Is there a 3D printer in your future? It’s really no longer a question of if, but when. That’s because now, after more than three decades, the technology known officially as “additive manufacturing” is finally maturing and mainstreaming—and transforming modern manufacturing in the process.
According to Wohlers Associates, a Colorado-based manufacturing consulting firm, 3D printing company revenues have seen a 16% compound annual growth rate over the past decade. That is partly because the last 10 years have also seen 3D printing companies making major technological strides while substantially lowering costs.