Consumer Products AM 2024

About the report  This new report represents the first major study by VoxelMatters on the adoption of additive manufacturing (AM) in the consumer products industry. The report features 180 charts and data tables, providing an in-depth analysis of the use of (metal and polymer) AM hardware, AM materials, and AM services across multiple consumer product segments. An additional analysis provides key insights on the value generated via internal additive manufacturing activity by end-user companies. Leveraging VoxelMatters’ unique data, the report provides an accurate analysis of the current state of AM in consumer products manufacturing, highlighting specific and strategic technologies, materials, and processes. This is complemented by 10-year forecasts on the business potential of AM in major consumer product segments. One of the unique characteristics of additive manufacturing is that the term refers to many manufacturing technologies and encompasses an extremely broad range of industrial sectors. To understand the full impact of additive manufacturing on global production, one must gain a deep understanding of core AM technologies, materials, and services across different material segments (metals, polymers, composites, and ceramics) and their economic potential. It is also important to comprehend the impact that these technologies, materials, and services have on key vertical industrial segments. The consumer products manufacturing industry is a major adopter of additive manufacturing for prototyping and tooling, and also a major first adopter of AM for end-use part production. However, to fully understand the impact of AM on consumer products, it is also necessary to understand each major consumer product subsegment. This report looks at specific trends and the business potential of AM adoption across several key consumer product subsegments: Footwear (including insoles, midsoles, and entire shoes), Eyewear (frames), Sports equipment (gear and accessories), Jewelry, Design products (furniture, lighting), Consumer electronics, Fashion, and Toys. This report leverages the extensive data collected and published in VoxelMatters’ Core AM reports on Polymer AM and Metal AM, including information from niche areas such as Ceramic AM (also a major VoxelMatters study). The data included in this report takes into consideration collected data on consumer products shipments and revenues for Hardware, Materials, and Services, for both polymers and metals. This data is then compared and combined with new data obtained from a survey and audit of 143 companies active in the consumer products sector that are known users of additive manufacturing. In total, this report is based on data from 1,346 core AM operators for polymers and metals (of which 1,098 are unique companies, as some operate in both metals and polymers), resulting in a grand total of nearly 1,241 unique companies if we include the end-users. All of these companies are listed in the VoxelMatters Directory, the largest global directory of verified AM companies with nearly 7,000 listings across all AM-related segments. Prominent and up-and-coming core AM companies surveyed and featured in the report include 3D Systems, Airtech, Anycubic, ARRIS, BASF Forward AM, Bambu Lab, Caracol, Carbon, Cooksongold, Creality, Digital Metal (Markforged), EOS, Evonik, ExOne and ETEC (Desktop Metal), Formlabs, Genera, Greenfill3D, HP 3D Printing, Legor, Luxcreo, Materialise, Massivit, MX3D, OECHSLER, Progol3D, Prusa Research, Raise3D, Shapeways, Stratasys, Ultimaker, voxeljet, and many others. End user companies surveyed and/or audited/analyzed for this report include adidas, Aectual, Apple, Barrelhand, Beretta, Brooks Running, COBRA, Dior, Elli Design, Götti, Grohe, Hoet, Honor, Hoya, King Children, Kohler, LEGO, Luxottica, Meta, Microsoft, Mikita, MONOQOOL, New Balance, Nike, nVidia, PEAK, Pinarello, Posedla, Puma, Riddel, Safilo, Scope, Sennheiser, Signify (Philips), Specialized, Superfeet, The New Raw, Wilson, YOU MAWO, Zellerfeld, and many others. In addition to supporting the market analysis and development efforts of current suppliers, the report is targeted towards companies looking to enter the market and capitalize on developing opportunities. Consumer products OEMs looking to implement AM for polymer part production will benefit from this study by quickly and accurately understanding currently available technologies, materials, and services, as well as the benefits, challenges, and market potential of each. Finally, this document serves as a guide for investors looking for the next disruptive production technologies. To learn more about the scope of this study and the methodology behind this research please contact us.