This is THE Technology Trend of 2020

So in case you’re unaware, 3D printing is doing pretty great. In 2019, the global spending on 3D printing was projected to be 13.8 billion, up by 21% from the previous year. If that isn’t incredible enough, it’s only expected to grow more from there. For all the sweet details, take a look at what’s expected of 3D printing in the coming year.

Who’s Printing?
While custom prints of comic book figures will continue to dominate Instagram for the foreseeable future, there’s still a lot of awesome printing going on behind the scenes. Manufacturing and industrial operations are almost doubling up on their goal of using 3D printing in full-scale production, according to the same article we cited earlier. This means that common goods ranging from home products to auto parts are more and more likely to be 3D printed. With this practice on the rise, the competition better take notes.

Accessibility – On the Rise
Another factor in the 3D printing boom has been the increased accessibility to users. It’s almost too easy to get your own 3D printer these days, but accessibility takes on a different meaning entirely for the industrial world. In the past few years, while it was possible to incorporate 3D printing into production, it was not as profitable as it could be. Now, thanks to the investments of high-end tech companies, we could be looking at more manufacturing-style 3D printers coming to the market in 2020.

Metal Printing – Gaining Ground
One of the things research is telling us is that 3D metal printing may soon be in high demand. HP is currently experimenting with their own metal 3D printer in an attempt to make it more accessible to the manufacturing industry. This would revolutionize the way we make auto and electrical equipment, so stay tuned.

Carbon-Fiber Composite Printing – Cultivating Interest
On top of metal printing, carbon-fiber composite printing creates more durable materials than regular plastic and is also expected to see more demand. These are continuous, high-power 3d printers that produce a variety of materials we use every day. While a bit more expensive, the draw to these models is how much more durable the end products turn out. So as these printers become less expensive to create, demand is expected to spike.

All in all, 3D printing isn’t going anywhere…but up. If you’d like to get ahead of the game, get started on 3D printing or restock any accessories, we’re here for you. Here’s to an incredible year of printing.