3D Printing Ceramics Market

[135 Pages Pages] The global 3D printing ceramics market, is estimated to be valued at USD 27.8 million in 2015 and is projected to reach USD 131.5 million by 2021, at a CAGR of 29.6% from 2016 to 2021. Rapid increase in demand from end user industry for different applications are expected to drive the overall demand for 3D printing ceramics market in coming years.  The base year used for study is 2015 and the forecast period is 2016 to 2021. In this study, 2015 has been considered the base year and 2016-2021 as the forecast period to estimate the 3D printing ceramics market size.

Market Dynamics

Drivers

• Increasing demand for product modification and development
• Growing demand for 3D printing in dental industry

Restraints

• Lesser developments in ceramic in comparison to metals and plastics with low application base  
• High cost of 3D printing ceramics due to low consumption volumes
• Low acceptance rate of new technologies in emerging economies

Opportunities

• Increased R&D investment by various end-use industries to sustain in the market

Challenges

• Continuously evolving  3D printing materials market

Increased research on bio-ceramics for their usage in bone implants is anticipated to significantly fuel the growth of the 3D printing ceramics market during the forecast period

Ceramic powders are mainly used for printing plates, cups, and other cutlery items. Ceramic prototypes are also used in high temperature applications in the aerospace and automotive industries. One of the emerging applications of ceramic powders is in 3D printing of medical implants. Ceramic powders are used in 3D prototyping of patient specific implants (PSIs). Increased research on bio-ceramics for their usage in bone implants is anticipated to significantly fuel the growth of the 3D printing ceramics market during the forecast period, 2016 to 2021. Various other products, such as alumina silica powder and glazed ceramics are also being tested for their usage in the construction industry as well as in various other emerging applications.

The aerospace & defense and healthcare are the major industries, who have initiated use of 3D printing ceramics. These industries invest increasingly in R&D activities to discover new horizons in the field of 3D printing ceramics. Critical parts used in the aerospace & defense sector are designed and developed using 3D printing ceramics. Moreover, 3D printing ceramics are also used in the healthcare segment for various dental applications.

The following are the major objectives of the study:

• To define and segment the 3D printing ceramics market by type, form, end user, and region
• To identify market dynamics such as, drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges impacting the growth of the 3D printing ceramics market
• To analyze and forecast the demand for 3D printing ceramics, in terms of value and volume
• To estimate, analyze, and forecast the 3D printing ceramics market with respect to key countries
• To analyze and forecast the demand for 3D printing ceramics in different end-use industries, such as aerospace & defense, healthcare, automotive, consumer goods & electronics, manufacturing & construction, and others
• To analyze recent developments, such as facility & capacity expansions, partnerships & collaborations, and new product developments
• To identify various industry trends prevailing in the market, namely, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, threats of substitutes, threats of new entrants, and intensity of rivalry through Porter’s Five Forces analysis
• To strategically identify and profile key players in the 3D printing ceramics market

Different secondary sources, such as company websites, encyclopedias, directories, and databases such as Hoovers, Bloomberg, Businessweek, Factiva, and OneSource have been used to identify and collect information useful for this extensive, commercial study of the global 3D printing ceramics market. Primary sources, including experts from related industries, have been interviewed to verify and collect critical information and assess prospects of the market. The top-down approach has been implemented to validate the market size in terms of value. With data triangulation procedures and validation of data through primaries, the exact values of the overall parent market size and individual market sizes have been determined and confirmed in this study.

To know about the assumptions considered for the study, download the pdf brochure

This study answers several questions for stakeholders, primarily, which market segments they should focus upon during the next two to five years to prioritize their efforts and investments. These stakeholders include 3D printing ceramics manufacturers such as 3D Systems Corporation (U.S.), EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems (Germany), Exone GmbH (Germany), Renishaw Plc (U.K.), Stratasys Ltd. (U.S.), Viridis 3D LLC (U.S.), Tethon 3D (U.S.), and Lithoz GmbH (Austria).

Major Market Developments

• In July 2016, 3D Systems announced a new version of its Cimatron 13 software, which is used for mold-, die- and tool-makers. The new version of Cimatron 13 will help company to cater to the growing demand with better quality product. This will help accelerate manufacturing of molds, dies, and discrete parts.
• In June 2016, Materialise NV announced its latest version of the Materialise Mimics Innovation Suite. The suit, with a combination of live 3D Preview and smarter editing tools helps in faster segmentation. The new suite helps researchers and engineers in effective image segmentation and 3D construction with reliability. This product development will help the company to provide better solutions to customers in terms of software synchronization with actual 3D printing.
• In June 2016, Renishaw opened a new additive manufacturing solutions center in Pune, India. This new facility helps company provide a secure development environment in which customers can expand their knowledge and confidence using additive manufacturing (AM) technology.

Target Audience:

The stakeholder’s for the report includes:

•   3D Printing Ceramics Material Manufacturers, Dealers, and Suppliers
•   Government Bodies
•   3D Printing Experts
•   End-use Companies
•   Companies Operational in Material R&D
•   Defense and Military
•   Industry Associations
•   Large Infrastructure Companies
•   Investment Banks    
•   Consulting Companies/Consultants in Chemical and Material Sectors

Scope of the Report

Each segment is described in detail in the report with volume and revenue forecasts.

By Type

• Glass
• Fused Silica
• Quartz
• Others

By Form

• Filament
• Liquid
• Powder

By End-User Industry:

• Aerospace & Defense
• Healthcare
• Automotive
• Consumer Goods and Electronics
• Manufacturing and Construction
• Others

By Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East and Africa

Available customizations:

With the given market data, MarketsandMarkets offers customizations as per a company’s specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

Company Information:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five)

The 3D printing ceramics materials market was valued at USD 27.8 million in 2015 and is projected to reach USD 131.5 million by 2021, at a CAGR of 29.6% between 2016 and 2021. Major factors driving the growth of the ceramics market include high demand for 3D printing for dental and orthopedic applications in healthcare industry and in thermal insulation parts in aerospace & defense industry.

The 3D printing ceramics market has been segmented on the basis of type, form, end user, and region. According to end user, the market has been further classified into aerospace & defense, healthcare, automotive, consumer goods & electronics, and manufacturing & construction, among others.

Among all end users, the aerospace & defense segment accounted for the largest share of the 3D printing ceramics market in 2015. This large share is mainly attributed to the latest technological advancements and invention of new materials for prototyping as well as production in the aerospace & defense sector. Moreover, in the healthcare sector, ceramics are used in several medical products, such as dentures, surgical equipment, prosthetics & implants, and tissue engineering products, thereby propelling the applicability of 3D printing ceramics in this sector. However, growing demand for high-quality 3D printing ceramics that are certified by various governing bodies for medical applications is further driving the market for 3D printing ceramics in the healthcare sector. To add furthers, ceramics show better properties for bio medical applications such as bio degradability and less hazards with majority of its grades.

Major forms for 3D printing ceramics include powder, liquids, and filaments in which powders have been highly used by the end users. Other factor adding to the growth of powders is the increasing demand for laser sintering technology for commercial applications. On the other hand, liquid ceramics in the form of pastes and gels are used in the productions of several products using stereolithography techniques which is widely used for prototyping applications. The market for ceramics filaments is very small comparatively and has been promoted by a small number of players.

North America is leading the 3D printing ceramics market during the forecast period, owing to the increasing use of ceramics by varied end-use industries in this region. Major companies promoting 3D printing ceramics are coming from this region. On the other hand, 3D printing ceramics market in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to grow at the highest CAGR between 2016 and 2021. This growth is mainly attributed to the increasing production activities in the automotive and consumer goods & electronics sectors.

3D printing ceramics’ application in the aerospace & defense, healthcare, and automotive industry drive the growth of 3D printing ceramics market

Aerospace & defense

The development of ceramics as essential 3D printing materials has increased their applicability in aerospace and military aircraft. Some of the application areas for ceramics include thermal protection systems in rocket exhaust cones, insulating tiles for space shuttle, engine components, and ceramic coatings that are provided in windshield glass of several airplanes. Moreover, ceramics have been used in the defense industry for the development of body armor plates, vehicle armor tiles, electronic counter measures, and X-ray tubes, among other defense-related components. With high demand for customization in these two industries, along with rise in research & development activities, the demand for 3D printing and subsequently 3D printing ceramics is expected to increase. In comparison to liquid and filament form of ceramics, the market for powder ceramics is projected to increase owing to the increasing demand for laser sintering technology. For instance, Airbus Group and GE Electronics have started the usage of 3D printing to reduce prototyping costs.

Healthcare

Healthcare is another key application area, wherein ceramics have been increasingly used, owing to the biocompatibility of certain ceramic grades. Medical & dental is one of the major applications that use 3D printing technology. Several medical products such as surgical equipment, prosthetics & implants, and tissue engineering products are manufactured by using 3D printing technology. Ceramics are majorly used for the development of dental implants, orthopedic implants, diagnostic instruments, and implantable electronic devices. Major types of ceramics preferred for the manufacture of these medical devices include bio-inert ceramics, bio-active ceramics, bio-restorable ceramics, and piezo ceramics. Some of the key drivers influencing the growth of the 3D printing ceramics market in the healthcare sector include increasing demand for product modification and development, and financial support provided by governments to encourage research & developments activities in the field of 3D printing.

Automotive

The automotive industry has been an early adopter of 3D printers. In addition to manufacturing spare parts in the automotive industry, 3D printers are also used to develop and replace damaged parts of automobiles. With the introduction of 3D printing technology, the future of designing cars is set to change. 3D printing helps in accelerating the process of continuous factory production of individual automotive parts. It also helps prevent losses that occur during the normal production process. Currently, 3D printing is mainly used in prototyping and complex tooling applications for the automotive industry. Assembly of engines requires various tooling applications, which are manufactured using 3D printers. One of the key developments in the automobile industry is the use of 3D printers to print spare parts of vehicles. 3D printing materials are also used for the development of various components of the automotive industry such as engine parts, gears, front and backlight covers, chassis, front lid, fenders, doors, and other parts. In order to decrease the costs associated with mass production setup lines and enhance profits, the automotive industry is undertaking experiments to produce complete cars with the help of 3D printing technology. All the above mentioned factors are likely to propel the growth of the 3D printing ceramics market in the automotive industry.

Critical questions the report answers:

• Where will all these developments take the industry in the mid to long term?
• What are the upcoming industry applications for 3D printing ceramics?

Some of the restraints that impact the growth of the 3D printing ceramics materials market include low production volumes in comparison to other materials such as polymers and metals. Also, 3D printing technology as a whole has a low acceptance rate in comparison to other regions for production purposes. However, high R&D investments made by end-use industries in these regions is offering lucrative growth opportunities to key players operating in the 3D printing ceramics market.

Leading companies in the 3D printing ceramics market include 3D Systems Corporation (U.S.), Viridis 3D LLC (U.S.), EOS GmbH Electro Optical Systems (Germany), Renishaw Plc (U.K.), Tethon 3D (U.S.), Stratasys Ltd. (U.S.), Lithoz GmbH (Austria), and Cerum 3D (U.S.), among others.

Veolia (France), Suez (France), KW Plastics (US), and Jayplas (UK) lead the global 3D printing ceramics market. These players are the major 3D printing ceramics manufacturers and are gaining a strong foothold in the market through the strategies of expansions and joint ventures.

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