A company named Wohlers Associates Inc. that specialized in additive manufacturing/3D printing has published their 2016 Wohlers Report. The report is respected in the engineering industry as a clear picture of what is happening in the industry and how well it is performing. According to, 3Ders, Wohlers looked into 51 industrial system manufacturers, 98 service providers, 15 third-party material producers, various desktop 3D printer manufacturers, and 80 3D printing experts from 33 different countries.
The results were positive for companies currently working or thinking of working with 3D printing technology. The additive manufacturing industry grew by 35% in 2014 but has struggled to increase any more in 2015. Wohlers says that the market will reach $10 billion only by 2017. The official number is that the 3D printing industry has grown by a billion dollars for the second year in a row.
However, Wohlers did report that the industrial metal additive manufacturing and desktop 3D printing industries did see a bigger growth in popularity than other industries.
Desktop 3D printers rose a staggering 70% in 2015 which was explained due to the affordability of 3D printers as the years progress. It is becoming possible to buy a printer instead of having to rely on universities or schools to have one. Personal printers are becoming more and more of a reality.