Industrial 3D Printer Accelerants in Q4 2021: Metals, China and Aerospace

Industrial metal 3D printers saw impressive +24% shipment growth in 2021

LONDON, 12 April 2022 – Global shipments of Industrial* 3D printer systems accelerated again in Q4 2021 giving a clear sign that the global 3D printer market is being renewed and is no longer in recovery mode, according to CONTEXT, the market intelligence company.

Global shipments of high-end printers were not only greater than those seen in the same quarter of the previous year, but also finally above the pre-pandemic levels of Q4 2019. Industrial printers (those costing more than $100,000) accounted for 61% of hardware revenues in Q4 2021 and 58% of revenues for the year as a whole. Unit shipments in this segment were up +11% in the last quarter of 2021 and up +22% compared to the pre-Covid Q4 2019.

Annual shipments of Industrial systems were up +29% on Covid-ravaged 2020 and even showed a slight increase (+1%) on 2019 thanks to accelerating sales in the second half of the year. Hot areas of growth in the final quarter of last year were metal 3D printers, the domestic Chinese market, and end-user industries such as aerospace where accelerated activity by privatised space companies highlights key advantages of additive manufacturing (AM).