Additive Manufacturing Research (AM Research) has released its latest report, Titanium Powder for Additive Manufacturing in 2024, projecting the market for titanium powders in additive manufacturing (AM) to grow from $214 million in 2023 to $1.4 billion by 2032.

According to the research organisation, the report offers data on market trends, tracking revenues across industries, regions, and printing technologies. 

It also identifies aerospace and medical sectors as key drivers of titanium powder demand, with additional contributions from jewellery and automotive applications.

According to the report, Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) accounts for the largest share of titanium AM applications, with revenues four times higher than those from Directed Energy Deposition (DED) and twelve times larger than Metal Binder Jetting (MBJ). 

The Bound Metal Deposition (BMD) market remains the smallest segment, estimated at half the size of MBJ.

However, the report forecasts MBJ will see notable growth by 2032, potentially closing the gap with DED.

The study highlights several companies active in the titanium AM market, including AP&C, Tekna, Carpenter, Praxair, Sandvik, 6K Additive, and IperionX. 

It also references manufacturing and technology providers such as GE Additive, EOS, Renishaw, Boeing, Safran, and Zimmer Biomet, among others.

The report, structured in two parts, combines market data with written analysis. It covers metrics such as material shipments, revenues by geographic region, and print technology trends. 

Additionally, it explores the role of Titanium Metal Injection Molding (MIM) within the broader titanium AM market.

The full report, including forecasts and industry insights, is available for purchase on the AM Research website. 

A free sample can also be requested.

For more details, visit: Titanium Powder for Additive Manufacturing in 2024.

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Stratasys announced the commercial availability of its new material, SAF Polypropylene (PP), designed for use on the Stratasys H350 printer, set to launch in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Attendees can view the material at the Stratasys booth during the upcoming RAPID + TCT Expo in Los Angeles, CA, from 25 to 27 June, the firm said in a media release.

Offered in partnership with BASF Forward AM, Stratasys SAF PP aims to provide greater cost efficiency and part quality in Powder Bed Fusion technologies.

This material offers a lower cost per part and exceptional surface aesthetics compared to existing materials, meeting the rigorous demands of high-volume production while maintaining exceptional overall quality.

“With superior nesting ability and a total turnaround time of less than 36 hours, SAF PP allows customers to produce hundreds of parts in a single build,” said Neil Hopkinson, Vice President of Additive Manufacturing Technology at Stratasys.

He added, “This boosts productivity and cost efficiency, delivering high-quality parts at a lower cost.”

Engineered for a wide range of applications, SAF PP caters to diverse industries such as automotive, medical, consumer sports, and industrial sectors.

According to Stratasys, the new material has demonstrated the capability to produce robust, defect-free parts with complex geometries, such as flexible tight pipes and intricate sensor mounts.

“The surface finish of SAF PP parts is unparalleled,” said Philipp Götz, CEO of Götz Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG, a beta customer of this material.

“The fine detail resolution and uniform appearance are far superior to any other PBF printed PP we have seen, significantly enhancing the visual appeal of our final products.”

“The consistent quality of SAF PP is exceptional,” added Jennifer Govea, Application Engineer at Sun Digital. “Its airtight and watertight properties ensure reliable performance across various applications. With SAF PP, we can now bring a wide array of additive manufacturing benefits to unlimited applications that use PP today in traditional manufacturing.”

Meanwhile, Martin Back, CEO of BASF Forward AM, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, “We are pleased to collaborate with Stratasys on the development of this new polypropylene material, optimized for their SAF 3D printing technology.”

He continued, “This partnership underscores our commitment to providing robust AM solutions tailored to the needs of industrial manufacturers. Together, we aim to broaden the adoption of AM technologies to make our customers more successful.”

Stratasys invites attendees to visit their booth at Rapid 2024 to experience firsthand the revolutionary capabilities of SAF PP.

During the event, the Stratasys team said it will be on hand to demonstrate the material’s advantages and discuss how SAF PP can transform your manufacturing processes.

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Additive Manufacturing Research (AM Research) has unveiled its latest market study titled “3D Printing for Semiconductors: Market Opportunity Brief,” shedding light on the burgeoning landscape of additive manufacturing (AM) within the semiconductor industry.

The report delves into specific use cases where AM technologies can optimise and integrate into the semiconductor value chain, addressing challenges such as reduced lead times, parts consolidation, and thermal management, among others.

Furthermore, it examines the broader implications of initiatives like the CHIPs Act and geopolitical trends on AM adoption in the semiconductor industry.

Packaged as a Market Opportunity Brief, this report marks the inception of a new product series from AM Research, aimed at delivering comprehensive analysis with more content.

According to AM Research, the Market Opportunity Brief offers a condensed format (20-30 pages) while providing insights into the state and future trajectory of AM technologies in the semiconductor sector.

Accompanying the brief is an Excel file detailing various AM technologies, including Powder Bed Fusion (PBF), Directed Energy Deposition (DED), Metal Binder Jetting (MBJ), and Bound Metal Deposition (BMD).

Breakouts by material type and geography provide further granularity in understanding market dynamics.

Highlighted companies and organisations encompass a spectrum of industry players, including ASML, 3D Systems, Lam Research, Velo3D, Applied Materials, SIMTech, Fabric8Labs, Intel, Coherent, and Nikon Advanced Manufacturing.

Authored by Matt Kremenetsky, macro analyst for AM Research, the report underscores the growing significance of AM in critical sectors like energy, electronics, and defence.

For more information on the report, visit: 3D Printing for Semiconductors: Market Opportunity Brief.

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Additive Manufacturing Research has recently published a study affirming the optimistic future for prominent additive manufacturing (AM) technologies.

The findings indicate that these technologies are well-positioned to play crucial roles in manufacturing across diverse industries in the coming decade, with anticipated annual print production exceeding $100 billion.

In particular, total global metal additive prototyping growth experienced a slowdown in 2023 compared to the previous year, with a similar trend observed in the production of additive tools.

However, the printing of end-use parts using AM technologies saw an acceleration, AM Research said in a press release.

Despite a slight dip in growth compared to 2022, the printing of metal tools and tooling using AM technologies surged by nearly 41 percent in 2023.

The market for 3D-printed polymer prototypes exhibited a modest five percent growth during the year. Nevertheless, overall polymer parts printing volumes increased, propelled by a rise in end-use parts printed.

According to AM Research, this growth was particularly driven by the adoption of material extrusion and powder bed fusion technologies.

Notably, with the widespread availability of relatively low-cost, professional polymer powder bed fusion printers, AM Research projects that the printing of end-use polymer parts using powder bed fusion will double that of material extrusion processes.

The data-only report features exhaustive data files, with separate sections for Metal 3D printed parts and Polymer 3D printed parts.

These files include historical and projected production volumes, along with resulting market values for AM parts spanning prototypes, tools and tooling, and end-use production parts.

The report covers eight major industries and dozens of part categorisations, ranging from aircraft and helicopter engine components in the aerospace sector to nuclear reactor components in the energy industry.

The data reflects real market activity through Q2 2023, combined with proprietary projections for the coming decade.

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England-based metal additive manufacturer Wayland Additive is taking centre stage at Formnext 2023 with a showcase of parts crafted from challenging metals, including titanium, carbon steel, and tungsten.

Visitors attending the event, to be held from 7 to 10 November, will have the opportunity to explore Wayland’s Calibur3 metal AM system at booth B139 in Hall 12, the company said in a press release.

The exhibit will feature an array of components produced using this innovative machine, while experts from Wayland will be available for in-depth discussions about how Calibur3 is redefining the landscape of metal additive manufacturing.

In particular, Calibur3 was developed to address the common challenges associated with metal additive manufacturing.

It harnesses the benefits of metal electron beam (eBeam) powder bed fusion (PBF) technology while surmounting traditional limitations.

One standout achievement is the implementation of the fully neutralised NeuBeam process within Calibur3, which resolves issues related to charging that have previously hindered electron beam melting (EBM) processes. Crucially, the system also offers compatibility with a broader spectrum of metal materials.

Will Richardson, CEO at Wayland, affirmed, “As we champion the wider adoption of metal AM throughout the industry, our focus on extending the material range available to companies is fundamental, and this is why at Formnext 2023, it is material processing and the open nature of our metal AM systems that is front and centre.”

According to him, NeuBeam opens up numerous opportunities in complex metal production that present challenges for current metal additive manufacturing methods.

It achieves this by being compatible with a broader spectrum of metal powders, including refractory metals and highly reflective alloys.

“The importance of this cannot be overstated as for industrial users of metal AM, the issue of materials is one that is consistently seen as a bugbear. Metal AM advocates are generally very keen on the advantages that metal AM processes can offer, but they invariably want these advantages with a known material quantity/quality that they trust,” Richardson explained.

Unfortunately, many AM processes necessitate the use of new alloy variations specifically tailored for AM, resulting in a dual challenge involving unfamiliar processes and materials.

Thus, NeuBeam’s innovation lies in its ability to work with existing metal materials, reducing the complexities associated with validating new components.

Richardson explained, “The elimination of residual stresses is a huge opportunity for the accelerated uptake of metal AM across a whole array of industry applications which we are eager to discuss with visitors at this year’s Formnext. It is fundamentally because of the fact that the process is what we call a ‘hot part’ rather than a ‘hot bed’ process.”

At the Formnext booth, attendees will observe intricate large components manufactured from various materials.

For instance, when processed with NeuBeam, titanium parts do not necessitate additional heat treatment after printing.

Additionally, the NeuBeam process enables the printing of carbon steel alloys with higher carbon content, which would typically result in cracking when using traditional laser powder bed fusion (PBF) methods.

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The seventh edition of Additive Manufacturing Research’s “Metal AM Markets: 2023” report has forecasted that the metal 3D printing market will reach $5.4 billion in 2023, including $3.2 billion for contract services, $1.3 billion for hardware, and $920 million for materials.

According to the report, while there may be a contraction in hardware investments, it is expected to be offset by growth opportunities in materials and contract services. 

Unlike the overall AM market, which includes polymers and other materials, the study found that the metal 3D printing sector is expected to experience substantial growth in 2023, primarily driven by the actual application of metal AM processes, rather than research and development.

The report’s key findings also reveal that the metal additive manufacturing (AM) industry is experiencing steady growth rather than an acceleration in 3D printing and additive manufacturing. 

The report delves into two potential scenarios that could boost market momentum, namely increased Defence Spending and Industry Consolidation. 

In the first half of 2023, the AM powder market witnessed substantial growth, surging by 33 per cent year-over-year, with hardware sales increasing by 23 per cent, and services by 11 per cent. 

However, the report cautions that this rapid pace of hardware growth may not be sustained in the latter half of 2023. 

Furthermore, it is noteworthy that all major metal AM technologies, including Powder Bed Fusion, Directed Energy Deposition, Metal Binder Jetting, and Bound Metal, are projected to see growth rates in the range of 18 per cent to 24 per cent for the year 2023.

The report offered a long-term outlook for metal additive manufacturing markets, complete with market tracking and forecasting data covering hardware, materials, print services, and metal AM part production metrics. 

The data is segmented by vendor, geography, technology type, and applications, with forecasts extending to 2032.

The report profiles and considers various companies in the metal AM industry, including EOS, GE Additive, Velo3D, SLM Solutions, Trumpf, Farsoon, Renishaw, 3D Systems, EPlus3D, AddUp, Additive Industries, BLT, 6K Additive, IperionX, Carpenter, among others. 

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FKM Additive Manufacturing, Germany’s largest full-service powder bed fusion (PBF) 3D printing bureau, has invested in Dimensionics Density technology, enabling the company to help its customers achieve the objective of a completely automated AM process chain.

In a press release, Dimensions stated that by using automated density determination technologies manufacturers and subcontractors like FKM can reduce human error, increase production speed, ensure higher precision, and maintain quality control by automating tasks like part design optimisation, slicing, material handling, printing, post-processing, and validation.

FKM’s investment in density determination technology, according to Philipp Pruesse, head of Sales at Dimensionics Density, demonstrates that prominent players in the AM sector appreciate the disruptive potential of the solution when it comes to quality control in real AM production scenarios. 

“For AM to continue to disrupt the manufacturing paradigm, the entire AM process chain needs to move towards automation,” Pruesse said.

He added, “Because of this, our density determination solutions are fully automated, and of vital importance, are designed to be used in busy production settings, not just in the laboratory.”

According to Stefan Behlert, head of Quality at FKM, as more clients look to AM as a production technique, it is becoming increasingly necessary for the 3D printing bureau to optimise a variety of tight quality control systems, providing confidence in outcomes and therefore strengthening customer relationships. 

“Considering the large number of build jobs and parts that we are producing every day, the need arises for a speedy and precise non-destructive density determination testing technology for AM,” Behlert explained. 

The FKM official also shared that as a way to validate the technology, Dimensionics Density provided free sample testing and the computation of an ROI in accordance with the number of samples FKM intends to measure each year.

Behlert said both generated convincing results, resulting in the purchase of one piece of equipment for FKM’s quality laboratory.

Additionally, the density determination machine has been customised for FKM, and it will be able to test not only the density of cubes, but also tensile rods and, when not too huge, finished build products. 

This will allow FKM to improve its quality assurance process and better utilise employee time on behalf of clients, Dimensionics stated. 

“By automating the measurement of part density, companies like FKM can ensure consistent material properties, identify defects or inconsistencies early in the production process, and maintain stringent quality standards,” Pruesse concluded.  

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The University of Rostock and metal construction company Stenzel MIM Technik have collaborated to create a 3D-printed metal injection mould (MIM) with AIM3D’s CEM technology on an ExAM 255 system in a push to combine high accuracy and production speeds.

The partners are working on a MIM tool employing 3D printing and integrated, near-contour cooling as part of a project financed by the German Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy, AIM3D said in a press release. 

“Composite Extrusion Modelling (CEM) by AIM3D is an additive manufacturing process that uses feedstocks consisting of plastic binders and metal powders known from metal injection moulding (MIM),” explained Dr Abdullah Riaz, research associate at the Chair of Microfluidics at the University of Rostock. 

He said, “With this process and after the necessary debinding and sintering steps, complex metallic components can be rapidly produced.” 

The project, to be completed by October 2023, uses helical cooling channels directly in the mould to significantly minimise cycle time by cooling near the contour even during the cycle. 

The intricate shape of the cooling ducts is made possible by CAD technology, and long-term studies suggest a 20 per cent decrease in cycle time.

Compared to traditional processes, which may take up to eight weeks, AIM3D said the 3D approach can potentially cut manufacturing time to only five days.

An optimised 3D model of the mould has also already been developed and transmitted to the ExAM 255 CEM system. 

The company said the “green part” is now printed before being sintered in multiple processes to acquire the final material qualities.

Complex metallic components may be created quickly using this technology following the appropriate debinding and sintering procedures. 

Simultaneously, the CEM method enables control of the volumetric shrinkage associated with sintering. 

The component is a thick-walled part with narrow fins that cannot be manufactured without near-contour cooling because they are challenging to mould. 

Stenzel MIM Technik hopes to achieve a significant reduction in cycle time for this component by up to 70 to 80 per cent. However, injection moulding trials for testing are still pending.

AIM3D underscored that the multi-material 3D printer ExAM 255 can be used with various materials such as metals, plastics, and ceramics as well as with various processes including hybrid components.

Systems utilising the CEM method produce tensile strengths comparable to those of conventional thermoplastic, mould-bound injection moulding, as compared to powder bed technologies or even other 3D printing techniques that utilise filaments.

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London-based 3D printing company 3DPRINTUK has earned a spot on the Financial Times 1000 Fastest Growing Companies in Europe list, with an absolute growth rate of 171.6 per cent, as announced in a press release. 

The Financial Times, in conjunction with Statista, publishes the FT 1000 list each year, which ranks the continent’s fastest-growing businesses according to their absolute revenue growth rate over the previous four years (2018 to 2021).

The company was named the third fastest-growing manufacturer out of the 155 companies making the list from the United Kingdom, which, when seen in the context of a huge and thriving UK manufacturing sector, demonstrates exactly how well 3DPRINTUK has succeeded.

The first most-represented country on the list is Italy, followed by Germany, the ranking revealed.

“It is particularly satisfying to make it onto the FT 1000 list because it testifies to the incredible dedication and hard work of the entire 3DPRINTUK team. This is especially true through 2020 and 2021, which were tricky to navigate with stringent COVID-19 restrictions,” Nick Allen, 3DPRINTUK CEO remarked.

Allen added that working in manufacturing in London at the time provided some unexpected opportunities for the 3D printing business to fill some of the glaring gaps in UK supply chains.

According to the Financial Times, London maintains its lead as a growth hub, and 3DPRINTUK is one of 83 companies situated in the city that made the list, ensuring London’s lead for the seventh consecutive year.

Allen continues, “The fact that 3DPRINTUK is the third fastest-growing manufacturing company in the UK is something we are very proud of. It’s a team effort every day, and we have an amazing team with every single member contributing to this growth.

The CEO added that as a result of the team’s continual attention to detail and quality outputs, 3DPRINTUK was able to secure a loyal and expanding customer base.

“We have a loyal and growing customer base which it is our pleasure to serve, as we continue to prove the place of 3D printing in a growing number of applications across industry,” he noted.

3DPRINTUK specialises in low-volume production using cutting-edge powder bed fusion 3D printing technology and polymer materials.

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Wayland Additive said it is ramping up the production of its Calibur3 metal Additive Manufacturing machine in a push to “insulate customers against supply chain delays.”

In a press release, Wayland said it currently has six machines producing goods to fill orders. 

The company also provided some details on the initiatives it is launching to overcome and address the various supply chain issues that have plagued the international industry in the aftermath of the pandemic.

In an effort to shorten delivery periods, the company is shifting away from its previous ‘make to order’ strategy and toward one in which consumers can purchase the Calibur3 “off-the-shelf” by producing an additional ten machines by the end of 2023 and 24 more in 2024.

Dan Rushton, operations manager at Wayland, stated, “We have, over the last few months, doubled the size of our production facility, have added an inspection and workshop area, have installed an impressively large carrousel where all machine parts are sorted & stored, and, working towards 2025, will boast a new applications centre and an R&D centre, as well.”

In terms of supply chain issues, Rushton said the company has invested time and resources into extending the supply chains into new regions and developing relationships on a worldwide scale, which has allowed Wayland to access a far wider network of possible suppliers.

“We are also securing future stock through pre-orders and strong supplier relationships, which is only possible with a level of financial robustness that can carry the burden,” he added. 

To date, Wayland’s Calibur3 delivers all of the benefits of metal electron beam (eBeam) powder bed fusion (PBF) technology while resolving the problematic problems that have historically prevented widespread implementation, the company said. 

Wayland also emphasised that the technology produces fully dense parts in highly reflective alloys and refractory metals like tungsten, free of residual stresses, and with less energy consumption.

The company claims the solution opens up a range of applications across various industry sectors that were previously unable to benefit from the use of 3D printing as a production process.

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