Wohlers Associates, Inc. (Fort Collins, Colo.; www.wohlersassociates.com), recognized widely as the leading consulting firm and preeminent authority on additive manufacturing and 3-D printing worldwide, today announced the publication of the Wohlers Report 2016. The 2016 edition marks the 21st consecutive year of its availability.
According to Wohlers Report 2016, the additive manufacturing (AM) industry, consisting of all AM products and services worldwide, grew 25.9% (CAGR) to $5.165 billion in 2015. The CAGR for the previous three years was 33.8%. Over the past 27 years, the CAGR for the industry is an impressive 26.2%.
Wohlers Associates reports that, despite challenges, growth continued in many segments of the diverse industry, particularly in metal AM and the desktop 3-D printer segments. In 2015, 62 manufacturers sold industrial-grade AM systems (valued at more than $5,000), compared to 49 in 2014, and twice as many as the 31 companies that sold industrial systems in 2011. All of these companies, and many others, are profiled in Wohlers Report 2016.
The principal authors of the report are Tim Caffrey, senior consultant, Ian Campbell, associate consultant, and Terry Wohlers, principal consultant and president—all of Wohlers Associates.