SmarTech Publishing: Revenues from 3D-Printed Titanium to Reach Almost $520 Million by 2022

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA--(Marketwired - November 21, 2016) - The recent announcement that GE is acquiring a controlling stake in Arcam will have a profound impact on the additively manufactured (AM) titanium sector, SmarTech Publishing believes. Arcam owns Advanced Powders & Coatings (AP&C), which supplies over one third of the total supply of titanium powder for the AM industry today.

As a result of this development and other important trends, we believe it is an excellent time to reassess the market opportunities for 3D printed titanium. With this in mind, SmarTech Publishing has just published, Titanium Opportunities in Additive Manufacturing - 2017. According to this new 100-page report, revenues from Titanium-based AM power will reach $518 million in 2022 growing to $1,077 million by 2026. SmarTech Publishing is the leading industry analyst firm in the 3D printing (3DP)/additive manufacturing (AM) industry.

For more details on this report go to: https://www.smartechpublishing.com/reports/titanium-opportunities-in-additive-manufacturing-2017-an-opportunity-analys

The ability to effectively process titanium alloys is a leading driver in the development of titanium AM. Titanium is becoming one of the most popular materials for metal additive manufacturing systems due to their growing use in both medical and aerospace industries.

About the report:

SmarTech Publishing was the first industry analysis firm to publish a report on the topic additively manufactured titanium. In this report, we bring the story up to date with a full analysis of the markets of AM utilizing metal powders and other titanium feedstocks in modern commercial additive manufacturing systems.

In fact, we believe that titanium printing is becoming the biggest opportunity for metal additive manufacturing materials, with revenues exceeding all other alloy groups used in metal AM over the next ten years. Titanium is sought after primarily for its high strength-to-weight ratio, biological inertness, and other desirable properties when combined. In this report, we discuss how the printing of titanium is burgeoning in the medical, aerospace, automotive, dental, and consumer products industries.

This report presents our latest, highly granular, 10-year market forecast data, with breakouts by application, type of titanium material used, AM technology used. Forecasts are supplied in both volume and revenue terms. In addition, we examine the primary opportunity factors related to the broader supply chain, primary providers of AM titanium materials, and analysis of the print technologies and powder production processes in this sector.

SmarTech Publishing believes that the already quite large number of suppliers in this space, more firms will enter in 2017. Some providers have also begun developing application-specific or parameter specific titanium alloys based on customer needs and offering them to the broader market.

In addition, capacity expansions at existing leaders in the titanium powder supply chain are underway. Among the organizations that we examine in this report are: 3D Systems Additive Works, Advanced Powders & Coatings, Airbus, Arcam, ATI Metals, Concept Laser, CSIRO, DiSanto, Divergent3D, EOS, Farsoon, Fonon Technologies, Fraunhofer Institute, Fripp Design, GKN Hoeganaes, H.C. Starck, i.materialise, K Home International, Linde Gases, Lockheed Martin, LPW Technology, Matsuura Machinery, Metalysis, Norsk Titanium, Osaka Titanium, Oventus, Oxford Performance Materials, Phenix Systems, Praxair Surface Technologies, PSA Group, Puris, Pyrogenesis, Realizer, Renishaw, Sciaky, Shapeways, Sigma Labs, Sisma, SLM Solutions, Tekna, TLS Technik, Wacker Chemie, Xi'an Brightlaser and Z3DLab.

From the report:

Revenues from additive manufacturing of titanium in aerospace is expected to reach around $110 million by 2022. Titanium alloys in the aerospace industry are in continued competition against other high strength-to-weight ratio materials. Nonetheless, there is already demand for specialty titanium alloys for aerospace other than the commonly utilized Ti64 -- titanium aluminides (TiAl), for example. In the aerospace market, printed titanium is currently being explored for the smaller structural entities in engines such as brackets and housings.

The demand for titanium for 3D printing in medicine and dental applications is expected to grow significantly. In 2016 more than 150,000 Kgs of titanium will be consumed for these applications. However, this will have grown to almost 1.1 million Kg by 2022. Much of this growth will come from a successful push from the orthopedic industry to achieve FDA and similar certifications for new types of titanium implants. Applications for AM titanium include spinal, knee, cranial, and other implants -- the entire industry is moving towards additive as a preferred production method for most titanium orthopedic devices due to the improved osseointegrative properties and ease of manufacturing related features using AM. Meanwhile, opportunities for printed titanium are beginning to emerge in the dental industry through a worldwide growth in dental implants as well as production of custom titanium devices to treat Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

Thus, the supply chain for qualified titanium materials for AM is entering a highly transitionary phase. Though this may provide a marginal boost to wire based systems, the qualifications for use of wire based AM versus powder AM only potentially cross in a few select applications. The significance of supply chain evolution in titanium powder for AM is thus one of the most important issues currently facing the metal AM market in this rapid growth phase.

Comparison of Titanium Powder Production Techniques for Use in Additive Manufacturing
Production Technique		Cost		Strengths		Weaknesses		Long Term Viability for AM
Standard gas atomization		Comparatively inexpensive		Common feedstock, high throughput, wide global supply potential		Potential for contaminants, spherical shape is acceptable but can be improved, presence of satellites		Low - lots of potential supply, but generally not well tailored for titanium versus other AM metals
VIM gas atomization		Comparatively inexpensive		High throughput and lower cost than plasma with less risk of contaminants		Particle spherocity less than plasma		Medium - similar to EIGA, tailored systems for AM may be viable long term
EIGA atomization (gas)		Comparatively inexpensive		High throughput and lower cost than plasma with less risk of contaminants		Particle spherocity less than plasma		Medium - customized and tailored systems can provide suitable titanium output at moderate cost
Plasma atomization		Comparatively expensive		Very good spherocity and purity, low satellites		Cost, limited in terms of feedstock forms		Medium to High - current key user groups are generally not cost sensitive and value quality powder
PREP		Most expensive		High spherocity and purity		Costs, low throughput in size distributions suitable for AM		Medium to High - choice for most critical manufacturing applications
Electrolysis		Significantly less expensive		Elimination of significant portion of total process chain		Powders suitability is questionable for current AM systems		Unknown - potentially relevant for cost sensitive segments like automotive
Metal hydride		Inexpensive		Simplification of process chain, lower cost		Powders unsuitable for current AM without additional processing		Unknown - suitable for production of feedstock for plasma atomization, may be viable more directly with further development

Source: SmarTech Publishing

Currently Available Specialty Titanium Alloys for AM
Alloy		Providers		Potential Use
Ti 6242		LPW Technology		High temperature applications
eTi (boron enhanced)		Puris		Lightweighting aerospace and similar components
Z-Ti		Z3DLab		Zirconia/Titanium hybrid
Puris 5+		Puris		Low oxygen content Ti64 alloy
Ti-Al (Titanium aluminide)		Praxair		Cost effective applications requiring greater strength than traditional aluminum alloys

Source: SmarTech Publishing

About SmarTech Publishing:

Since 2013 SmarTech Publishing has published reports on all the important revenue opportunities in the 3D printing/additive manufacturing sector and is considered the leading industry analyst firm providing coverage of this sector.

Our company has a client roster that includes the largest 3D printer firms, materials firms and investors. We have also published reports on most of the important revenue opportunities in the 3D printing sector including personal printers, low-volume manufacturing, 3D printing materials, medical/dental applications, aerospace, automotive, and other promising 3D market segments.

To Purchase this Report:
If interested in receiving a quote or to purchase this report, please email missy@smartechpublishing.com

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