3D printing: Continued growth and expanded applications on the horizon

Ever since the idea of “printing” parts with polymer powders containing a binder came onto the scene, it’s been a roller-coaster ride. During all of the ups and downs of the 3D printing/additive manufacturing sector, however, the notion that one could actually make plastic parts without a mold has maintained a grip on the imaginations of many manufacturers. Gordon Styles, founder and President of Star Rapid, a company that provides 3D printing and injection molding services from its manufacturing facility in Zhongshan, China, notes that much of the struggle the industry endured was because it wasn’t founded on proper economics. After the latest dip in the 2014-2015 time period, people began recognizing an underlying reality: There are opportunities and there will be a lot of growth, particularly in the metals sector, which Styles estimates to be around $250 million today and will grow to about $8 billion in the next decade. “Metals are the production sector, Styles told Plastics Mergers and acquisitions, and even partnerships, in the additive manufacturing sector was the hot news coming out of for next 2017, which was held in Frankfurt, Germany, on Nov. 14 to 17. “Almost everybody is being courted by somebody, commented Styles, who projects that M&A will continue as people scramble to enter the market. Today in a phone interview. That’s a very big market.