Global 3D Printing Software & Services Market – Analysis and Forecast (2017 to 2021)

With the emergence of several new software in the category of design/modeling, data preparation, simulation and machine control (which includes slicing software), there is a wide range of opportunities arriving in the 3D printing industry to design and implement various 3D printed objects. The global 3D printing software and services market is estimated to register a CAGR of 25.2% between 2017 and 2021. This growth in the market is attributed to the increasing demand from various end use application verticals such as healthcare industry, consumer industry, automotive industry, fashion & aesthetics industry, aerospace & defense industry, education industry and architecture industry, among others. Manufacturers, designers, artisans and individuals are harnessing the cutting-edge technology of 3D printing and mass production to create objects for numerous applications. 3D printing companies have responded with a range of online 3D printing services that offer technologies catering to a wide range of uses. Their ultimate goal is to help the clients utilize the technology without investing substantial time and money into researching 3D design principals and 3D printing technologies for a particular business. 

While most of the consumer 3D printers can be purchased for $1000 or less, the cost of commercial 3D printers that offer the precision and build quality that many businesses need, can be as high as thousands of dollars. Hence, the current trend that is trailing in the 3D printing industry is that many of the small businesses are opting for 3D printing services, wherein they upload the design they need, and get the 3D printed products constructed by a 3D printing service provider (that already has a 3D printer) at a substantially low cost. In other words, service bureaus that 3D print objects on demand provide a way for smaller companies to rapidly prototype without having to invest large sums up front. Currently, most of the companies are providing print on demand services for various applications like rapid prototyping, concept modeling, and the creation of custom parts. The consumer base in this category includes hobbyists, academic institutions, research institutions etc.

The report is a compilation of different segments of global 3D printing software and services market including market breakdown by software type, service type, service by material used, service by technology, service by application, service by end use industry and geographical location. It also includes sections on competitive insights and market dynamics. Herein, the revenue generated from software and services is tracked to calculate the market size. While highlighting the key driving and restraining forces for this market, the report also provides a comprehensive section of the application areas of the 3D printing software and services market. It also details the key participants involved in the industry.

The report puts special emphasis on the market share and size of automotive, consumer industry and medical sector owing to their large scale share in the current and upcoming market of 3D printing software and service. The industry analysis has also been done to examine the impact of various factors and understand the overall attractiveness of the industry. 

The most often used strategies for developing a better hold on the market have been partnerships, agreements and collaborations, product launches and developments, business expansions, followed by mergers & acquisitions, among others. The company profile section includes significant information about the key companies involved along with their financials, financial summaries and key strategies & developmental activities in the recent years. 

Further, the report includes an exhaustive analysis of the regional split into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific (APAC), South America and Middle East & Africa. Each region details the individual push and pull forces in addition to the key players from that region. Some of the key players constituting the 3DP software and services market include Stratasys, 3D Systems, Dassault Systemes, Autodesk, Siemens, Materialise NV, Prodways, Voxeljet, Exone, Protolabs, PTC, GPI Prototyping and Manufacturing Services, Organovo, Citim GmbH, Digital Mechanics Sweden AB, Shapeways, Doob Group, Sculpteo, Pixologic, MadeInSpace, Imaginarium and Trimble.

3D printing has long been considered a tool to quickly design and make one-off prototypes of objects. However, as the technology is becoming more accessible, more affordable and more capable, it is beginning to redefine the way the manufacturing industry is framed. The 3D printing technology has brought a revolutionary change in the manufacturing industry. The growing market and the decrease in the price of the printers are some of the factors that are anticipated to give birth to some new competitors in the market. In addition, the innovative products that will be used as prototypes are expected to significantly reduce the price of 3D printing. Hence, it can be evidently deduced that 3D printing is going to significantly impact the upcoming future especially in regards to the way makers and manufacturers conduct their business.

The establishment of 3DP within the manufacturing industry has resulted in high revenues for the service providers, as their primary business consists of delivering ready-to-use prototypes and products as well as 3DP engineering and consulting services. The principal advantage of using external service providers is that it allows clients to use different manufacturing technologies, as well as to save on capital expenditure for machines and materials. Most of the consumer 3D printers can be purchased for $1000 or less; the cost of commercial 3D printers that offer the precision and build quality that many businesses need, can be as high as thousands of dollars. Hence, the current trend that is trailing in the 3D printing industry is that many of the small businesses are opting for 3D printing services, wherein they upload the design they need, and get the 3D printed products constructed by a 3D printing service provider (that already has a 3D printer) at a substantially low cost. In other words, service bureaus that 3D print objects on demand provide a way for smaller companies to rapidly prototype without having to invest substantial amount up front. The global 3D printing software and services market is expected to reach $4,526.6 million by 2021, registering a CAGR of 25.2% between 2017 and 2021.

The factors driving the 3DP software and services market include high investment cost of 3D printers, strong growth in medical industry, growing demand from manufacturing sectors, ease of developing customized products, government initiatives and rising investments for research and development (R&D). However, high cost and complexity of 3DP software, lack of technical expertise, quality and functionality of 3D printed products, legal issues and environmental issues are some of the factors which are hampering the growth of 3D printing software and services market. Opportunities in the emerging economies, opportunities in emerging application verticals, development of more user friendly software and opportunity to enhance the supply chain management are expected to create growth prospects for the 3DP software and services market.

The 3D printing software market is segmented into three types, namely, 3D designing software, data preparation software, simulation software and machine control software. 3D designing software dominated the global 3DP software and services market with the market share of approximately 61% in 2016. There are numerous 3D designing software available online which are either free or paid. Most of the 3D printing manufacturing companies either have their own 3D designing software or have tie-ups with the companies providing 3D designing software. However, the data preparation software which acquired the second largest market share in 2016 are expected to grow at the fastest rate in the forecast period. 

The 3D printing services market is segmented on the basis of 3DP service type, 3DP material type, technology, application and end use industry. The three types of 3DP services include print on demand services, after sales and maintenance services, among others. The print on demand services occupied the largest market share of 78.4% in 2016. Currently, most of the companies are providing print on demand services for various applications such as rapid prototyping, concept modeling, and the creation of custom parts. The consumer base in this category includes hobbyists, academic institutions, and research institutions, among others. After sales and maintenance services segment includes the repair services required after the sale of 3D printed constructs.

The 3DP services market was dominated by photopolymers which occupied a market share of 46.8% in 2016. Photopolymers are actually thermoset plastics that cure or harden with exposure to some type of light source. Photopolymers are one of the materials used in 3D printing with the potential to make products with better properties. Due to increasing variety of photopolymers, photopolymer based technologies like stereolithography (SLA), polyjet & digital light processing (DLP), and increasing acceptability across the various industries, the applications of 3D printing with photopolymers are increasing drastically. In terms of technology, material extrusion dominated the 3DP services market due to its cost effectiveness, acquiring a market share of 48.8% in 2016. The increasing number of filaments and increased research and development towards the making of new advanced filaments have propelled its market growth. 

The trends of the 3DP software and services market varies with different geographical regions. The 3DP software and services market holds a prominent share in various countries of Asia-Pacific (APAC), North America, Europe, South America, and Middle East & Africa. The competitive landscape for the 3DP software and services market demonstrates an inclination towards companies adopting strategies such as agreements, collaborations, contracts, joint ventures & partnerships, business expansion and product launch and development. The major established players in the market are focusing more on agreements, collaborations, contracts, joint ventures & partnerships to keep a strong hold on the market. Stratasys, 3D Systems, Dassault Systemes, Autodesk, Siemens, Materialise NV, Prodways, Voxeljet, Exone, Protolabs, and PTC are few of the major industry players that have adopted this strategy to grow their business.