Wohlers Report 2008 Remarks on Years of Impressive Growth

By DE Editors

By most measures, additive fabrication (AF) has developed and evolved impressively, according to Wohlers Report 2008 from Wohlers Associates’ (Fort Collins, CO). The impact it is having on new product development continues to capture the attention of entrepreneurs, investors, government agencies, and researchers around the world.

The briefing offers estimates that Wohlers says provide perspective on the past and, hopefully, some insight into the future. For instance, in the past four years (2004–2007), products and services for additive fabrication grew by an estimated $612 million (the industry grew by 116 percent during this period); annual unit sales grew by more than 31 times from 1993 to 2007; the installed base of CAD solid modeling seats for commercial use has nearly doubled since 2003; the ratio of CAD solid modeling seats (for commercial use) to AF system installations is about 83 to 1; AF systems were sold in 67 countries in 2007 — with an estimated 71 percent of them being installed in the top six countries; and 3D printers sold over the past four years (2004–2007) represent about 72 percent of the total number of additive systems installed during this period.

For the source of this information, Wohlers Report 2008, a 240-page global study that focuses on the advances in additive fabrication worldwide as well as additional information on the market and industry, please visit Wohlers Associates.

For previous DEcoverage, read “Wohlers Report Documents Additive Fabrication Developments and Trends,” (May 2008).

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.