2022 Won’t Be More Of The Same In 3D Printing

As we close out 2021, we look back on a year of challenge and of opportunity. It’s safe to say those points remain in place for 2022. We stand on the brink of a new year, a time when it’s traditional to put in place our predictions and work to prepare new business plans alongside our personal resolutions.

If we’ve learned anything from 2021, and 2020 before it, it’s the cloudiness of our crystal balls. A pandemic that has exposed weak points in outdated systems and processes has catapulted supply chain to the forefront. While “unprecedented” has become the key word of our current environment, there are certainly some trends we can expect for 2022 in additive manufacturing.

Looking ahead, we can’t expect more of the same – on any front. Businesses and leaders have learned the lessons of the pandemic and of the ongoing growth in technology. We are seeing acceleration in digitization, in localizing production and shortening supply chains, and in keying in on sustainability.

Understanding these ongoing trends helps us understand what to look out for in 2022. Five key trends lay at the heart of what we can expect in 3D printing.

Supply Chain

The perpetual pandemic state of affairs, which exposed a highly complex and brittle supply chain, is top of mind for most product companies.

Executive leadership will continue to seek solutions to accelerate the digitization and localization of their supply chain. AM will play a central role with emphasis on speed, throughput, cost, and sustainability.

End-to-End Solutions

With more companies transitioning to mid- and high-volume additive production, we will experience stronger demand for scaled post-processing and full factory automation solutions.

These will be anchored by advanced and adaptive machine learning and vision technologies for greater production consistency and yields.

Ecosystems

We will continue to see expanded open innovation and collaboration ecosystems in which everyone achieves more.

This will drive faster adoption and technology advancements, benefiting from greater talent and geographical diversity as our definition of workplace gets hybridized.

Sustainability

AM will play a key role in addressing global warming through lightweighting, carbon footprint reduction from localization, and lower energy consumption and waste reduction.

Transition to more sustainable materials, such as plant-based and reusable, will pick up this trend in more processes.

Exponential Technologies

The entire product life cycle, from concept models through aftermarket spares, and everything in between, will continue to evolve as AM and sustainability are taken into account at every stage.

Complementary exponential technologies – like infinite computing power, sensor abundance, collaborative and economical robots – will also reshape and redefine the scope of AM. Thinking of technologies and circular economy principles from the first will create a stronger full PLC.

Nexa3D in 2022

My team and I are ready for a new year at Nexa3D . While we may not know what’s ahead, we know how to prepare for a strong next twelve months focusing on our north star: digitizing supply chain sustainably.

We will continue to focus on strengthening our team, our technology, and our stances in areas that make a difference for a better world.

(We are also hiring more kindred spirits looking to join us on this journey!)