The Wohlers Report 2013 from independent consulting firm Wohlers Associates (Fort Collins, Colorado) indicates that the United States is leading the world with the largest installed base of additive manufacturing users, but may be losing its edge.
The annual report covers many aspects of additive manufacturing including applications, processes, manufacturers and materials, as well as recent developments of note and the overall state of the industry in various countries. The 2013 edition marks the 18th consecutive year of publication.
According to the report, 38 percent of all industrial additive manufacturing installations are in the United States. Japan is second with 9.7 percent, followed by Germany with 9.4 percent and China with 8.7 percent. Additionally, the report found 16 companies in Europe, seven in China, five in the United States and two in Japan now manufacturing and selling professional-grade industrial additive manufacturing systems. Ten years ago the United States was the leader in this distribution with 10 companies, while Europe and Japan each held seven companies, and China had three.
Revenues from all additive manufacturing products and services worldwide in 2012 were $2.204 billion, up 28.6 percent from 2011. An estimated 28.3 percent of the 2012 figure is tied to the production of parts for final products, rather than items such as models and prototypes.
