What to Watch in Polymer Material Extrusion 3D Printing Over the Next Five Years

Polymer material extrusion 3D printing is one of several really interesting markets for polymer additive maufacturing, and one that’s largely been responsible for the significant growth in public and corporate awareness of 3D printing technology which occurred since around 2011.  Material extrusion is often referred to as Fused Deposition Modeling –the trade name for the process which was pioneered by Stratasys –but also such terms as Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) and others. The term “material extrusion” is the proper terminology when considering that all 3D printers operate under a certain set of common characteristics, but you can call it whatever you want, as long as you know what it really is. What’s more important than the term you use to describe it, is how this particular 3D printing process has evolved in the last two years, and where this continued evolution will take it in terms of adoption and opportunity in the next five.

To characterize where the technology is at today with regards to the printing of polymers (far and away the most common implementation of the process), material extrusion could generally be described as a flexible and cost-effective process for low to medium volume manufacturing and functional prototyping. It’s most popular iteration is gantry-based three axis systems using direct drive hot-end extruders for 1.75-mm filament materials. However, as a highly flexible process, many different implementations have been developed –and this is really where the beauty of material extrusion can be found. It can be tinkered with and altered in some pretty amazing ways, a couple of which we’ll highlight as examples of where things are headed.

Use of true thermoplastic materials is a primary strength of material extrusion technology, and as new competitors in the material extrusion 3D printing market continue to grow by leaps and bounds, the resulting supply chain of available thermoplastic filaments has exploded. Thermoplastic filaments can be augmented with fillers and additives, and special chemical formulations of feedstock material to create hybrid thermoplastics (such as PC-ABS) is possible. Small changes in the hardware utilized by extrusion printers can enable processing of these more advanced and diverse materials, as the thermal control capabilities of both the extruder and print environment are augmented.

Shortcomings of common implementations of material extrusion are mechanical strength issues in parts in the vertical axis (or ‘Z’ axis) due to the poor inter-layer adhesion of layer by layer thermal extrusion, as well as overall relatively lower productivity of the actual deposition process necessary to achieve detailed prints with most systems. Surface quality of prints is also poor by comparison to other processes, though can be tailored based on printing speed and feature size requirements. To improve on shortcomings of the process, a number of increasingly interesting technical evolutions are now in the early stages of commercialization.

For a couple of years now, there have been a wide variety of relatively lower cost material extrusion systems designed to be fairly modular, accepting various aftermarket or upgraded extruders which are an area of technical development all their own. Alterations like heated print beds that can automatically level themselves are becoming standard features in the market. But these changes are only based on the classic polymer material extrusion printer design. What we’re equally excited about are based on significantly different visions of the technology which we believe will contribute to material extrusion 3D printing technology growing to become a more widely utilized tool for direct manufacturing.

Things like swarm manufacturing cells using a dozen or more relatively small, lower cost extrusion printers in unison through networking, as well as multi-axis extrusion systems, hybrid additive/subtractive extrusion printers, and much more, are all development trends SmarTech believes will usher in the next wave of adoption in extrusion technology. These principles all leverage the great adaptability of the process to make it scalable and accessible, while improving on its shortcomings in creating very strong parts through all three axes. This is to say nothing of the continued advancements in extruders themselves, which are becoming more and more controllable.

Material extrusion 3D printers already generated the most hardware revenue worldwide in professional and industrial environments in 2017. We expect that the widespread support and continued visionary approaches to extrusion printing of polymers will continue to make extrusion 3D printing a huge global opportunity. But it won’t be one that comes to pass without casualties –only those that can continue to innovate based on better part outcomes relative to costs will survive the next evolution of the market.

 

By: Scott Dunham, Vice President of Research, SmarTech Publishing

The Long Term Industrialization Potential of Competing Polymer 3D Printing Processes

By Scott Dunham
Vice President of Research, SmarTech Publishing

Recently, I’ve been talking to a lot of people in the 3D printing industry regarding competing polymer 3D printing processes and their future. During the research process for the latest SmarTech market research study, Additive Manufacturing with Polymers and Plastics 2018, I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with a range of leaders who are invested in moving the 3D printing industry forward –specifically towards a future in manufacturing, and specifically for printers that make things out of plastics and polymers.

One particular conversation was memorable because of how relevant it is to the industry today. An executive at a very respected polymer and plastics company compared the polymer printing industry, with its five widely established and utilized print processes all supported by various companies, to other technology development paths where a choice had to be made by the major supporting companies about which technology to support amongst several which would accomplish similar goals. In cases like the compact disc, or the VHS tape of the past several decades, those choices ultimately ended up determining an industry’s path.

For polymer 3D printing, it’s fairly widely accepted that there are five available options to print a plastic part, and SmarTech defines these using the ASTM technology definition categories –material extrusion, powder bed fusion, vat photopolymerization, material jetting, and binder jetting. When we look to the future, which of the competing polymer 3D printing processes, if any, will remain in the future of plastic printing at a professional level? Perhaps the best way to analyze the question is to look at what is driving the interest in plastic printing today, and then look at how well each process serves this interest.

It should be undeniable, at this point, that the major interest area driving the market is in the use of printing to support manufacturing, and to ultimately engage in direct manufacturing of robust, end-use polymer and thermoplastic parts. Notice that this an interest area –quite different from the bulk of the activity which defines the plastic printing industry today, which is still prototyping. Prototyping will, by all accounts, continue to provide a level of industry baseline business for several years, but it is manufacturing support and direct manufacturing which will quickly become the growth engine of the market (just look at the growth in revenues from Materialise’s manufacturing segment compared to their prototyping segment over the last several quarters.)

Competing Polymer 3D Printing Processes

Source: SmarTech Publishing

Polymer powder bed fusion, mostly characterized by selective laser sintering, is generally considered the most ‘industrial enabled’ plastic 3D printing process there is. This is because the technology can directly create the most all around mechanically robust parts while also being able to support volume production and scalability through efficient use of its building space in all dimensions, without the need to spend time designing support structures in parts. Though the technology is costly, limited in material choice today, and can waste material, there is no doubt that powder bed fusion is, on paper, is one of the most attractive choices for more industrially-oriented utilization. As a result, SmarTech’s latest published market forecasts in powder bed fusion predict this segment will generate the market’s largest share of hardware revenues within the next ten years.

However, don’t let that majority revenue share idea fool you –the actual estimate is that the majority share is only just over 30 percent by 2027, meaning that other print processes will control sizeable portions of the hardware spending over the next decade. Ignoring the industrial potential of print processes like vat photopolymerization and material extrusion, however, would be unwise given the technical developments which are ongoing in these areas.

The takeaway which was impressed upon me from this previously mentioned conversation was one which, ultimately many of us in the industry have arrived at independently. Unlike other tech of the past like the CD, with manufacturing technology, there isn’t a single concrete end goal to arrive at –one user may expect or desire a slightly different outcome from the next. And as a result of this, all of today’s plastic print technologies will continue to play an important role in polymer 3D printing over the long term (and likely even some which aren’t well established yet today).

Placing a bet on a single technology isn’t, of course, a bad idea in a market where there are multiple viable processes. Indeed, when looking at the hardware market for plastic printing today, a lot of the industry has been pushed forward by companies which have specialized in just one print solution. But from the perspective of supporting players, like those who will provide new material development, and ancillary technologies like material handling solutions and automated post processing systems, it’s better to be a position to support all these areas. This has been proven recently with both BASF and DSM –two leaders in 3D printing materials development –having restructured their additive businesses to create specific groups or product lines which focus on different print technologies.

Ultimately, there is industrialization potential across the board for polymer 3D printing, and capitalizing on this potential is the key to success in tomorrow’s industry. Each technology is developing its own unique approaches to creating more industrial appeal. As a current or potential future stakeholder in the industry, don’t overlook this point. Competing polymer 3D printing processes could be one of your biggest opportunities –or your biggest threat.

Register for SmarTech Metal Additive Manufacturing Webinar

Come join us on Tuesday, May 8th for a  SmarTech additive manufacturing webinar presentation with SmarTech Publishing’s Vice President of Research, Scott Dunham, where he will present findings from his recently issued report,  Additive Manufacturing With Metal Powders 2018

The presentation will last approximately 30 minutes and follow with 15 minutes of Q&A time.

During this webinar Mr. Dunham will:

  • Present his latest market forecasts of the metal powder AM market
  • Offer his analysis of the latest market and technology trends and what they mean for the industry
  • Pinpoint near and longer term opportunities and obstacles
  • Discuss what the industry has to look forward to over the next 12-18 months

There is no cost to register or participate.

Details:

Tuesday, May 8, 2018
10:00 AM EDT (GMT/UTC – 4:00)

Register here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/2513411403908153347

 

Quick Hits From SmarTech’s Latest Metal Powder Additive Manufacturing Report

1) The metal powder additive manufacturing industry’s structure continues to become more complex with new processes and competitors.  The recent surge in interest and commercial activity in support of new and existing bound metal printing technologies is establishing a third major commercial area of opportunity alongside powder bed fusion and directed energy deposition systems. This will greatly enhance the applicability of metal AM as a whole across new industry segments and applications, but will also greatly increase the complexities of implementation from an end user perspective due to the need to match potential applications with ideal print technologies

2) The competitive structure of the market, which has already undergone great change in the last twelve months, is expected to shift even more with the impending market entry of both HP and Stratasys into the metals segment over the next two years. This will help continue to bring metal AM to the forefront of the digital manufacturing revolution, with numerous enterprise level multi-billion dollar companies now investing into its future. The largest providers in the industry may increase their efforts in becoming experts in multiple established print technologies to serve a wide array of potential customers, rather than specializing in a single process

3) Additive manufacturing will continue to become a larger and larger part of the global metal powder and powder metallurgy supply chain and structure. This will continue to benefit the AM community through additional funding and research initiatives into AM processes.

4) Metal powder additive manufacturing industry growth during 2017 started off sluggish, but rebounded quite well in the second half of the year in terms of both hardware and unit sales. Unit sales were partially driven by demand for Desktop Metal’s new Studio printer that costs around $50,000, while revenues grew stronger than expected thanks to the demand for multi-laser, highly productive next generation laser powder bed fusion systems

5) The metal powder additive manufacturing industry is now entering a period of stronger growth forecasted through 2020 compared to 2016/2017’s performance. This will see double-digit growth rates in both hardware revenues and resulting material shipments on the order of 30 to 50 percent annually.

Key Take Aways on Aluminum and Additive Manufacturing

From the new SmarTech report, Markets for Aluminum Alloys in Additive Manufacturing: 2018 to 2028

 

· Corporate interest in aluminum powder for additive manufacturing is at an all-time high.

· Aluminum alloys such as Aluminum Silicon (AlSiMg) are used almost exclusively for prototyping and tooling. However, aluminum is expected to be among the key materials in the shift toward larger batch production of mass goods.

· The widespread use of design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) practices is expected to play a major role in the growing adoption of aluminum alloys.

· The high thermal conductivity of aluminum and its alloys makes them notoriously difficult to cast and weld. For laser melting, things get even worse. Aluminum powders are inherently light and have a poor flowability during recoating. They are also highly reflective and have a high thermal conductivity when compared to other materials.

· Aluminum alloys are expected to become relevant in particular for production of parts in the civil aviation industry (general and commercial aviation).

· Demand for metal additive manufacturing systems in the broader automotive industry is increasing thanks primarily to acceptance of printed metal tooling for indirect manufacturing of traditional automotive components, as well as research and development projects for printed aluminum alloys.

· The entire business of aluminum alloys for AM applications is expected to generate close to $300 million in yearly revenues by the end of the forecast period.

· Overall requirements for additive metal powders, regardless of metal type or specific AM process used, include purity, flowability, porosity, and batch consistency.

· Laser-based PBF systems are more widely utilized globally today for Aluminum Alloys and are supported by at least 11 manufacturers worldwide, although possibly more at a regional level.

· Although MIM has worked very well for many decades for a wide range of metals and alloys, the process has always proved to be unsuitable for aluminum. However, researchers at the Technical University Vienna (TU Wien) have recently succeeded in developing a Powder Injection Molding process for aluminum which can be used to manufacture complex-shaped, weight saving components in a material-efficient manner.

· For reactive materials such as aluminum, atomization and packaging has to be performed in a protective atmosphere. In all known processes for the production of aluminum powder, inert gas is used to preserve the spherical shape of the particles. Atomization in air leads to an immediate partial oxidation of the liquid material and prevents the liquid metal from transforming into spherical shape making the powder unsuitable for additive manufacturing processes.

Aluminum has proven historically challenging to additively manufacture—leading the development of materials to head in two different directions. One is the AM qualification of aluminum alloys developed for die-cast applications, the other is the development of new aluminum-based high-performance alloys that can leverage the advantages of AM processes in terms of geometry.

· The most significant potential opportunity for the future resides in Scalmalloy-like alloys, which can be used for cost-effective production of high-strength, weight optimized, end-use, functional parts in aerospace and automotive. SmarTech Publishing expects that over the course of the next decade specialty aluminum alloys will overtake die-cast alloys for powder bed fusion AM processes.

· Competition in the market specifically for aluminum AM powder is intensifying although most major specialized AM powder manufacturers do not yet provide it. SmarTech Publishing expects that within the next two years several major AM powder providers and hardware suppliers will begin offering or will be readying to offer aluminum alloy powders for AM.

Why Dentistry Will Be the Leading Market for Resin Based 3D Printing

If you’ve spent any time looking at the 3D printing industry in depth, there’s a number of things you’ve probably come to notice as well accepted facts. One of these accepted facts is that, if you own or sell UV curable resin based printers like stereolithography, DLP, or inkjet-based material jetting systems, there are three primary markets that tend be always a part of the discussion regarding the use or adoption of these printers. Yes, resin based print technology seems to be highly concentrated in the dental, jewelry, and hearing aid industries when considering non-prototyping uses.

This isn’t to say there aren’t uses or applications for these printers beyond these areas, it’s just that these three tend to be the major areas where a lot of the use cases for resin based printers are concentrated.

Why Resins Make Sense

With its recently published study 3D Printing in Dentistry 2018, SmarTech believes that, of the three popular markets driving a lot of the demand and use for photopolymerization and jetting technologies today, that the dental industry holds a clear advantage for long term adoption and use of such 3D printing technologies. Why?

To start, it might be best to understand why resin based printing is so broadly appealing to these industries in the first place. Stated generally, resin based printing provides for excellent aesthetic quality in terms of surface finish as well as fine feature detail capability, which is highly valued in the manufacture of customized hearing aid shells and casting patterns used in investment casting of small detailed metal items. As you might imagine, the casting of rings and other metallic jewelry, as well as the metal subtructures used in prosthetic teeth, require very high resolution printing and smooth surfaces. Because these industries deal in very small components like these, resin based printers can manufacture many custom components simultaneously even using relatively small printers, with a suitable degree of aesthetic quality and mechanical performance for what is often a relatively short service life for printed parts.

Why Resins for 3D Printing Dental

However, there is a unique marriage of industry demand factors and technological capability when looking at the dental industry specifically which makes resin based printing exceptionally compelling even compared to jewelry and hearing aid manufacturing.

First, resin based printers offer an unprecedented level of value-add capability to dental workflows both in a laboratory and clinical setting because of their ability to serve the full spectrum of dental applications. To date, there are nearing a dozen individual applications for resin based dental printing which range all the way from general dentistry, implantology, prosthodontics, orthodontics, and even into oral treatments for sleep apnea. By comparison, resin printers in jewelry are utilized almost entirely for the production of master models and casting patterns, while in the hearing aid industry are still predominantly used only for the production of custom hearing aid shells for in-the-ear hearing aids. Although there is growth potential for use of resin printing to produce other components in other types of hearing aid products, the vast majority today remains in custom shells –a segment of the industry that has declined around 60 percent since around 2008.

Resin printers used in dentistry also have a massive adoption potential that ranges beyond just the dental production center or laboratory, and into the clinical setting, which widens the addressable market for dental 3D printing nearly tenfold. We estimate (conservatively) that there are around 84,000 dental laboratories and production centers worldwide today, but there are likely around 900,000 individual dental practices or clinics when considering general dentistry, orthodontics, oral surgery, prosthodontics, and more. By contrast, the hearing aid industry is controlled at least 80 percent by six manufacturers who operate likely less than 200 individual manufacturing and design sites where 3D printers are likely to be used.

Finally, the dental industry provides a spectrum of applications which cover both short term and relatively high touch/value devices, as well as a number of medically controlled, long term clinical applications which can be served by resin based print technologies. The distinction here between the first point about sheer number  of different applications is that the dental industry provides a greater opportunity for resin based 3D printing to become permanently embedded in critical and long term use applications. As we have seen in the hearing aid industry, the primary use case for 3D printers has undergone major demand fluctuations over just a ten year period due to industry changes. Meanwhile, jewelry manufacturing is inherently sensitive to the global economy, where downturns have already been proven to affect the demand for print technologies. In dentistry, however, resin 3D printing holds the ability to become permanently embedded in the industry with little competition. Though digital milling systems are widely used in dental fabrication today (mostly for permanent ceramic dental restorations), resin 3D printing holds long term ability to improve on the current areas in which milling is utilized and capture market share.

To summarize, check out the table below which highlights why SmarTech believes that resin based printing will be driven to a huge degree by the dental industry over the next ten years and beyond.

Source: SmarTech Publishing

All three industries share the ability to revolutionize design paradigms within their respective markets, though it is clear that jewelry is already realizing this benefit and has been for some time. In dentistry, however, there is a clear roadmap for capitalizing on this capability in the long term by developing the ability to print in biocompatible long term dental composites or full ceramics using a similar light curing process and sintering. Such capabilities could be applied in the future to design entire one-piece custom dental implant systems, entirely printed and super realistic dentures, and more.

In summary, stakeholders in resin 3D printing –whether vat photopolymerization or inkjet based material jetting –need to be ready for the impending long term shift to a high dental mix. Though resin printing will remain highly relevant in all three areas for the foreseeable future, the dental industry appears to show the greatest long term outlook for massive market opportunity into the next decade.

SmarTech Publishing has published in-depth 3D printing market studies for printing opportunities in jewelry, hearing aid, and dental markets.