Sculpteo
Last week, Sculpteo published the eighth edition of The State of 3D Printing Report, its annual global survey conducted with the aim of providing additive manufacturing insight required to inform and improve business strategies.
Sculpteo says that as part of its mission of environmental responsibility, '3D printing attempts to meet manufacturing needs by replacing traditional production resources whenever and wherever the opportunity arises.'
Each year, Sculpteo gathers data from the additive manufacturing industry, which it analyses to highlight trends. The 2022 report is of international scope, with most of the respondents being based in Europe (63%) and the USA (23%). This year’s survey revealed that 39% of users had between one and five years of experience in additive manufacturing, with 27% of respondents using the technology daily.
It also revealed that the most common use of 3D printing is consumer goods (14%), followed by industrial goods (13%) and education (11%).
According to Sculpteo, 40% of power users are now using 3D printing for short series production runs, and up to 18% are using it for mass production. The company also found that 47% of respondents use 3D printing to produce mechanical parts, while 28% use it for consumer goods.
Sculpteo claims that this level of growth in 3D printing is “clear evidence” of the progress now being made in terms of technologies, materials and post-processing solutions.
Of the companies surveyed, Sculpteo says that 40% are in search of more sustainable methods and materials to use in the manufacturing of products, while 41% said that 3D printing is helping them to achieve their sustainability goals. The report also stated that 59% of users have a desire to use more sustainable materials, which Sculpteo says is driven by the increasing number of bio-based materials in recent years.
According to Sculpteo, the majority of manufacturers believe that 3D printing helps them implement their sustainability policies by removing the need for carrying inventory on site.
Alexandre d’Orsetti, CEO of Sculpteo, said: “This year, we decided to highlight a major concern to all sectors of the industry, and something we see as a major challenge ourselves: sustainability. I’m delighted to say that this technology has a very bright future, and proud to be able to make my own contribution to the future of 3D printing.”
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Sculpteo says that the survey discovered that the three aspects of 3D printing reliability and sustainability that require the most improvement are: the availability of more options for recycling printed objects, development of more sustainable materials, and greater progress in the reuse of powder using technologies such as selective laser sintering.
A significant majority (84%) of respondents said that they are optimistic about the future of the AM industry. When questioned about the potential of additive manufacturing in the future, 58% of respondents said they were optimistic that the technology will play a significant role in manufacturing, business and personal lives. Just over a quarter (26%), said they felt it will impact only manufacturing and business.
61% of respondents to the survey said that on-demand manufacturing is the reliable and sustainable benefit delivered by 3D printing. Just under half (47%) said that 3D printing reduces the need to use multiple resources, because some designs are “impossible” to achieve using traditional techniques.