Yesterday I reviewed the AnkerMake M5; it is a really good 3d printer that can do most of the things I need to do with a 3d printer. More complex prints will be done on the Snapmaker Artisan, but that has not chipped yet, so for now, it is either the plasma 3d printer or the Ankermake M5.
Several Analyses put 3d printers in 40 to 50% of all American homes by 2030. That is a lot of aggressive. Personally, and I’ve had 3d printing as a growth area for many years, I think the growth rate will climb above where it is now in the next 6-7 years. But I don’t see it hitting the 8% growth rate year over year that being at 50% by 2030 would require. I think the year-over-year growth rate will be 2%. That puts 3d printers in roughly 30% of American homes by 2030. I say roughly because I think 30% is still a little high, and the real number will be closer to 20%.
All of that is based on the printers in the market today. If someone can bring a new capability to market at a price point consumers would consider, then things will change. So, I thought I would share what might move the 3d printing market (in my humble opinion)
- Printers that start below 1000 dollars
- sinters that print plastic (PLA and ABS)
- terms that can also switch and print metal (would require a changeable print head)
- grade integrated (like Ankermake did) between mobile devices and PCs.
Just those four (together) would change my market prediction. But of course, the important there is when. If someone builds a 3d printer capable of hitting all four of those abilities in, say, 2028, then it will be lonely to move the market to 24% or 25%. If that printer hits the market in 2024, you will see a 30% market penetration. So now it is waiting for new capabilities and when those will be released.
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