After a continued slow period, the industrial 3D printer market saw signs of growth in the third quarter of 2025, thanks to demand for additive manufacturing (AM) systems from users in aerospace and defence, and the domestic market in China.
According to new figures from market intelligence company CONTEXT, overall 3D printing hardware revenues rose 5% YoY in Q3 2025 with strong shipments of entry-level 3D printers and growth in metal AM platform sales.
“The mood across the high end of the market is still cautious, but it is no longer defensive,” said Chris Connery, Vice President of Global Analysis at CONTEXT. “The industry has moved past the expansion-at-any-cost phase and is now concentrating on sectors where additive manufacturing is already delivering clear economic value. Aerospace, defence and domestic Chinese manufacturing are doing most of the heavy lifting.”
Shipments of systems priced above $100,000 rose 3% YoY in unit terms. The strongest sales came from China, where shipments were up 22% owed to significant figures from domestic OEMs including ZRapid Tech and BLT.
The recovery came primarily from sales of metal Powder Bed Fusion (PBF) systems, which increased by 25% YoY, while polymer platforms in the same category continued to struggle. Chinese metal PBF vendors saw shipments rise 35% YoY, with most systems remaining within the local market with domestic customers primarily operating in aerospace and private space.
Western aerospace and defence customers also showed renewed buying activity, though less substantial. EOS delivered a strong quarter with revenues up 20% YoY, while Nikon SLM Solutions maintained its position in large-format metal systems due to the continued success of its NXG platform.
For mid-range machines priced between $20,000 and $100,000, shipments fell -13% YoY. Across industrial and midrange price classes combined, unit shipment leaders included UnionTech, Stratasys, ZRapid Tech, Formlabs, 3D Systems, Flashforge, HP, Nano Dimension (including Markforged), EOS and BLT. Notable positive year-on-year shipment growth was recorded by UnionTech, ZRapid Tech, BLT, EOS and HP.
The professional price band, covering systems priced between $2,500 and $20,000, also faced a decline by -14% YoY, driven almost entirely by falling demand for material extrusion systems as buyers opted for significantly lower-priced entry-level machines. However, vat photopolymerisation systems remained resilient, with Formlabs taking approximately a 40% share of the market.
Success, however, continued in the sub-$2,500 entry-level market with global shipments rising by 18% YoY. The positive figures in this category are once again being driven by vendors in China with desktop companies Bambu Lab and Creality accounting for 57% of global shipments during the quarter.
