Additive Manufacturing
Trend Report 2021
3D printing market growthin the year of the COVID-19

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Thank you for your interest in this trend reportby Protolabs. This report was originally publishedby Hubs, a company acquired by Protolabs in 2021,
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Key findings$12.6bn
was the estimated value ofthe 3D printing market in 2020.

21%
was the estimated YoY 3D printing
market growth in 2020.

×2
The 3D printing market is expected
to more than double in size overthe next 5 years, reaching a valueof $37.2bn in 2026.

84%
of engineering businesses used
3D printing to produce functional
end-use parts more (54%) or
the same (30%) in 2020 vs 2019.

65%

of engineering businesses
sourced or produced more
3D printed parts in 2020 vs 2019.

73%
of engineering businesses
predict they will produce orsource more 3D printed parts
in 2021 versus 2020.

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Table of contents
Introduction
How the 3D printing industry evolved in 2020

4

Methods and approach
Data sources and analysis featured in the report

6Market growth
Condensed summary of all 3D printing industry reports released over the last year

7

Impact of coronavirus outbreak
Spotlight on how COVID-19 affected 3D printing adoption

8

From prototype to production
Trends in 3D printing used for functional end-use parts

9

The future of 3D printing
Looking ahead to years ahead and the barriers to overcome

11

Further reading
Gain more insights and practical tips within the manufacturing space

13

About this report

14

References

15

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Introduction
How the additive manufacturing industry evolved in 2020

Figure 1: Hype cycle depicting the popularity of 3D printing over time

1983
Invention of SLA→ 3D Systems
1987
Invention of SLS→ EOS

2013-2015
Widespread adoptionof plastic 3DP for
tooling, jigs & fixtures(e.g. automotive)

2007
Rise of 3DP service
bureaus→ Shapeways

2015-2016
Widespread adoptionof metal 3DP in
high-tech industries(e.g. space)2009-2011
Rise of consumer
3D printing→ Ultimaker, Formlabs

2016-2018
Plastic 3DP for
low-volume end-partproduction→ HP Multijet Fusion

2012-2013
Mass accessibilityof 3D printing→ 3D Hubs

2018+
Widespread adoptionof plastic low-volume
end-part production

Expectations

1989
Invention of FDM→ Stratasys

2005
Desktop 3D printing
movement→ RepRap

Pre-2000s

2010

2020

Source: Hubs

Additive manufacturing, also referred to as 3D printing or Rapid Prototyping, adoption
has been on a steady growth path as increasingly more engineering businesses takeadvantage of the technology’s benefits, including:• Fewer design restrictions than traditional manufacturing technologies• Increased opportunity for local production• Relatively low start up costs
Following its initial hype of widespread consumer adoption ten years back, additive
manufacturing is proving its value to engineering businesses year-over-year. In more
recent years, 3D printing has made leaps by not only serving as a prototyping technology,
but also as a better alternative in some cases to replace functional end-use parts.

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The 3D printing industry in the year of COVID-19

After almost a full year since the initial outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic,
it’s been an interesting time to observe the adoption of 3D printing. The technology
is still not completely established in engineering businesses’ workflows and demandin certain industries heavily fell.
Simultaneously, 3D printing gained mainstream exposure due to the difference itmade in rapidly producing PPE during the beginning of the outbreak. Global supply chain
disruption made it more difficult to source parts from overseas and forced businesses
to consider more local solutions, which included 3D printing, for both prototyping andend-use parts. The 3D printing industry hasn’t been completely resilient to the past year’s
challenges but is nevertheless set to continue growing 17 percent year-over-year in
the next three years.
This report, which is a new edition of the ‘3D Printing Trend Report’ Hubs has publishedannually for the last three years, aims to review the overall expected market growth,
including the impact of COVID-19, as well as uncovering the areas of high demandand barriers the industry still faces.

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Methods and approach
Data sources and analysis featured in the report

Data from 3 main different sources were collected to produce this report:• A survey conducted by Hubs with 1,504 engineering businesses• A systematic review of the news reported by the media• Market trends through a comparison of market analyst reports
The survey, conducted in February 2021, aims to provide an up-to-date view on
the 3D printing industry, following the disruptions and opportunities the coronavirus
pandemic has created.
The review of the news provides an overview of the direction of the industry with
an emphasis on the progress of large enterprises. These early industrial adopters areat the forefront of the technology and drive cutting-edge innovation and market growth.
Market analysis gives an overview of the financial forces that drive the growth of
3D printing technologies. By comparing the results of multiple reports – all released
in 2020 and 2021 – a more holistic picture of the current state and direction of the market
can be drawn. The sources of the reports used in this year’s edition are Wohler Associates,
ReportLinker, SmarTech, Research and Markets, Reports and Data, Valuates Reports,
Fortune Business Insights, Emergen Research, Arizton, Grand View Research.

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Market growth
Figure 2: 3D Printing market forecast$80

Estimated market value ($USb)$60

Historic data
Forecast
SmarTech
Report Linker
Grand View Research
Research and Markets
Reports and Data
Valuates Reports
Fortunate Business Insights
Emergen Research
Arizton

$40

$37.2

$30.9

$24.9
$20.2

$20

$17.4
$15.0
$12.6
$9.2

$4.1

$5.1

$6.2

$10.4

$7.4

$0.0
2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

Footnote:*
The historic market size was calculated by averaging the market size reported by Wohler's
Associates[01] and SmarTech[04].
** The forecasted market size in the median market size reported by all market analysts.
***	Links to all sources can be found under the References section of this report.

The graph above summarizes data reported by nine reputable market analyst firmsthat evaluated the additive manufacturing market segment in 2020, including revenue
from 3D printing systems, software, materials and services, but excludes internal
corporate investments in 3D printing technologies. It was constructed based on publicly
available information and it provides the best estimate of the current size and future
potential of the global 3D printing market by combining data from different sources.
The global 3D printing market in 2020 was estimated at $12.6bn on average, ranging
from $8.4bn to $16.6bn. These widely varying predictions are largely tied to the reportpublication date in relation to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak. Reports publishednearer to the beginning of 2020 tend to offer a more optimistic view point compared
to forecasts later in the year.

21% was theestimated YoY
3D printing market
growth in 2020

The resulting estimate of $12.6bn is approximately 22 percent lower than the figure
forecasted in our 2020 edition of the this report, but nevertheless a 21 percent year-over-year
growth since 2019. Over the next three years, on average, analysts expect the 3D printing
market to grow by 17 percent year-over-year, again lower than predictions made in 2019and even lower than 2020, but continue the trend of growth, reaching $37.2bn in 2026.

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Impact of coronavirus outbreak
Spotlight on how COVID-19 affected 3D printing adoption
83% of engineeringbusinesses
increased or
maintained their
3D printing usage
following COVID-19

COVID-19 had an undoubtable short term negative impact on the growth rate of
the 3D printing market, due to remote working, social distancing, and supply chain
disruption. However, the market is expected to recover in the coming years.[03]This optimism is also backed by a survey conducted by Hubs that concluded that,as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, 33 percent of engineering businesses increased
their 3D printing usage, and 50 percent of engineering businesses maintained their usage.
This is surprising given the overall 3D printing market growth was below projections.
According to the survey, the uptick in 3D printing was caused by more than usual
downtime for engineering businesses, due to COVID-19 which led teams to focus moretime on R&D, testing and prototyping. Disruption to overseas sourcing also caused moreengineering businesses to consider increasing their 3D printing usage, as lead times formachined and injection molded parts were too long, and chose either to print in-houseor outsource to a local 3D printing company or service bureaus such as Hubs.
Another significant factor for this rise was the enthusiasm from the 3D printing community
to fill the much-needed gap in supply for PPE, with many engineers dedicating resources
to producing face shields and masks.
On the flipside, the primary reasons behind 17 percent of engineering businesses utilizing
3D printing less because of the pandemic were an overall lack of demand resulting
in fewer orders or projects being put on hold. A secondary cause was the lack ofaccessibility engineers had to necessary equipment and physical workspaces in orderto design and produce 3D printed parts.
It’s possible that smaller, perhaps more agile, businesses increased their 3D printing
usage more during this past year of disruption, which contributed to the growth of
the 3D printing usage per organization, but not to the overall market value.

Figure 3: The effect of COVID-19 on 3D printing usage

50%

It had no effect and stayed the same

33%

It increased my usage

17%

It decreased my usage

Q: How did COVID-19 affect your 3D printing usage?

Additive manufacturing
trend report

Source: Hubs survey, conducted February 2021, n = 1,504

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From prototype to production
Trends in 3D printing used for functional end-use parts

Figure 4: 3D printed parts produced by application

3%

29%
47%

21%

Prototyping
Jigs & fixtures
Aesthetic or functional end parts
Other

Q: Which applications do you use 3D printed parts for?

Source: Hubs survey, conducted February 2021, n = 1,504

Every year, engineering companies are continuing to see the benefits of 3D printing
not only for prototyping, but increasingly for end-use parts. At the moment, 3D printing
is primarily used for prototyping, however aesthetic or functional end parts are not far
behind (see Figure 4). This same trend is also echoed by the amount of 3D printed parts
produced in one order, with the majority of engineering businesses creating 1-10 parts
per production run (Figure 5), suggesting they are mainly used for prototyping and testing,with other manufacturing processes used for mass production.

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Figure 5: Size of 3D printing production runs

64%

1-10 parts

22%11-50 parts

8%

51-100 parts

4%

101-1000 parts

2%

1001+ parts

Q: How big are your production runs of 3D printed parts?

Source: Hubs survey, conducted February 2021, n = 1,504

54 percent of engineering businesses reported they used 3D printing to producefunctional end-use parts more and 30 percent of engineering businesses reported
they used 3D printing to produce functional end-use parts the same in 2020 compared
to 2019, suggesting this trend will continue at a fast rate.
Industries that reported the largest increase included biotechnology, transportation
and automotive. Biotechnology and automotive are industries that especially benefit
from the design complexity 3D printing offers, while the transportation industry tends
to use 3D printing more for creating spare, custom parts that are otherwise hard or
expensive to source.[12] Aerospace & aviation, two industries known for their adoptionof 3D printing, did not feature on this list, but this could be down to the factors related
to the coronavirus pandemic and a cut of resources on those specific industries rather
than not adopting 3D printing for end-use parts.

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The future of 3D printing
Looking ahead to years ahead and the barriers to overcome

Figure 6: Barriers to implementing 3D printing more

14%

38%
19%

29%
Too expensive
Quality of parts is not high enough
Limited expertise
Material choice is too small

Q: Which factors prevent you from using 3D printing more?

Source: Hubs survey, conducted February 2021, n = 1,504

The industry is set to continue on its path of growth with 73 percent of engineeringbusinesses predicting they will produce or source more 3D printed parts in 2021 compared
to 2020. However, there are key barriers that hold adoption back, predominantly the priceof 3D printed parts.
Compared to more traditional manufacturing processes, like injection molding andurethane casting, 3D printing will always come at a higher price point per part for highvolumes. However, industries when design complexity can greatly increase the strengthto-weight ratio and even cut down the overall costs by making more efficient parts.
Metal 3D printing, including DMLS and SLM, generally comes at a much higher cost,
but new materials and techniques are rapidly being developed in this area which could
start to bring the price down.

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Besides the barriers that prevent some 3D printing usage, we also looked at how someof these limitations might be overcome already in 2021 and how the 3D printing market
could develop. We asked 1,500+ 3D printing users in our community to predict how they
think the industry will evolve this year. A selection of their predictions is provided below.

Increasingly more end-use metal parts will be printed– Abimelec Mercado, Hardware Engineer at Honeywell

3D printing will continue to mature and become more affordable– Austin Doupe, Manufacturing Engineer at EnCore, A Boeing Company

3D printing will become cheaper and consequently will be used formany more applications– Alexander Hager, Quality Manager at Siemens AG

Hybrid manufacturing (a combination of additive manufacturing
and subtractive manufacturing) will make bigger strides– Tyson Fogel, Autodesk

Improved accessibility to "exotic" materials for FDM– George Walbyoff, Airbus Helicopters UK

The amount of available surface finishes and alloys in 3D printing
will increase– Vinay G R, Senior Engineer at GKN Aerospace

3D printing will be used more for end-use parts– Ross Adams, Application Engineer at Markforged

Material freedom will increase and workflow software will improve– Bart van As, Product Manager Materials at Ultimaker

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Further reading
Gain more insights and practical tips within the manufacturing space

3D printing: The complete guide

The 3D printing handbook

How to master 3D printing

Read online guide

Read sample

Watch video series

Supply chain resiliencein manufacturing report

3D printing trend report 2020

Read report

Read report

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About this report

Hubs
April 2021

Editorial:
Tess Roberts (Hubs)
Design:Barbara Bartkova (Hubs)
About Hubs
Hubs is an online manufacturing platform that provides companies with on-demand
access to a global network of premium manufacturing services. Users can easily upload
their design, instantly receive a quote, and start production at the click of a button.
Founded in Amsterdam in 2013, Hubs was acquired by Protolabs in January 2021.
To date, Hubs has produced more than 6 million parts, using various manufacturing
technologies, including CNC machining, 3D printing, sheet metal fabrication andinjection molding.
Disclaimer
The information in this report is provided for informational purposes only. This reportwas based on certain assumptions and information available to Hubs at the date of
publication. Hubs does not give an express or implied warranty regarding the correctness
or completeness of the information contained in this report. This report may containforward-looking statements. There is no guarantee that future results, levels of activity,
performance or achievements will be realized. You should not place undue reliance onthese forward-looking statements. Hubs expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to
update any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
The information provided by collaborating companies has not been verified by Hubs.
The image rights remain with the respective originator at any time. Hubs expresses
disclaims any and all liability and will not be liable for any loss or damage arising directly
or indirectly (including special, incidental or consequential loss or damage) from your useof this report, howsoever arising, including any loss, damage or expense arising from, but
not limited to, any defect, error, imperfection, fault, mistake or inaccuracy in this report,
its contents or associated services.

For report enquiries, please contact press@hubs.com.

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14 / 16References[01] Coronavirus: Can we 3D-print our way
out of the PPE shortage?
BBC News, April 10, 2020.
[02] Wohlers Report 2021 .
Wohlers Associates, March 16, 2021.
[03] 3D printing revenue set to boom thisyear.
TechRadar, June 19, 2020.
[04] 3D Printer Manufacturing Global
Market Report 2020-30: Covid 19 Growth andChange.
ReportLinker, June, 2020.
[05] 2019 Additive Manufacturing Market
Growth Surpassed $10B Worldwide.
SmarTech, December 19, 2020.
[06] Additive Manufacturing and Materials
Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact,
and Forecasts (2021 - 2026).
Research and Markets, January, 2021.
[07] Additive Manufacturing Market Analysis
By Material Type.
Reports and Data, August, 2020.
[08] 3D Printing (Additive Manufacturing)Market Size is Expected to Reach USD 44520
Million By 2026.
Valuates Reports, March, 2020.
[09] Industrial 3D Printing Market Size, Share& Covid-19 Impact Analysis.
Fortune Business Insights, January 21, 2021.
[10] 3D Printing Market Size Worth USD
28.23 Billion by 2027.
Emergen Research, September 29, 2020.
[11] 3D Printing Market - Global Outlook andForecast 2020-2025.
Arizton, August, 2020.
[12] 3D Printing Market Size, Share & Trends
Analysis Report.
Grand View Research, February, 2020.
[13] 3D printing: hype or game changer?
EY, November 18, 2019.

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Additive manufacturing trend report 2021
Copyright @ 2021 Hubs B.V.
All rights reserved.

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