4D PRINTING MARKET ANALYSIS

4d Printing MarketSize and Trends

The global 4D printing market is expected to witness significant growth during the forecast period (2021–2028). The rising demand for innovation in 3D printing applications and considerable research & development is expected to drive the global 4D printing market growth during the forecast period. The 4D technology is the advance version of the 3D technology, which offers improved quality, efficiency, and performance capabilities over the traditional manufacturing techniques. The technology used in 4D technology develops materials that have the ability to change their behavior and properties based on change in temperature, pressure and so on. For instance, in March 2016, Airbus SAS, a European based aerospace company announced partnership with MIT’s Media Lab, a U.S. based research Lab worked with 4D printing technology in order to develop a solution that will cool its engines depending on temperature and other factors. They have developed air inlet component that can transform in response to aerodynamic conditions to decrease air resistance. In addition, the growing need for reducing manufacturing and processing cost, owing to the high competition, is also fueling the market growth in the future. Several companies have also started adopting these advanced 4D printing technologies in order to develop high quality products for the users. These 4D printing products have lesser manufacturing, transportation, and handling costs, which in turn, would lead to the saving of resources and efforts, thereby sustaining the environment.

Figure 2: Global 4D Printing Market Value (US$ Mn) Analysis and Forecast and Y-o-Y Growth (%), 2017 - 2028

The global 4D printing market was valued at US$ 82.6 Mn in 2020 and is expected to reach US$ 625.6 Mn by 2028 at a CAGR of 29.4% between 2021 and 2028.

North America held dominant position in the global 4D printing market during the forecast period.

North America is expected to account for the largest market share during the forecast period, owing to the increasing investments by the U.S. Government into the 4D technology in the market. For instance, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is planning to adopt additive manufacturing in airspace industry. Several companies are investing in new programs to integrate 4D printing technology into the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force manufacturing operations. For instance, in November 2017, America Makes announced a Project Call for Phase III of the Maturation of Advanced Manufacturing for Low-Cost Sustainment (MAMLS) program, funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), a U.S. based research organization. This project is used to improve rapid part replacement/maintenance for legacy aircraft, enable on-demand replacement of critically damaged or obsolete components, and reduce the lead time to fabricate replacement components.

Asia Pacific region is expected to exhibit highest growth during the forecast period, owing to the rising construction industry in the region. 4D printing companies develop machines that can change their shape as per the working environment conditions. For instance, countries such as India and China have a huge urban population and have created huge demand for 4D printing market in the Asia-Pacific region. For instance, the population of China has reached 1,400.0 million in 2019 from 1,395.3 million in 2018.