3D printing has been around for about ten years, but it has only been in the past few that it has advanced enough to create serious buzz. 3D printing is the process where a single machine creates or “prints” a three-dimensional object by piling successive layers of material on top of each other. The technology was featured on the cover of the Economist last year, which argued, “The printing of parts and products has the potential to transform manufacturing because it lowers the costs and risks. No longer does a producer have to make thousands, or hundreds of thousands of items to recover his fixed costs.” This revolution may be a few years away, but the manufacturing of 3D printers is already beginning to take off. According to IBIS, “As the cost of producing these high-tech machines decreases and printer technology is refined, they will be used for an increasing number of applications, such as aerospace-related manufacturing.”
Average annual growth from 2002-2012: 8.8%
Projected average annual growth through 2017: 14.0%
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