Wohlers Associates

Industry Briefing
July 2009

Additive Manufacturing Around the World

Several countries with annual installations of 100 or more additive manufacturing (AM) systems experienced impressive double-digit growth in 2008. China grew by 39.7%, France by 29.2%, Germany by 23.6%, and the UK by 15.6%. The U.S. grew by only 4.4% and Japan declined by a surprising 56.8%. A few countries with relatively small annual installations experienced strong growth from 2007 to 2008. They were Brazil (23 to 42 units), Mexico (22 to 35), Thailand (43 to 67), Sweden (47 to 70), and the Netherlands (40 to 67).

The graph shows the number of AM systems sold and installed over the past several years in China. Note that the estimate for 1996 includes all machines installed up to and through that year. Through the end 2008, an estimated 2,472 machines had been installed in the country, compared to 1,986 through 2007.

With the exception of Japan, the growth of additive manufacturing in Asia started much later than in the U.S. and Europe. Companies were merely experimenting with the technology in the late 1990s, with most machine installations in Asia occurring at technology transfer centers, universities, and training establishments.

Note: The previous excerpt was taken from Wohlers Report 2009, a 250-page global study that focuses on the advances in additive manufacturing worldwide. A detailed overview of the report, as well as additional information on the market and industry, are available at http://wohlersassociates.com.

Wohlers Talk: Additive Manufacturing Roadmap

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences led the development of a roadmap for the additive manufacturing industry in 1998. The effort was supported by many industrial, government, and academic organizations in the U.S. and it led to a report titled The Road to Manufacturing. It served as a useful guide, although I believe it was the work leading up to the document that was of most value. As Dwight Eisenhower once said, and I will paraphrase: Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.

Little organization on the national level has occurred over the past 10 years in the U.S. This has been a little puzzling to some, especially when considering the vast economic and strategic benefits of AM technology. To some degree, the AM industry—particularly in the U.S.—has struggled with focus and direction. This, however, is beginning to change. One cause is the recent launch of the ASTM International Committee F42 on Additive Manufacturing, an effort concentrating on the development of industry standards. Another is an event titled Roadmap for Additive Manufacturing (RAM) Workshop, held in March 2009 in Washington, DC.

Sixty-five experts from academia, industry, and government attended the RAM Workshop. Its purpose: to develop a roadmap for research in additive manufacturing for the next 10-12 years. The effort was led by David Bourell of the University of Texas at Austin, Ming Leu of Missouri University of Science and Technology, and David Rosen of Georgia Institute of Technology. These three individuals, and those at the workshop, worked together to create a new roadmap. Sponsors were the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research.

The workshop, and the work that followed, resulted in 26 research recommendations. Among them: 1) produce a new foundation for CAD systems to overcome modeling limitations associated with building AM parts, 2) create closed-loop and adaptive control systems with feed-forward and feedback capabilities for AM machines, 3) develop and identify sustainable (green) materials that are recyclable, reusable, and biodegradable, 4) develop training programs with certifications for industry practitioners, 5) develop and adopt internationally recognized standards, such as those initiated by ASTM Committee F42, and 6) establish a national test bed center with AM machines and expert users to leverage equipment and human resources in future research.

The complete 2009 roadmap document is available at http://wohlersassociates.com/roadmap2009.html.

Note: Wohlers Talk is a blog that offers views, perspective, and commentary on rapid product development and a wide range of other topics. More than 170 commentaries have been published since 2003. To view them, visit http://wohlersassociates.com/blog.