3D Printing Filament Market Analysis

Type (Plastics, Metals, Ceramics)

The plastics segment in the 3D printing filament market is estimated to gain a robust revenue share of 54% in the coming years impelled by the growing demand for thermoplastics. The increased need for lightweight and environmentally sustainable composite materials from the end-use industries has led to a rise in demand for thermoplastic from a variety of end-use industries, including aerospace, automotive, construction, and electrical and electronics. For instance, polypropylene (PP) had the largest demand share of thermoplastics in India in 2022, accounting for more than 30% of the total.

Thermoplastics are specialized plastics that are used in 3D printing such as nylon, also referred to as a synthetic thermoplastic linear polyamide that offers flexibility, resilience to corrosion, minimal friction, and durability making it a popular filament for 3D printing. It is extremely hygroscopic, which means that it should not be left out in the open. The primary benefits of 3D printing nylon include its superior abrasion resistance, good resistance against organic compounds such as fuel and oil, and toughness which makes it capable of being used to make tools, working prototypes, or mechanical parts such as buckles, gears, or hinges.

In addition, a range of materials, including titanium alloys, nickel, cobalt-chrome, aluminum, and stainless steel, are available as metal-filled filaments that are filled with metal powder to give it a shiny sheen and extra weight which aids in improving the quality of prints, and is often employed in the aerospace industry to print fuel nozzles and other vital engine components that demand extreme precision and accuracy. Metal powders such as bronze, copper, and magnetic iron are mixed with plastic materials such as PLA to create metal composite filaments which is quite popular as it's the simplest material to use for 3D printing.

End-user (Aerospace & Defense, Medical, Automotive, Electronics)

The aerospace & defense segment in the 3D printing filament market is set to garner a notable share shortly. The aerospace and defense industries' 3D printing filament exhibits a positive growth trend as it is extensively being utilized in additive manufacturing methods to create parts and components such as jet engine models, drone housing, and more for the defense and aerospace industries. In the past, 3D printing was mostly utilized in the aerospace industry for testing and prototyping however, today, it is applied across the whole lifetime of an aerospace component, including tools, end-use parts in jet engines, aircraft interiors, jigs for maintenance, and designs. Achieving weight savings of more than 45% is possible with 3D printing by creating parts with incredibly strong and lightweight constructions that are said to enhance the performance of airplanes and decrease fuel consumption.

In addition, for the additive production of medical components, 3D printing filaments are the best option which have also become significant in the fields of pharmaceutical and medical applications owing to the ability to quickly manufacture custom items that can be used in individualized treatment or medicine. Medical devices such as surgical guides, reference models, and patient-specific prostheses are printed using 3D printing technology, which makes the everyday job performed by medical experts much easier, enables them to save an increasing number of lives, and perform complex surgeries using precise, personalized bone structures of their patients. Moreover, dentistry could benefit from 3D printing as it is appropriate for use in dental implant surgery and is capable of producing stunning, high-precision, temporary 3D-printed crowns and bridges.

Furthermore, fused Filament Fabrication, or FFF, is one of the most widely utilized and well-liked 3D printing technologies in the automotive industry right now that uses filament to create pieces, and is one of the most widely used thermoplastic polymer additive manufacturing (AM) techniques.

Our in-depth analysis of the global 3D printing filament market includes the following segments: