The US company Wohlers Associates Inc recently released its Wohlers Report 2018 on the state of the global additive-manufacturing (AM) industry.

This says that an estimated 1,768 metal AM systems were sold in 2017, compared to 983 in 2016 — an increase of nearly 80%.

“This dramatic rise in metal AM system installations accompanies improved process monitoring and quality assurance measures in metal AM; increasingly, global manufacturers are becoming aware of the benefits of producing metal parts by additive manufacturing,” says the report.

Wohlers Associates found that 135 companies around the world produced and sold industrial AM systems in 2017, up from 97 companies in 2016 (these systems are defined as machines that sell for more than $5,000).

Wohlers Report 2018, was produced with the support of 92 service providers, 64 manufacturers of industrial AM systems, and 19 producers of third-party materials and desk-top 3-D printers.

It documents government-sponsored research and development, collaborations and consortia, and the activities of 110 academic and 11 research institutes around the world; it also incorporates input from 76 co-authors and contributors from 32 countries.

Details can be found at the Web site (wohlersassociates.com/2018report.htm).