Report reveals additive manufacturing, 3-D printing trends

Wohlers Associates Inc., Fort Collins, Colo., has released the Wohlers Report 2013, its annual analysis of additive manufacturing (AM) and 3-D printing worldwide.

Available for a fee, the report covers all aspects of AM, including its history, applications, processes, manufacturers, and materials. It documents pertinent developments in the past 18 months; covers R&D and collaboration activities in government, academia, and industry; and summarizes the state of the industry in countries around the world.

According to the new report, 38 percent of all industrial AM installations are in the U.S. Japan is second with 9.7 percent, followed by Germany with 9.4 percent and China with 8.7 percent. Sixteen companies in Europe, seven in China, five in the U.S., and two in Japan now manufacture and sell professional-grade industrial AM systems.

Wohlers Associates is an independent consulting firm that provides technical, marketing, and strategic advice on the new developments and trends in rapid product development and AM.