3D printers market will grow: Gartner

Technology of 3D printers yet to see widespread consumer acceptance, has been historically sold in small quantities

The market for 3D printers which can 'create' objects is expected to grow 49% in the current year, to reach 59,507 units, according to research firm, Gartner. This growth however will be seen in those printers which are priced below $100,000 (Rs 62.3 lakh).

The research firm predicts that, in the next one-and-a-half years, consumers will shift from being curious about the technology to finding reasons for a purchase. It helps that price points and functionality of the technology turns attractive.

“The 3D printer market has reached its inflection point. While still a nascent market, with hype outpacing the technical realities, the speed of development and rise in buyer interest are pressing hardware, software and service providers to offer easier-to-use tools and materials that produce consistently high-quality results,” said Pete Basiliere, research director at Gartner.

The technology of 3D printers which is yet to see widespread consumer acceptance, has been historically sold in small quantities. Countries in the North America, Western Europe and Mature Asia Pacific regions, are where most of the units were sold.

“The number of printers that will be sold in these regions outpaces the numbers in the other regions by several hundred thousand units,” Gartner said. However, India too has a local manufacturing community.

“In the last 12 months, India has seen a transformation in the 3D printing industry with the emergence of local 3D printer manufacturers. The country has a very vibrant ‘maker’ community, and many new entrants and hobbyists are developing 3D printer variations based on the open source RepRap initiative,” said Zalak Shah, research analyst at Gartner.

 
The research firm believes that 3D printing could have huge potential in India as remote printing of products becomes reality and also helps in recycling of household plastic waste for feeding the printers.

Gartner said that shipments will increase further in 2014, growing 75% to 98,065 units, followed by a near doubling of unit shipments in 2015. “As the products rapidly mature, organizations will increasingly exploit 3D printing's potential in their laboratory, product development and manufacturing operations," said Basiliere.