McKinsey: The AM sector has grown into a €13.4 billion industry with an annual growth rate of 22%, with the medical device industry leading the way
An article from McKinsey & Company states that an analysis of the AM sector showed that in 2020 it had grown into a €13.4 billion industry with an annual growth rate of 22%. However, despite its great potential, the use of 3D printing technology has still not achieved a major breakthrough due to a perception among manufacturers that the benefits of the technology are limited. One particularly notable sector, the medical device industry, has nevertheless managed to move beyond these perceived limitations of the technology. Here, AM technologies are routinely used at scale to produce a wide range of products, including prostheses and implants, surgical guides, and anatomical models for preoperative planning or patient education.
Although manufacturers find it difficult to determine how AM will benefit them, and design engineers typically have limited knowledge of the capabilities of AM systems or how to design for AM, some industrial users have nevertheless made significant progress in direct production using AM, including the medical device industry. This industry has been particularly successful because it focuses on personalised products that offer benefits for patients and clinicians that conventional manufacturing technologies cannot match.
Instead of spending time adapting bones or shaping a standard orthopaedic implant, a surgeon can simply print a customised device made to match the individual patient’s morphology. In addition, AM is also being explored in the pharmaceutical sector by using 3D printing techniques to produce pills with customised drug dosages.
After decades as a relevant manufacturing technology, additive manufacturing is therefore on the verge of stardom. Faster machines, better materials, and smarter software are helping to make AM a realistic solution for many real-world manufacturing applications. As the technical barriers fall, manufacturers will need to develop a deeper understanding of these rapidly evolving technologies and also consider building the skills, processes, and business models required for additive manufacturing to make an even greater impact on the industrial world.
The full article from McKinsey & Company can be read here.
