In a new study by SmarTech Markets Publishing, “Opportunities for Additive Manufacturing in Commercial and General Aviation,” projects revenues from additive manufacturing (AM) hardware, software, materials and services for commercial and general aviation are expected to reach around $1.7 billion in 2020, rising to $3.3 billion in 2022.
This report explores the opportunities in the AM supply chain in non-defense aerospace markets. It contains 10-year forecasts including: revenue forecasts with breakouts by software, services, hardware and materials; number of parts printed for each application, with breakouts by prototypes, tooling, and final use components; and the install base of printers.
Revenues from AM materials sold to the non-defense aerospace sector are expected to reach $355 million in 2020, with $170 million from metals. From a revenue standpoint, titanium remains the biggest opportunity. However, many firms are working to expand opportunities in nickel alloys, cobalt chrome, and aluminum alloys. Meanwhile, several large general aviation manufacturers have transitioned select polymer parts to production with 3D printing rather than traditional methods.