technology greatly reduces the lead times required in traditional manufacturing, allowing a prototype to be fabricated in hours, not weeks, and at a fraction of the cost. The automotive and aerospace industries are just two industries involved in manufacturing taking advantage of advances in 3D printing technologies. 3D printing allows inexpensive production of a product in much smaller volumes. In this same vein, advances in rapid prototyping (RP) technology have also given rise to the development of materials and processes that are suitable for the manufacture of the final version of a product, not just its prototype. The advanced technology gears up the 3D-printing polymers demands and the likely to escalate the growth of the sector.

3D-Printing Polymers Market Segment Analysis - By End-Use Industry

Automotive  Industry dominates the 3D-Printing polymers Market growing at a CAGR of 5.8% during 2020-2026. The automotive industry with a production of 77.6 million in 2020 according to Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobile (OICA). The growing usage of 3D printing and the shift towards advanced technology in the automobile is driving the 3D printing market. Whether it’s a commercial vehicle, truck, or racing car, the technology bids automotive engineers the tools to examine the limits of design and performance. BMW, for instance, discovers itself amid the industry’s frontrunners when it comes to 3D printing with over 1 million parts 3D-printed in the last decade. Similarly, there are numerous automotive companies that are initiation to find innovative end-use applications for 3D printing, marking a thrilling development for the sector. On the other hand, the aerospace and defense (A&D) industry are one of the primary adopters of 3D printing. A&D represents a 16.8% share of the $10.4 billion 3D printing market and heavily contributes to ongoing research efforts within the industry. Aerospace companies have long been integrating additive manufacturing (AM) technology when planning their production strategies for the future. Additional to that high demand of 3D-printing polymers for aircraft interior components and components for defense systems for its weight reduction and low volume properties are likely to influence the growth of the sector.

3D-Printing Polymers Market Segment Analysis - Geography 

Asia Pacific region held the largest share in the 3D-Printing Polymers Market in 2020 up to 35% followed by North America and Europe. The rising attention from APAC manufacturing companies and the introduction of many government-led strategies and policies have helped out numerous countries within the region to prosper in generating a sustainable additive manufacturing (AM) ecosystem. The Asia-Pacific market is evaluated created on its outreach in the countries such as China, Japan, India, Singapore, Australia, South Korea, and Rest of Asia Pacific. Japan and China in total majorly constitute a force following the explosion of 3D printing in The Asia Pacific owing to Chinese government support in terms of 3D printing strategies and fiscal support. Moreover, according to Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) aims to develop a domestic AM industry with an annual average growth rate of 30% or above to exceed US$ 3 Billion by 2020. The plan prioritizes a goal to carry out 100 pilot projects across 10 key industries and formalize standardization of these technologies. Also, the arrival of several players in 3D printing and technological advancements and research in Japan has further added both these countries to grow into the leading ones in 3D printing polymer domain. As per International Development Corporation (IDC), Asia Pacific’s AM spending is estimated at US$ 3.8 billion for 2019, after the United States and Western Europe which account for nearly two-thirds of the overall market (US$ 8.6 billion). Among Asian countries, China holds 50% of the market, whereas Japan, South Korea and ASEAN hold 30%, 10-12%, and 5-7%, followed by India and Australia at 3-5% each.

3D-Printing Polymers Market Drivers

3D-printing polymers in Space Tools

3D-printing polymers are expended in Aerospace for Engine, Turbine Parts and as well as parts for cabin interiors. Acrylonitrile butadiene-styrene (ABS) is utilized in fabrication of a wide variety of objects layer by layer using fused deposition modeling, which is very attractive as a potential hybrid rocket fuel and the ability to dramatically reduce the time it takes to get parts to orbit and increase the reliability and safety of space missions, while dropping costs. In the rapidly growing market of commercial space applications, the ability to manufacture prototypes and small series productions play a decisive role. For instance, supported by Electro Optical Systems (EOS) GmbH and Additive Manufacturing Customized Machines (AMCM), known market player, the US start-up company LAUNCHER is working on launching small to medium-sized payloads into space more efficiently than ever before. The results include novel and innovative rocket designs and the world’s largest rocket engine to ever be manufactured additively in a single piece. By the help of 3D-printing LAUNCHER successfully constructed, tested, and further developed this new design quickly and cost-efficiently. 

3D-printing in the Medical and Dental Industry

The medical and Dental Industry is one of the fastest-growing adopters of 3D printing. From medical devices to prosthetics and even bioprinting, the applications of 3D-printing polymers for the medical industry are versatile and wide-ranging. It is an essential material for many medical equipment manufacturers due to its performance characteristics, and its ability to be adaptable and customizable to meet specific needs. Due to the pandemic, the demand-supply for medical devices such as nose swobs, insulators, and others are rising which directly impacting the growth of the 3D-printing polymers market.

3D-Printing Polymers Market Challenges

Temperature constraint, Cracking, and Delamination can Restrict the Market Growth

It is important that 3D-printing polymers like ABS are used within the ideal or recommended temperature range. For example, the extruder temperature for ABS is 245°C. Curling & cracking can be great setbacks in 3D printing polymers. If not regulated, the print can warp, curl, or even crack after a few layers. These glitches are visible only after some printing is done and so the print has to be continuously monitored to make sure the print is running perfectly. Certain drawbacks might hinder the growth of the 3D-printing polymer industry. 

3D-Printing Polymers Emits toxic odor

3D-printing polymers emit a strong odor when printed, the odor commonly known as burnt plastic. Not only does this smell makes it very uncomfortable to stay in the same room as the printer when it is working, but there are also studies that prove that the fumes are toxic which may cause eye, skin, and respiratory tract irritation, and if overexposed, could cause nausea and headache. And when it appears to health issue the market is certain to get hampered by such setbacks.

3D-Printing Polymers Market Landscape

Technology launches, acquisitions and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the Window Films Market. Major players in the 3D- Printing Polymers Market are 3D Systems Corporation (US), Stratasys, Ltd. (US), Arkema SA (France), BASF SE (Germany), Evonik Industries AG (Germany), SABIC (Saudi Arabia), HP Inc. (US), DowDuPont Inc. (US), Royal DSM N.V. (Netherlands), EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems (Germany), Clariant International Ltd. (Switzerland), CRP Group (US), Envisiontec GmbH (Germany), Materialize NV (Belgium), and Oxford Performance Materials Inc. (US). 

Acquisitions/Technology Launches/ Product Launches  

In February 2021 – Orbex has commissioned AMCM to build the largest industrial 3D printer in Europe, allowing the innovative UK-based space launch company to rapidly print complex rocket engines in-house. The custom-made, large volume 3D printer will allow Orbex to print more than 35 large-scale rocket engine and main stage turbopump systems annually, as the company scales up its production capabilities for launches.

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