Wohlers Associates, Inc. announced the publication of Wohlers Report 2020, the 25th annual installment of its report on additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing. Often referred to as the "bible" of 3D printing, the new report provides a unique window into the constantly advancing global industry. The publication provides countless details on AM applications, software, workflows, materials, systems, and post-processing. It gives specifics on patents, startups, investment, and research and development, and the future of AM.
The 380-page report includes a wealth of information on AM industry growth, including more than 250 examples of AM applications in production or development. In one case, Jabil redesigned an impeller for manufacture by AM. Instead of 73 metal parts assembled by hand, the impeller is made of fiber-reinforced polymer composite in a single part. Fifty impellers can be produced in the time it previously took to make one.
This week, it was announced that Italian firm Isinnova had designed and produced many respirator valves in under two days. The effort was in response to an urgent call for help from a hospital in northern Italy that was overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients. Ten patients were able to breathe with the aid of a machine that included the 3D-printed valve.
The era has begun where the users of AM are in the driver’s seat, pushing boundaries of what AM can achieve in production applications. System manufacturers, service providers, and producers of materials are responding with offerings to match.
Wohlers Report 2020 builds upon input from a record ensemble of 129 service providers, 114 manufacturers of industrial AM systems, and 40 producers of third-party materials and desktop 3D printers. The report documents government-sponsored research and development, collaborations and consortia, and the activities of 139 academic and research institutes around the world. Seventy-nine co-authors and contributors in 33 countries provided expert views and opinions in the report.
New and expanded features of the 2020 edition include:
• Maturing and emerging applications of AM for series production
• Review of AM in the dental industry
• Commentary on 77 early-stage investments valued at $1.1 billion
• Compilation of 72 industry partnerships from the past 12 months
• Expert reports from 35 countries
• Tables of systems, third-party materials, software tools, and emerging technologies
The 380-page Wohlers Report 2020 includes 42 charts and graphs, 168 tables, and 377 images and illustrations. It also includes more than 145 pages of supplemental online content available exclusively to the buyers of the report.
For more information, visit https://wohlersassociates.com/2020report.htm.
