500,000 3D Printers Sold All-Time

[Brian_Krassenstein]

A new CONTEXT 3D Printing Research Update summarizes 3D printing market changes since 1989. First of all, 2015 saw the market reach its half-millionth sale, and the millionth sale of a 3D printer is expected to be reached by 2017. Since 2013, sales of personal/desktop 3D printers have more than doubled, but we've seen 3D printing giants like Stratasys and 3D Systems report weak earnings in Q3 2015. Meanwhile, 2D companies like Canon, Ricoh, and Hewlett Packard are beginning to get their feet wet in the 3D printing pool, with Hewlett Packard leading the way in adaptations. As it turns out, more small businesses and educational institutions are buying personal/desktop 3D printers today: a far cry from the early days when a rapid prototyping machine cost an average of $100,000! Read more at http://3dprint.com/108950/context-research-update/

[ServiceXp]

It's look like a promising future, especially if one of the big players dump some R&D money on it.

[Sebastian Finke]

It's look like a promising future, especially if one of the big players dump some R&D money on it.

Don't see that happening tbh. In fact, some small company will come up with a new technology and the big company will patent it as their own. Leeches.