The outlook for the next 24 months is also extremely positive: 87 percent of respondents expect their sales in the German market to increase. A further 12 percent expect the business climate to remain unchanged. Optimism also prevails when it comes to export expectations. Almost two-thirds of member companies expect growth and another third expect exports to remain at the current level. Only 4 percent expect foreign business to decline in the next two years.

Industrialization of additive processes progresses

Around 200 companies and research institutes from all areas of the additive process chain have joined forces in the VDMA's Additive Manufacturing Working Group. The current member survey also covers the entire spectrum from manufacturing service providers and post-process specialists to industrial users and AM equipment manufacturers, their suppliers as well as providers of software, materials and consulting. Participants also included research institutes. The survey covers the full range of direct and indirect AM processes for processing metals, plastics and ceramic materials. On this broad basis, the members of the working group and the VDMA Additive Manufacturing Association are driving forward the industrialization of this young technology.

Europe is the most important market

The success of these efforts is evidenced, among other things, by the internationalization of business. For 78 percent, the most important export markets are in the EU, and the USA is also highly relevant for the respondents. As many as 20 percent cite China, Asia and other countries as the most important target markets for their exports. Multiple answers were possible for this question. Conversely, 55 percent of member companies are now registering increasing international competition in the German market, mainly from suppliers in the USA, China, France and the UK.

In addition to growing internationalization, the increasingly widespread use of additively manufactured components also speaks for the advancing industrialization of the AM sector. Prototyping now accounts for only 38 percent of applications. Series components (28 percent), tools (10 percent) and spare parts (6 percent) already account for a total of 44 percent of applications.

Almost two thirds of the companies surveyed intend to expand their product range in the next twelve months and expect the new products to have a positive impact on their business development. Increased research and development, the opening up of new markets and the expansion of production capacities are also frequently mentioned in this regard.

Cost issues and series production drive the industry

“Our spring survey confirms that the AM industry is on the right track,” explains Heering. Many answers showed that the companies are acting with a clear view ahead and are actively shaping their future. This also applies to the question about the most relevant topics for further market development: Here, about half of all respondents stated that an expansion of the application spectrum, increased series production and the advancement of technology development are of the highest relevance for them. However, costs remain the top issue for 67 percent of all responses. In addition, issues surrounding AM processes - i.e., reproducibility, stability and speed, quality assurance and standardization each drive more than one-third of respondents. “We interpret this as a clear indication that we still have to solve many a challenge on the way to becoming an industrial standard process,” says Heering. But this is precisely the goal with which the members of the VDMA working group have joined forces.