Hewlett Packard talks 3D printing

Hewlett Packard (HP) is currently prepping its first 3D printer for a mid-2014 launch.

“This is an acorn in 2014 and 2015 with very good long potential. Right, you’ve heard me say we got to plant acorns than they will eventually become oak trees but you should think in 2014 and 2015,” HP CEO Meg Whitman said earlier this week during a quarterly financial analyst conference call quoted by 3Ders.org.

“This is an acorn that maybe has very good long potential but the market is at its earlier stages. There’s a lot of potential to print in ways most consumers and companies would find acceptable.”

Whitman also noted that HP was “excited” about entering the 3D printing market.

“So we intend to play in the 3D printing market because it isn’t adjacency. It’s obviously different than paper printing but some of the technology is the same. And at least as we see here today, we anticipate adding – entering this organically,” Whitman explained. “And what we’re doing is focusing on what’s the value proposition by market segment, whether that be consumer or industrial. We’ve got some very interesting things coming. So stay tuned in 2014.”

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, the DIY Maker Movement has been using Atmel-powered 3D printers like MakerBot and RepRap for some time now. However, 3D printing recently entered a new and important stage in a number of spaces including the medical sphere, architectural arena, science lab and even on the battlefield.

Indeed, the meteoric rise of 3D printing has paved the way for a new generation of Internet entrepreneurs, Makers and do-it-yourself (DIY) manufacturers. So it comes as little surprise that the lucrative 3D printing industry remains on track to be worth a staggering $3 billion by 2016 – and $8.41 billion by 2020

3D printing market worth $8.41 billion by 2020

Analysts at MarketsandMarkets have confirmed that the lucrative 3D printing market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 23% from 2013 to 2020, ultimately reaching $8.41 billion in 2020. The rapid growth is attributed to a wide range of diverse factors including innovative and advanced technologies, customized products, government funding, a wide unexploited app space and rapid development of products.

Currently, the major companies operating in this market are 3D Systems (U.S.), Stratasys (U.S.), Arcam AB (Sweden) and Exone (U.S.). As of 2013, the United States holds the largest revenue share, followed closely by Europe in 3D printers materials and related services. However, Europe is expected to surpass America in terms of 3D printing market revenue by 2020.

“The foremost factors accountable for the expansion of 3D printing market include new and improved 3D printing technologies, a wide range of materials government funding, broad application scope and increased awareness regarding the benefits of 3D printing over traditional techniques (injection molding and CNC machining),” a MarketsandMarkets rep explained. “However, APAC is the fastest growing and most promising market for 3D printing due to high industrial growth, technological awareness, supportive government policies and financial investment by the governments in R&D.”

Image Credit: RepRap.org

As we’ve previously discussed on Bits & Pieces, the DIY Maker Movement has been using Atmel-powered 3D printers like MakerBot and RepRap for some time now. However, 3D printing recently entered a new and important stage in a number of spaces including the medical sphere, architectural arena, science lab and even on the battlefield.

Indeed, the meteoric rise of 3D printing has paved the way for a new generation of Internet entrepreneurs, Makers and do-it-yourself (DIY) manufacturers. So it comes as little surprise that the lucrative 3D printing industry is on track to be worth a staggering $3 billion by 2016 – and $8.41 billion by 2020.