Challenges of Adopting Large Metal Printers

The metal powder bed fusion market has slowed down in the last few years to about half the growth rates seen even 5 years ago. This market is changing with the addition of new size ranges and a shift towards multi-laser systems. The large frame market (>350mm) has been slower to grow but has great potential. Our observation is that potential new entrants are held back by the cost and risk of adopting printers in this category. This presentation will identify the main costs and risks of adoption. These can be mitigated with new business models, flexible systems, and consulting/technical support to ease the pain of adoption and get the industry back on a high growth curve.