Rapid Prototyping
State of the Industry
1997 Worldwide Progress Report
Terry Wohlers
Table of Contents
Introduction
Changing industry
Tracking new developments
Industries being served
How RP models are being used
Installations by country
Development of RP systems
Why rapid prototyping?
Engineering changes
Producing powerful proposals
Getting early input from suppliers and tool makers
Verifying CAD databases
Styling and ergonomic studies
Requesting quotes
Packaging and shipping
Critical-to-function drawings
Market growth
Secondary market
Product sales
Revenue from services
Service bureau market
Other service revenues
System unit sales
New unit sales leader
Systems sold by region in 1996
Cumulative systems sold by region
Installations by US manufacturers in 1996
Systems sold by the Japanese
1996 unit sales by manufacturer
Cumulative unit sales by manufacturer
Unit sales by vendor and year
Growth trends and sales forecasts
Unit sales growth percentages
Worldwide revenue estimates
Annual revenue growth percentages
RP growth compared to CNC, machining
Billion dollar industry
Service bureaus
Concentration of SBs
Working with SBs
SBs are changing
Second wave of SBs
Mix of RP machines
SB survey results
Rapid tooling
Silicone rubber tooling
Direct AIM tooling
Epoxy/composite tooling
Spray metal tooling
Cast kirksite tooling
SLS RapidTool
3D Keltool
Rapid tooling selection guidelines
New developments in rapid tooling
Laser Fare
3D Keltool
CEMCOM
Rapid Dynamics
3DP at MIT
LENS technology at Sandia
Topographic Shell Fabrication
Size of tooling market
Material advances
Software for RP
Bridgeworks and SolidView
Brockware
MAGICS, CT-Modeller
Rapid Prototyping Module (RPM)
Rapid Tools
StlView
Velocity
Z-Shifter
Concept modelers
Genisys
Actua 2100
Personal Modeler 2100
ModelMaker II
Z402
Cost of 3D printing
Reducing the need for prototypes
Bottom line
System manufacturers
3D Systems
Aaroflex
BPM Technology
Cubital
DTM
Helisys
Sanders Prototype
Stratasys
Z Corporation
RP stock values
RP systems in the US
RP systems outside the US
Europe
Disadvantage
EOS
Japan
Growth in Japan
Installed base
Obstacles to growth
Clinging to home-grown software
Tooling in Japan
High-speed machining
Academic programs
Focus
Challenges, opportunities
CAD industry trends
CAD software
Rhino design software
CAD unit installations
Hardware and OSs
UNIX sites willing to consider Pcs
The Internet
Medical modeling
Skull model of 14-year-old
Example models
Endoscopy project
Reverse engineering
How the technology works
Laser digitizing systems
What works, what doesn’t
Other suggestions
3D digitizing systems
Where’s it all headed?
Risks, land mines
Place your bet
8-track tape, audio cassette, and CD
The future
The challenge of prediction
RP system of the future
Virtual prototyping
Division
Muse
Future applications
Summary and conclusions
Acknowledgments
About the author
Where to learn more
Internet mail list
RPA/SME
Copyright and trademarks
Appendix A: RP system manufacturer addresses
United States
Israel and Europe
Japan
Appendix B: RP software company addresses