Wohlers Report 2018 Shows Dramatic Rise in Metal Additive Manufacturing

Wohlers Associates Inc. announced the release of Wohlers Report 2018, the global report on the state of the additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing industry. Wohlers Associates has published its series of annual reports on AM for 23 consecutive years.

Wohlers Report 2018 is filled with data and perspective to inform the reader of the most critical developments. According to the new report, an estimated 1,768 metal AM systems were sold in 2017, compared to 983 systems in 2016, marking an increase of nearly 80 percent. This rise in metal AM system installations accompanies improved process monitoring and quality assurance measures in metal AM, although more work is ahead. Increasingly, global manufacturers are becoming aware of the benefits of producing metal parts by additive manufacturing.

Wohlers Associates found that 135 companies around the world produced and sold industrial AM systems in 2017, up from 97 companies in 2016. These systems are defined as machines that sell for more than $5,000. New system manufacturers are entering the AM market while releasing machines with open material platforms, faster print speeds, and lower pricing.

Seventy-six co-authors and contributors from 32 countries shared data and expertise to form the basis of analysis in Wohlers Report 2018. Wohlers Report 2018 includes new and expanded sections on design for additive manufacturing, post-processing and an impressive range of startup companies and research initiatives. Wohlers says that these and many other new sections of the report provide practical and cautionary advice and guidelines for managers, researchers, educators and investors in organizations around the world.

The 344-page Wohlers Report 2018 includes 36 charts and graphs, 110 tables and 192 photographs and illustrations. It also includes more than 160 pages of supplemental online information that is available to buyers of the report. Details on the new annual state of the industry report are available at Wohlers online.