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Metal 3D printer shipments down 11%, bright spots at Flashforge, Formlabs New CONTEXT Report on State of 3D Printing Market

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发布日期：2025-04-16

Market intelligence firmCONTEXThas published its latest report revealingweak performanceacross all 3D printer segments in Q4 2024.
As reported by the market intelligence firm, vendors struggled to maintain momentum as broader economic pressures took hold. Inflation remained stubbornly high, interest rates stayed elevated, and worries about global M&A uncertainty,tariff disputes, and recession risks continued to weigh on capital spending.
In Q4 2024, shipments dropped across the board. Industrial printers priced above $100,000 fell 6% compared to Q4 2023. Midrange printers, ranging from $20,000 to $100,000, saw a sharper 18% decline. Professional systems priced between $2,500 and $20,000 dropped 11%, and even Entry-level 3D printers, previously a growth engine, saw shipments slide 10% Y/Y.
From a full-year (FY) perspective, the Entry-level segment was the only one to grow. Shipments of printers under $2,500 rose 26% thanks to brands like Bambu Lab and the “continued strength” of Creality. But that growth also cannibalized the Professional market, which finished 2024 down 15%. Midrange shipments fell 11%, while Industrial systems dropped 17% compared to FY 2023.
As Chris Connery, VP of global analysis at CONTEXT, put it, “2024 was a tough year across the globe for many 3D printer system vendors, marked by macroeconomic pressures and a shifting competitive landscape. But beneath the surface, there’s a clear sense of continued strong bottled-up demand that could reshape the industry in 2025 and beyond.”
Industrial systems stall, with metals hitting hardest
Industrial 3D printer shipments, priced above $100,000, fell 6% in Q4 2024, with metal systems performing especially poorly in markets like China. Although polymer systems showed signs of life late in the year, it wasn’t enough to counter the decline. For FY 2024, Industrial shipments dropped 17%, including a 21% fall in polymer and 11% in metal systems.
Zooming in on Q4, polymer systems actually saw a modest rebound. Shipments rose 10% Y/Y, driven mainly by a 23% increase in vat photopolymerisation machines. China led that resurgence, with shipments into the region jumping 53%, most of which came fromUnionTech.
The country accounted for 34% of global shipments, overtaking North America, which came in at 29% but saw a 14% drop in unit volumes. Still, when looking at the full year, every subcategory of polymer systems declined: vat photopolymerisation down 30%, polymer powder bed fusion (PBF) down 6%, material extrusion down 16%, and material jetting down 10%.
In the metal space, PBF systems continued to dominate, making up 71% of Industrial metal printer shipments in Q4, but the category still saw a 20% Y/Y decline. However, Directed Energy Deposition (DED) systems grew by 15% in the quarter, mostly thanks toMeltio’s entry-level pricing strategy.
Interestingly,BLTmanaged to regain its position as the top global vendor for metal PBF printers, even though its own shipments were down 11%. In fact, all of the top five vendors were based in China. But it wasn’t just Chinese manufacturers feeling the squeeze, Western companies saw a 22% drop in metal PBF shipments in Q4, while Chinese vendors posted a 20% decline.
Metal revenues hold steadier despite falling shipments
While shipment volumes painted a grim picture, revenues in the Industrial metal segment told a slightly different story. In Q4 2024, global revenue from metal PBF systems declined just 10% Y/Y. Western vendors weathered the storm better than most.EOSposted strong results, andNikon SLM Solutionsreclaimed the top spot in global revenue rankings for metal PBF machines.
For the full year, DED was the only subcategory that managed to grow, with shipments up 7%. Other categories declined across the board: PBF down 12%, material extrusion down 29%, material jetting down 18%, and binder jetting down 17%. Only four vendors shipped more Industrial metal printers in 2024 than in 2023, Meltio,ZRapid Tech,Eplus3D, andTRUMPF, the latter only slightly.
Overall system revenues dropped 11%, but there were notable exceptions. Nikon SLM Solutions saw a 29% revenue increase, and Eplus3D posted an even stronger 40% gain, largely driven by demand forlarge-format, multi-laser systems.
Midrange 3D printers see steepest quarterly drop
Midrange systems, priced between $20,000 and $100,000, suffered the sharpest decline of any segment in Q4 2024, with shipments falling 18% Y/Y. That said, not every technology within the category struggled. Material jetting systems grew 25%, climbing to the top of the Midrange tech stack.
Flashforge played a big role here, doubling its shipments compared to Q4 2023 with its wax-based jetting solution geared toward the jewellery sector. Stratasys also saw gains, particularly in polymer systems targeting the dental market.
Still, those wins couldn’t save the full-year numbers. Shipments of Midrange printers fell 11% in 2024, as eight of the top ten vendors posted lower volumes than the year before. Industry mainstays likeStratasys,3D Systems,Formlabs, andMarkforgedall indeed saw declines. Nexa3D exited the segment entirely. By contrast, Chinese vendors performed more strongly. Flashforge grew shipments by 123%, and ZRapid Tech posted an 11% increase.
Geographically, China overtook North America to become the top market for Midrange systems. Shipments to China rose 5% in 2024, while those to North America fell 22%. The regional shift highlights the growing importance of domestic Chinese demand, even as global conditions remained uneven.
Professional market splits along technology lines
Professional printers, typically priced between $2,500 and $20,000, ended 2024 with mixed results depending on the technology. In Q4, overall shipments dropped 11% Y/Y. But a deeper look reveals that material extrusion systems, mostly Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) or Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), fell sharply, down 40%, while vat photopolymerisation systems grew 18%.
The divide was even more apparent across the full year, as Professional material extrusion printer shipments fell 37% in 2024, with vendors likeRaise3DandUltiMakerlosing ground to entry-level players such asBambu Lab. Meanwhile, vat photopolymerisation brands shifted from laser and DLP systems to masked stereolithography.
This shift paid off. Formlabs and SprintRay posted strong results in Q4 and helped swing the market split in favor of vat photopolymerisation. What had been an even 50-50 split with material extrusion systems a year ago shifted to a 67-33 advantage for vat photopolymerisation by the end of 2024. Formlabs, in particular, shipped 29% more units, contributing to a 13% Y/Y increase in global vat photopolymerisation shipments.
Entry-level growth cools after strong start
Entry-level 3D printers, those under $2,500, were the only segment to post annual growth, with shipments rising 26% in FY 2024. But that success was mostly concentrated in the first half of the year. By Q4, the segment lost steam, with shipments down 10% compared to Q4 2023 and just under a million units shipped.
Crealitymaintained its lead in the category with a 40% market share, though Q4 shipments fell 25%. Bambu Lab, despite some late-year PR challenges, saw shipments rise 76%, capturing 20% of the market. Emerging as a “bright spot,” Flashforge also had a strong close, growing Q4 shipments by 77% as it continued evolving its product line.
Notably, 96% of all entry-level printers sold globally in 2024 came from Chinese vendors. A few smaller companies tested the idea of moving production to the United States to hedge against potential tariffs, but the economics didn’t work in their favor. For now, manufacturing low-cost machines in high-wage regions remains a tough proposition.
Outlook: A delayed rebound, not a derailed one
Even with a rough Q4 behind them, industry players aren’t writing off 2025. The year has already brought several milestones.EOS shipped its 5,000th 3D printer. Eplus3D reached its100th super-meter metal PBF unit.Xact Metalpassed150 systems shipped. Nikon SLM Solutions hit 1,000 units, including 50 of its NXG large-format, multi-laser platforms.
Thefunding landscapealso showed signs of life.Stratasys secured $120 million.Velo3Dbrought innew investment. AndDesktop Metal’s acquisition by Nano Dimensionfinally closed, withMarkforged possibly nextin line. All of these moves suggest that the industry is gearing up for a return to profitability, and maybe even a resurgence in capital spending once macroeconomic conditions ease.
At the high end, demand is expected to grow from global onshoring, with capital spending set to accelerate once interest rates decline, said Connery. “The timing of such interest rate drops is the great unknown, and the situation is further complicated by sticky inflation, tariff wars and M&A questions, especially in the US.”
As it stands, expectations for 2025 have been adjusted downward. CONTEXT forecasts flat to single-digit shipment growth this year, with mid-double-digit gains likely in 2026 and momentum picking up after that.
Meanwhile, M&A will once again make the news, with the industry watching closely for new product categories that could shake things up, including a possible low-cost approx. $3,100 full-color material jetting 3D printer. If it materialises, it might blur the lines between Professional and Midrange pricing, and help the sector turn the page.
What3D printing trendsshould you watch out for in 2025?
How is thefuture of 3D printingshaping up?
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Featured image shows Yearly Global Industrial and Midrange 3D printer shipments (note different scales). Image via CONTEXT.

数据来源：https://3dprintingindustry.com/

行业数据

Wohlers Report 2025: 9.1% Growth for the Global Additive Manufacturing Market

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发布日期：2025-04-14

The renowned Wohlers Report, the international market study that analyzes the health of theadditive manufacturingsector, has officially been published for 2025. This 30th edition is once again marked by growth: according to Wohlers Associate, the industry will have grown by 9.1%, taking the 3D printing market to $21.9 billion by 2024. This figure could rise to $115 billion by 2034. A statistic that might come as a surprise when you consider all the difficulties the sector has encountered over the past two years. Yet the report is positive, and additive manufacturing has a bright future ahead of it, driven mainly by service providers, the Asian market and materials.
Last year, the Wohlers Report stated that the market had grown by 11.1%, withmetal additive manufacturinggaining ground. The new edition of the study focuses instead on polymer 3D printing, asserting that it remains the most widely employed process family. It should also be noted that 67.1% of machines on the market today are polymer solutions, followed by 29.7% metal and 3.2% “other 3D printers”. One of the trends observed by 3Dnatives, however, is the growing interest in ceramic additive manufacturing, which is now capable of mass-producing industrial parts.
Key revenue figures for the additive manufacturing market (photo credits: Wohlers Associates/ASTM)
The report shows that 3D technology users are indeed looking for different materials, and it is this diversity that is driving market growth. Indeed, materials account for 20% of the market share in terms of revenue recorded over 2024 – after printing services at 47%.
Mahdi Jamshid, Director of Market Intelligence at ASTM, at least sees“the strongest growth of the materials sector as an indication of further adoption of the AM industry.”Machine manufacturers, meanwhile, recorded a decline in revenues, particularly suppliers of metal solutions. According to the report, these manufacturers experienced a drop in revenues, with an estimated 26% decline in machine sales year-on-year.
Finally, if we look at the geographical distribution of the market, the results for 2024 show the growing importance of the Asian market, and more specifically of China. It’s no surprise to see how rapidly Chinese manufacturers have expanded – just look at the meteoric rise of Bambu Lab, for example, and the waves the brand has made on the international 3D printing market. In fact, according to the Wohlers Report 2025, the country has greatly increased its machine exports. It remains to be seen how governments react – in particular with the growing trade discussions in the USA by the Trump administration.
In any case, the Wohlers Report has been reporting positive results for the additive manufacturing market for over 10 years now: it just keeps on growing. Some years have been more difficult than others, and slowdowns have been felt, but the temperature is right and the signs are encouraging. To download the report, clickHERE.
What do you think of the Wohlers Report 2025?Let us know in a comment below or on ourLinkedIn,Facebook, andTwitterpages! Don’t forget to sign up for our free weeklyNewsletter here, the latest 3D printing news straight to your inbox! You can also find all our videos on ourYouTubechannel.
*Cover Photo Credits: Artempo

数据来源：https://www.3dnatives.com/en/

行业数据

Wohlers Report 2025 Shows 9.1% AM industry Growth

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发布日期：2025-04-03

Wohlers Associates, powered byASTM International, has announcedWohlers Report 2025. According to the Wohlers Report 2025, the global additive manufacturing (AM) industry grew by 9.1%, reaching USD$21.9 billion. By 2034, the market could reach $115 billion (although Wohlers forecasts a potential range of outcomes between $84 billion and $145 billion).
Most of the AM growth was driven by the expansion of the AM industry in Asia, particularly in China, while Europe and Middle East (EMEA) and the Americas experienced only slight growth or even declines. AM machine manufacturers saw a decline in revenue, whereas other segments of the industry grew, with material producers achieving the highest year-over-year growth.
Printing services accounts for the largest share of the market at 47%, followed by printer sales/services (27%), materials (20%) and software sales (6%). This reflects data presented at the recentAdditive Manufacturing Strategiesevent in New York by Additive Manufacturing Research, which indicated steady growth in materials while hardware sales struggled. People are using AM equipment (sometimes via third-party service providers), even if they aren't buying large amounts of new printers.
In fact, Wohlers forecasts a CAGR of 21.7% for materials through 2034.
“The strongest growth was with material sales of all types,” said Mahdi Jamshid, director market intelligence at ASTM. “That's an indication of increased adoptoin, because more materials are needed.”
He noted that there was moderate growth in software and services, and a revenue decline for system manufacturers (somewhat offset by service/maintenance revenue).
“2023 was a difficult year, but nonetheless there was incremental growth and success,” Jamshid said. “Three out of the four categories we are trackign showed positive performance.”
There was also positive growth in use of AM for production parts, with final part production reaching 35.3% of usage.
In terms of technology, 67.1% of AM machines are polymer equipment, followed by 29.7% for metal and 3.2% for “other”. Many metal AM system manufacturers reported revenue declines in 2024, with a 26% year-over-year decline in machine sales.
The majority of the installed base of equipment belongs to just a handful of OEMs, and Chinese companies are quickly expanding. Jamshid noted that in the U.S., AM machine imiports have surged while China is decreasing its imports and expanding exports.
Information gathered by the Wohlers Associates team suggests that although the weighted average growth rates in the AMER and EMEA were +/- 5%, many companies in these regions experienced double-digit positive revenue growth rates, which highlighted the importance of strategy and market positioning.
Click here for a full-size graph of AM market revenue.
I pre-briefing before the report release, Wohlers noted that the company had identified 3,000 active companies in the AM space across 70 countries.
With contributions from over 230 experts across six continents and insights from hundreds of companies worldwide, the 2025 edition offers 475 pages of coverage of current market developments, individual user industries and technologies, investments, supply chain readiness, as well as government-sponsored and academic research projects are analyzed and presented. Over 40 country reports also provide a detailed picture of the international AM world.
A key innovation in this edition is the introduction of a new licensing model designed to make the report more accessible to a wider range of organizations.
Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.

数据来源：https://www.digitalengineering247.com/

行业数据

Wohlers Report 2025 Shows 9.1% AM Industry Growth

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发布日期：2025-04-03

Wohlers Associates, powered byASTM International, has announcedWohlers Report 2025. According to the Wohlers Report 2025, the global additive manufacturing (AM) industry grew by 9.1%, reaching USD$21.9 billion. By 2034, the market could reach $115 billion (although Wohlers forecasts a potential range of outcomes between $84 billion and $145 billion).
Most of the AM growth was driven by the expansion of the AM industry in Asia, particularly in China, while Europe and Middle East (EMEA) and the Americas experienced only slight growth or even declines. AM machine manufacturers saw a decline in revenue, whereas other segments of the industry grew, with material producers achieving the highest year-over-year growth.
Printing services accounts for the largest share of the market at 47%, followed by printer sales/services (27%), materials (20%) and software sales (6%). This reflects data presented at the recentAdditive Manufacturing Strategiesevent in New York by Additive Manufacturing Research, which indicated steady growth in materials while hardware sales struggled. People are using AM equipment (sometimes via third-party service providers), even if they aren't buying large amounts of new printers.
In fact, Wohlers forecasts a CAGR of 21.7% for materials through 2034.
“The strongest growth was with material sales of all types,” said Mahdi Jamshid, director market intelligence at ASTM. “That's an indication of increased adoption, because more materials are needed.”
He noted that there was moderate growth in software and services, and a revenue decline for system manufacturers (somewhat offset by service/maintenance revenue).
“2023 was a difficult year, but nonetheless there was incremental growth and success,” Jamshid said. “Three out of the four categories we are tracking showed positive performance.”
There was also positive growth in use of AM for production parts, with final part production reaching 35.3% of usage.
In terms of technology, 67.1% of AM machines are polymer equipment, followed by 29.7% for metal and 3.2% for “other”. Many metal AM system manufacturers reported revenue declines in 2024, with a 26% year-over-year decline in machine sales.
The majority of the installed base of equipment belongs to just a handful of OEMs, and Chinese companies are quickly expanding. Jamshid noted that in the U.S., AM machine imiports have surged while China is decreasing its imports and expanding exports.
Information gathered by the Wohlers Associates team suggests that although the weighted average growth rates in the AMER and EMEA were +/- 5%, many companies in these regions experienced double-digit positive revenue growth rates, which highlighted the importance of strategy and market positioning.
Click here for a full-size graph of AM market revenue.
In a pre-briefing before the report release, Wohlers noted that the company had identified 3,000 active companies in the AM space across 70 countries.
With contributions from over 230 experts across six continents and insights from hundreds of companies worldwide, the 2025 edition offers 475 pages of coverage of current market developments, individual user industries and technologies, investments, supply chain readiness, as well as government-sponsored and academic research projects are analyzed and presented. Over 40 country reports also provide a detailed picture of the international AM world.
A key innovation in this edition is the introduction of a new licensing model designed to make the report more accessible to a wider range of organizations.
Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.

数据来源：https://www.digitalengineering247.com/

行业数据

到2030年，航空航天3D打印全球市场预计将达到89亿美元

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发布日期：2025-03-18

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数据来源：https://www.digitalengineering247.com/

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Farsoon报告2024财年收入下降19%，利润下降48%

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发布日期：2025-03-13

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数据来源：https://www.voxelmatters.com/

行业数据

到2029年，全球3D和4D技术市场将达到6959.3亿美元

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发布日期：2025-03-13

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数据来源：https://www.digitalengineering247.com/

行业数据

2033年AM软件市场将达到67亿美元

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发布日期：2025-03-12

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数据来源：https://www.digitalengineering247.com/

行业数据

3D Printing Software Market to Hit $6.78B Revenues by 2033

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发布日期：2025-03-12

Additive Manufacturing Research (AMR) has released a new edition of its flagship market study, “AM Software Markets 2025: Analysis, Data and Forecast,” offering deep insights into the 3D printing software sector. The latest findings indicate that global revenues for additive manufacturing (AM) software will rise from $2.44 billion in 2024 to $6.78 billion by 2033. According to AMR, this growth is being driven by a shift in market segmentation and the increasing integration of artificial intelligence into AM software solutions.
AMR identifies a critical shift in how the AM software market is structured. Historically, software solutions in the industry have been broad and overlapping, but a more distinct segmentation is emerging: the Core Workflow Market and Application and Process Market. While the former encompasses fundamental tools for design, preparation, monitoring, and production management, the latter is focused on more specialized software tailored for industry-specific and material-specific applications.
As AI-powered capabilities continue to optimize and automate various aspects of AM, many previously cutting-edge functionalities are now becoming standard within mainstream CAD and PLM platforms. This shift is forcing software vendors to innovate beyond traditional offerings and develop tools that address the evolving needs of advanced manufacturing ecosystems.
According to AMR, the AM software landscape is evolving at a pace where functionalities that were groundbreaking just a few years ago are now considered essential. The report’s analysis highlights how this evolution is influencing enterprise strategies, identifying several established and emerging players are shaping the future of AM software. This includes major industry players, such as3D Systems,Autodesk,Stratasys,Materialise,Siemens,Colibrium Additive, as well as more specialized developers, likeAuthentise,Markforged,Hexagon,Altair,Aibuild,1000 Kelvin,trinckle,Oqton,3YOURMIND,nTop,Phase3D,Cognitive Design Systems,CoreTechnologie,Dyndrite, andamsight. In addition to expanding the capabilities of AM software, these firms are actively contributing to the formation of integrated end-to-end manufacturing platforms that enhance automation, efficiency, and scalability.
The report provides an extensive market dataset and forecasting model, offering insights into software tool types (process monitoring, machine processing, MES/production management, design optimization, simulation, and print preparation), end-user adoption trends across specific verticals, and technology segment opportunities, with a detailed breakdown of software opportunities in both polymer and metal AM technologies.
To further support strategic decision-making, the report includes a downloadable Excel file featuring a ten-year market forecast, segmentation analysis, and key market trends. AM Research’s market reports serve as a crucial tool for senior executives and investors evaluating the future of AM software. As the industry becomes more software-driven, businesses and stakeholders must adapt to a rapidly evolving landscape where AI-powered solutions and integrated workflows define competitive advantage.
For more information on the report and to access a free sample, visit:AM Software Markets 2025 Report

数据来源：https://3dprint.com/

行业数据

Nikon SLM Solutions reports revenues of €150 million in 2024, +36%

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发布日期：2025-03-07

Stay up to date with everything that is happening in the wonderful world of AM via ourLinkedIncommunity.
After Nikon acquired SLM Solutions, the company was naturally taken off the Xetra stock market, where it was listed. This meant thatNikon SLM Solutionswas no longer required to disclose performance to stockholders publicly. However, the company can do so voluntarily, and that’s exactly what CEO Sam O’Leary just did, reporting revenue of €150 million (about $163 million) for fiscal year 2024. This represented a +36% growth from the previous year.
Sam O’Leary, CEO, Nikon SLM Solutions
This result places Nikon SLM Solutions ahead of the largest Chinese competitors, like BLT and Farsoon, for combined metal AM hardware and material sales. BLT, the largest Chinese metal AM company, generated about $170 million in revenues in 2023 (+34%); however, a significant share is derived from metal AM services, which Nikon SLM Solutions does not offer. However, Nikon SLM Solutions can count on the strength of its mother company, Nikon, which generated about $4.8 billion in revenues in 2024.
“We’ve been relentless and laser focused in pushing the art of what’s possible in metal additive manufacturing. That has allowed us to deliver strong results once again,” said CEO Sam O’Leary. “We’re reporting more than 150 million euros in revenue, representing a 36 percent increase versus 2023. On top of that, we’ve expanded our manufacturing footprint by producing the game-changing NXG XII 600 in the US. Alongside this, we’ve increased our global team significantly. We’ve started 2025 with more momentum than ever, opening new facilities to drive additive manufacturing in California and [here] in Tokyo.”
During FY 2024, SLM Solutions achieved other significant milestones including the opening of the Nikon Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center in Long Beach, CA,which has been operational since last July.
For the metal 3D printing hardware giant, this cutting-edge 90,000-square-foot facility is more than just a space—it’s a launchpad for the future of high-precision manufacturing. Bringing together Nikon, Nikon SLM Solutions, andNikon AM Synergy Inc., the center is designed to empower industries like aerospace, defense, and aviation with advanced AM technologies, integrated R&D capabilities, and unrivaled expertise.
In June 2024, Nikon SLM Solutionscommenced production for the NXG XII 600 metal additive manufacturing system in the United States. This marked a significant milestone in the company’s commitment to expanding its manufacturing capabilities and enhancing service for the North American customer base with “American Made” systems.
In February2025,Nikon Corporationopened its Nikon AM Technology Center Japan in Gyoda, Saitama Prefecture. This facility marked another milestone in Nikon Advanced Manufacturing’splan to revolutionize manufacturing.
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数据来源：https://www.voxelmatters.com/