“In the current very difficult market environment across all sectors, our member companies are proving surprisingly robust,” explains Dr. Markus Heering, Managing Director of the VDMA‘s Additive Manufacturing Working Group. Despite the tense situation, only a third of companies reported declining sales in the spring survey.
Industry expects growth
There are now also signs of a trend reversal. “Looking ahead to the next 24 months, almost 70% of respondents expect a return to growth in both the domestic market and the export business,” reports Heering. The EU-27 is the most important export region for almost three quarters of member companies, followed by the USA (55%) and European non-EU countries (31%). China and other Asian countries, on the other hand, are only among the top sales markets for nine percent of respondents, respectively. “Since the pandemic, business in Asia has clearly lost momentum,” says Heering. The originally high expectations for these markets have not been fulfilled. Instead, competition from China is increasing. More than a third of respondents see their most relevant competitors there. Measured against 65% who see themselves primarily competing with German AM providers and 44% who feel competitive pressure primarily from the USA, this is only the third-highest figure. However, there are signs that the AM industry in China is maturing and is now also becoming visible in Europe.
Reluctance to invest is waning
In view of the difficult market environment, the member companies of the VDMA’s Additive Manufacturing Working Group are currently holding back on investments. In the first half of the year, only 29% intend to increase their investments. This figure rises to 45% for the outlook for the year as a whole. “We also interpret this as a sign that companies are generally confident about the future,” explains Heering. For 62% of respondents, this confidence stems from new AM applications and for 40% from their entry into new markets. More than a fifth of companies also hope that the expansion of their production capacity and increased marketing and R&D activities will provide positive impetus in the current year.
“Our working group brings together a wide variety of players who offer products and services along the additive process and value chains,” says Heering. Despite the heterogeneous composition – providers of AM systems and their suppliers as well as post-processing specialists are represented alongside AM service providers and manufacturers of AM components for in-house use, specialized consultancies, research institutes as well as software and material providers – there is broad agreement on where the AM industry needs to improve.
Exchange between stakeholders helps to bring AM processes to maturity
“It’s about finding new applications in which AM offers real added value for companies that use it. In order to increase market acceptance, we also need to continue working on the stability and reproducibility of AM processes and on the cost level,” summarizes Heering.
Even if many processes are maturing faster than originally expected, technological development in all areas of the process chain remains the central task of the young industry. This is precisely why the regular exchange between member companies in the VDMA working group is so helpful. It offers suggestions and points of contact for the exchange of ideas on challenges, solutions and best practices across all process, material and discipline boundaries.
The working group is made up of manufacturers and users from the metal, plastics and ceramics industries who develop and use direct and indirect AM processes – and who use them to manufacture series products, prototypes, assembly aids and much more.
“The fact that everyone involved along additive process chains shares their respective perspectives, experiences and challenges leads to a deeper understanding of the tasks ahead – and also raises awareness of the need for development along the entire chain,” emphasizes the Managing Director of the working group.
The regular exchange of expertise between the players is key to ensuring that the industry can agree on common technological goals and milestones in the industrialization of additive manufacturing. To this end, the AG AM relies, among other things, on the joint development of technology roadmaps.
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