Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) Technology for 3D Printing Market [ R and D ] till 2030 (2023)

FAQs

How much will the market be worth for 3D printing technology in 2030? ›

3D printing, or additive manufacturing (AM), will be a $70.8 billion industry by 2030, registering a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18% between 2021 and 2030, forecasts GlobalData, the data and analytics company.

Selective laser sintering (SLS) is an industrial 3D printing process that produces accurate prototypes and functional production parts in as fast as 1 day.

SLS TPU provides a great alternative to traditional molding workflows and a superior solution to other 3D printing methods for producing tough and long-lasting flexible parts. It is ideal for rapid prototyping, on-demand manufacturing aids, and custom or low-volume end-use parts.

Metal powder fusion processes such as SLM use lasers to melt or sinter metal powder particles with an accuracy of about ± 0.1 mm. The type of 3D printing technology is not the only factor that determines the accuracy of 3D printing. Materials, part design and printing parameters also have an impact on accuracy.

Not surprisingly, the majority of companies are looking for long-term contracts. Looking to the long term, companies have posted nearly 350 such job openings on the 3Dnatives Job Board. By looking to the future, 3D printing players are demonstrating their confidence in the technology and its growth.

Farmington, March 15, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global 3D Printing Market Size Was Valued At USD 16.75 Billion In 2022 And Is Projected To Reach at 34.8 Billion By 2030, With Growing At A CAGR Of 23.3% During The Forecast Period 2023 to 2030.

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

Advantages: mechanically resilient, no support structures are required, flexible components, variety of materials, the most complex shapes possible, thermally resilient. Disadvantages: slightly rough surface, slow manufacturing process, only single-color models are possible.

SLS (selective laser sintering) is a 3D printing technique that uses a laser to fuse together small particles of plastic, metal, glass, or ceramic powder into a solid object. SLA (stereolithography) uses an ultraviolet (UV) laser to cure (harden) photosensitive resin into the desired shape.

Because the SLS technology requires a high-powered laser, a high level of precision, and tight control throughout the printing process, even the cheapest SLS printer is more expensive than most fused deposition modeling (FDM) and many stereolithography (SLA) printers.

What is SLS advantage and disadvantage? ›

SLS Printing Advantages and Disadvantages

SLS is an excellent printing technology, but it has high barriers to entry. Machine cost and maintenance costs are expensive (among the most expensive when compared to plastic printers), and they require skilled operators. They also can only produce plastic-strength parts.

The standard PA powder for SLS is PA 12 nylon, which costs around $150 per kg for industrial-grade powders. Just as with other 3D printing materials, this is an approximation for “standard” powders, which are often used for rapid prototyping purposes.

PETG filament

It has a strong impact and abrasion resistance and can sustain higher temperatures compared to PLA. Because of its excellent properties and relatively low price, PETG is commonly used in 3D printing.

SLM systems are expensive due to their costly technology and equipment. SLM requires extensive post-processing to achieve desired surface finishes. SLM requires increased material usage due to the need for support for overhangs on parts during printing.

Triangular Infill: Triangular infill is the strongest infill pattern because triangles are the strongest shape. They are least likely to deform and provide the best support structure behind the walls of the part.

3D printing offers exciting career opportunities in diverse industry verticals like organ printing, robotics, AI, etc. The rising demand for 3D printed products implies a tremendous growth in the scope and size of the industry.

Even though it is not prioritized, modelers do need to maintain the ability to resolve an occasional formula and modify the software. This is why every university that offers a degree in 3D modeling will mandate that people complete a couple of math credits.

The global 3D printing market size was estimated at USD 16.75 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach USD 20.37 billion in 2023. What is the 3D printing market growth? b. The global 3D printing market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 23.3% from 2023 to 2030 to reach USD 88.28 billion by 2030.

In 2023, the trend goes towards more automated and integrated AM workflows. They combine production and supply chain and connect all 3D printing players on the market, such as software providers, print farms customers and post-processing and material specialists.

The future of the 3D-printing industry in 2023 is consolidation: We're going to see mergers as the companies with the largest range of industrial products and services rise to the top. Production beyond prototypes is not just a nice-to-have — it will become necessary for survival.

What are the hazards of selective laser sintering? ›

Since SLS and MJF printers use fine polymer powders, there are environmental hazards to consider. These fine powders can get into the air, which can lead to inhalation risks. Powder in direct contact with skin can also cause irritation. These powders are also volatile and can cause an explosion hazard.

Selective laser sintering (SLS) is an additive manufacturing (AM) technique that uses a laser as the power and heat source to sinter powdered material (typically nylon or polyamide), aiming the laser automatically at points in space defined by a 3D model, binding the material together to create a solid structure.

Selective laser sintering (SLS) is a particularly accurate process that is often used to produce complex geometries. SLS printing has a dimensional tolerance of ± 0.3% and a lower limit of ± 0.3 mm.

The SLS printers can also print aluminum and stainless steel alloys through a derivative process called direct metal laser sintering (DMLS). It is also called selective laser melting (SLM). The printing process is the same but with different materials.

SLS functions in cleaning product as a surfactant, wetting surfaces, emulsifying or solubilizing oils, and suspending soil so that they can be rinsed away. This ingredient contributes foaming properties to cleaning products.

3D printing costs depend on the type of printing technology used. There are 3 types: SLS (Selective Laser Sintering), SLA (Stereolithography) and FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling). FDM is the cheapest technology among the three listed, and SLS is the most expensive one.

Fused deposition modeling (FDM), also known as fused filament fabrication (FFF), is the most widely used form of 3D printing at the consumer level, fueled by the emergence of hobbyist 3D printers.

Sintratec PA12 parts have a tensile strength of 47.8 MPa and an elastic modulus of 1.75 GPa. This places printed nylon around half as strong as fiberglass and half as rigid as PVC. Strength, of course, is dependent on layer orientation in the printer, with the Z-direction being the weakest.

SLS parts are water resistant but not waterproof. So, if your 3D printed parts, that are made of Nylon PA 12, are meant to be exposed to water for a long period of time, it is recommended that you apply the Smoothing Beautifier finish on them.

How small can SLS print? ›

Part size: The maximum printable part size for SLS is 340 x 340 x 605 mm, but we recommend a maximum size of 320 x 320 x 580. The recommended minimum feature size is 0.75, although features as small as 0.5 mm are printable.

3D printing does not incur additional costs with each new unit produced. This means it can produce one part and hundreds of parts at almost the same cost per part. This is impossible with traditional manufacturing, which often requires an expensive tooling stage that is only justified if products are mass-produced.

Over half of our deliveries are 100% carbon offset. we will have planted 2500 trees which will offset 83.325 tons of CO₂ (per year) minimising our impact on the environment and our carbon footprint.

The advantages of SLS technology are high complexity of built parts, short manufacturing cycle, low cost, wide raw materials, and high material utilization rate. It has become one of the most promising 3D printing technologies and has been widely used in aviation, aerospace, medical, machinery, and other fields.

Selective laser sintering (SLS) is a close cousin to direct metal laser sintering (DMLS), but builds parts made of plastic rather than metal.

The commonly applied SLS powder to date is polyamide 12 (PA 12).

It is designed to be both powerful and flexible for a crew, cargo, or science missions. NASA's prime contractors for SLS include Aerojet Rocketdyne, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman.

The segment is anticipated to reach USD 1.1 billion in 2025.

3D Printing Market is expected to grow from USD 12.6 billion in 2021 to USD 34.8 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 22.5%.

What is the global 3D printing market projected to be in 2026? ›

3D printing materials - market size worldwide 2026

Between 2018 and 2026, the market for 3D printing materials is expected to grow by 12 percent annually to reach just under four billion U.S. dollars by 2026. This industry includes 3D printers, materials, software, and related services.

The print equipment market is forecast to reach a value of $15.75 billion by 2026, despite the market falling in 2020 by almost 24% against the previous year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the market is expected to reach $15.86 billion, growth of nearly 20% from 2020.

3D Systems (NASDAQ: DDD)

But it still remains the biggest pure 3D printing company in the world, with a market capitalization of $1.30 billion. The company sells a variety of items, including 3D printers, printing materials, digital design tools, and more.

In 2023, the trend goes towards more automated and integrated AM workflows. They combine production and supply chain and connect all 3D printing players on the market, such as software providers, print farms customers and post-processing and material specialists.

Medical 3D printing businesses are the most profitable type of 3D printing business. This is because there is a high demand for medical prosthetics and implants, which can be produced with 3D printers.

Robotics Industry

Robotics engineers have used 3D printing for prototyping, creating remarkable benefits for 3D printing because it allows you to make parts quickly and cost-effectively, as well as make a custom or large-scale objects needed in the robotics field.

Reduce complexity and improve time-to-market -- 3D printing technology consolidates the number of components and processes required for manufacturing. This will have a significant impact on global supply chains, decreasing complexities, saving on production costs, enhancing lead times and improving time-to-market.

In reality, the end of the hype was just the beginning of 3D printing showing its potential to be used across many industries. The Wohlers Report 2021 states that 3D printing service providers generated $5 billion in revenue in 2020.

In 2021, the Global Commercial Printing Market had a value of $433.79 billion. By the end of 2027, it is estimated to value $484.22 billion, with a CAGR of approximately 1.74% in 2022-2027. Five years from 2021, the printing market is predicted to witness remarkable growth.

What is the global estimated forecast that 3D printing will be on the market in the future? ›

According to our latest research, the global 3D Printing (3DP) market size will reach USD 9503.8 million in 2028, growing at a CAGR of 16.0Percent over the analysis period 2022-2028.

The future of printing technology lies in digital printing because, according to tentative estimates, it grew by another 30 percent in the last year. The growth of digital printing is evident also from the fact that colour printing has seen a rise in the last few years with inkjet printing growing leaps and bounds.