POLYMERS FOR ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING MARKET ANALYSIS

One of the key challenges faced by the polymers for additive manufacturing market is the lower durability of parts produced through additive manufacturing as compared to traditionally manufactured parts. While additive manufacturing enables mass customization and produces complex designs with ease, the parts produced lack the same strength and durability as injection molded or machined parts. For example, as per tests conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 2021 on photopolymers used for 3D printing helicopter components, it was found that these polymers demonstrated 10-15% lower tensile strength compared to traditional machined components. The layered structure resulted in early failure along the interlayer interfaces under dynamic loading conditions.

Market Opportunity - Emerging applications in healthcare sector

The healthcare sector presents a major opportunity for growth in the polymers for additive manufacturing market. Additive manufacturing enables the custom design and production of medical devices, implants and prosthetics based on a patient's specific anatomy. This represents a paradigm shift from conventional ‘one size fits all’ model to personalized, custom fit solutions. Areas such as hearing aids, dental models, surgical guides and implants are increasingly adopting 3D printing. For instance, data released in 2021, according to projections by the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering, over 450,000 3D printed body parts will be implanted annually by 2030. The advances in healthcare 3D printing applications are likely to accelerate the growth of the polymer for additive manufacturing substantially. As patient-specific and tissue-engineered solutions become more commonplace, new opportunities will arise in line with developing 3D printing technologies and appropriate biomaterials.