The additive manufacturing sector remained strong in 2019, as revenue produced from all AM products and services worldwide grew 21.2 percent, to $11.86 billion, up from $9.79 billion the year before, according to the Wohlers Report 2020.
The 380-page report from Wohlers Associates Inc. includes a detailed analysis of AM industry growth, including more than 250 examples of applications in production or development.
In one case, Jabil Inc. redesigned an impeller for manufacturing by AM. Wohlers Associates said that, instead of 73 metal parts assembled by hand, the impeller is made of fiber-reinforced polymer composite in a single part. That means 50 impellers can be produced in the time it had took to build one.
The Wohlers report said additive manufacturing has continued to grow over the past 10 years, after a decline in the Great Recession year of 2009. The average worldwide annual growth rate of revenues from all products and services is 26.7 percent for the past 31 years.
Wohlers Report 2020 gives details of AM applications, software, workflows, materials, systems and post-processing. It gives specifics on patents, startups, investment and research and development.
Also included in the report is commentary on 77 early-stage investments, valued at $1.1 billion. Experts gives reports from 35 countries.
Wohlers Associates is based in Fort Collins, Colo.