FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New Report Finds Rapid Prototyping Market in Slump
FORT COLLINS, COLORADO, May 6, 1999 - Wohlers Associates, Inc. announced
today the immediate availability of a new publication titled Rapid
Prototyping & Tooling State of the Industry: 1999 Worldwide Progress
Report. As many as 22 system manufacturers worldwide sold 990 rapid
prototyping (RP) systems in 1998, compared to 1,036 in 1997, according to
the report. This marks only the second time in history that unit sales
declined to a level below that of the prior year. This disappointing
decline compares to growth of 32% for 1997 and 51% for 1996.
On the heels of a weak 1997, revenues from RP sales and services fell more
sharply than in any previous year. This downturn in sales follows years of
impressive growth for most of the 1990s, when annual growth of 35-50% was
common. The slump in the industry that began in early 1997 has continued
through 1998 and into 1999.
Countless benefits of RP abound, with users reporting almost unbelievable
time and cost savings from applying this remarkable technology. This is at
odds with the stalled growth in the marketplace, and it is causing vast
confusion among vendors, customers, service providers, and investors. Some
believe the technology may fade over time while many others dismiss the
idea. Companies about to make strategic decisions related to rapid
prototyping are especially concerned that they might make the wrong
decision. Why has the RP market weakened, will it recover, and what should
a company do in the meantime?
Industry consultant Terry Wohlers answers these puzzling questions in the
new 221-page report. Wohlers has established a tradition of providing
high-quality analyses that cover all facets of RP including business,
product, market, technology, and applications. The softbound publication
includes 28 charts and graphs, 21 tables, and 54 photographs and
illustrations. The report sells for $345 in the U.S. and $395 outside the
U.S. The report's table of contents is listed below.
The new report is the result of months of careful data collection and
analysis based on time-tested methods. "We have formed alliances with many
companies and individuals to fully understand the trends in rapid
prototyping and tooling," Wohlers said. "We have total confidence in our
sources, methods of research, and reporting. "Our methodology delivers data
that is reliable and complete," he said. The company expects to make
improvements to the report each year, but has no plans to alter the methods
it uses to analyze and report the information. For strategic and
competitive reasons, the company does not publish its proprietary
methodology -- an approach that has taken the company many years to develop
and refine.
Wohlers Associates, Inc. is a 13-year old independent consulting firm that
works closely with manufacturing organizations to identify the best
approaches to rapid product development. As the company's principal
consultant, Terry Wohlers tracks new methods and technologies and
determines a direction that gives companies a strategic edge. His highly
sought after views and opinions come from years of collecting and analyzing
market data, coupled with his work as an advisor to major organizations in
the U.S., Europe, and Asia. You can reach the company at 970-225-0086, fax
970-225-2027, or e-mail Terry Wohlers at twohlers@compuserve.com. For
additional information on the RP market and industry, visit
www.WohlersAssociates.com.
Rapid Prototyping & Tooling State of the Industry:
1999 Worldwide Progress Report
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Focus of this report
Introduction to rapid prototyping and tooling
PART 1: BACKGROUND
History of RP systems
Industries being served
How RP models are being used
Installations by country
Applications
Communication
Engineering changes
Good ideas and powerful proposals
Concept models
Early input from suppliers, toolmakers
Prototypes and prototype tooling
Metal castings
Verifying CAD databases
Styling, ergonomic studies
Requesting quotes
Packaging and shipping
Critical to function
PART 2: INDUSTRY
A challenging time
Revenue growth
Secondary market
Revenues from products and services
Revenues from service bureaus
Other service revenues
Unit sales
Stratasys regains the lead
Systems sold by region in 1998
Cumulative systems sold by region
Units sold by U.S. manufacturers in 1998
Units sold by Japanese manufacturers in 1998
1998 unit sales by manufacturer
Cumulative unit sales by manufacturer
Unit sales by vendor and year
Growth trends and sales forecasts
Unit sales growth percentages
Worldwide revenue estimates
Annual revenue growth percentages
Comparing growth of RP and machining markets
Service bureaus
Concentration of service bureaus
Mix of machines
Shrinking market
Investment casting patterns
Working with service bureaus
Times have changed
What is driving prices downward?
More challenges are ahead
Market saturation
Plynetics Express: What went wrong?
PART 3: TOOLING
Advanced approaches
Indirect approaches to tooling
Silicone rubber tooling
Aluminum-filled epoxy tooling
Spray metal tooling
RSP Tooling
Sprayform
Metal spray tooling from DTI
Cast kirksite tooling
3D Keltool
Dynamic Tooling
ECOTOOL
ExpressTool
CEMCOM
PHAST
Direct approaches to tooling
Direct AIM tooling
SLS RapidTool
DMLS from EOS
ExtrudeHone
LENS
Other considerations
Machined tooling
Space Puzzle Molding
Prototype tooling selection guide
Size of tooling market
PART 4: SYSTEM MANUFACTURERS
3D Systems
SLA-7000
ThermoJet
3D Keltool
Aaroflex
Beijing Yinhua
Cubital
DTM
RapidTool
Growing list of materials
EOS
DirectTool products
Micro shot peening
Fockele & Schwarze
Helisys
Kinergy
Optomec
Sanders Prototype
New management
Developing technology
Schroff Development
Operating costs
Customers
Stratasys
Genisys Xs
Throughput
Z Corp.
Speed
Materials
Casualties
RP stocks
Disappointing earnings
Global economy
Small cap stocks out of favor
PART 5: JAPAN & EUROPE
Japan
Markets embracing RP
Unit sales growth
Japanese strategy
Developments and trends in Japan
New RP system that uses LEDs
Why has RP growth been slow?
Tooling and high-speed machining in Japan
Europe
EU support
United Kingdom
Germany
Fraunhofer activities
France
Scandinavia
The Netherlands
Other regions
South Africa
Canada
RP groups and associations
PART 6: RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Development of system technology
MicroTEC
Directed Light Fabrication
Controlled Metal Buildup
Multi Jet Solidification
Topographic Shell Fabrication
MIT
Offset Fabrication
Micromod
University of Utah
U.S. government-sponsored R&D
NSF funding
DoD
RP academic programs
Hurdles and hindrances
Research activities
Beyond 2000
PART 7: CAD & COMPUTING
CAD/CAM/CAE
Advances in computing
Operating systems
Open systems
Growth of solid modeling
Interoperability and data translation
Product data management
Machining STL data
Software for RP
SolidView
Magics, Mimics
View Expert, 3Data Expert
3D View
Rapid Prototyping Module
Velocity2
The Internet
Next day models
3DQ Concepts
Caught by surprise
PART 8: OTHER DEVELOPMENTS
RP materials
Stereolithography resins
Materials for other RP processes
3D printers
Medical modeling
Research areas in medical RP
RP is impacting the lives of patients
Reverse engineering
How the technology works
Laser digitizing systems
What works, what doesn't
Other advice
PART 9: WHERE IT'S ALL HEADED
Caught in the chasm
Technology adoption life cycle
CAD solid modeling as a gating factor
RP's past
RP's present state
What needs to happen
RP's future
What to do
Risks and land mines
3D printing
Rapid manufacturing
Changes ahead
Will digital models replace physical prototypes?
Long-term outlook
The future
Systems of the future
Future applications
Where to learn more
Internet mail list
RPA/SME
APPENDICES
Appendix A: Glossary of terms
Appendix B: Addresses of RP system manufacturers
United States
Israel
Europe
Japan
Singapore
China
Appendix C: Rapid tooling technology developers
Appendix D: RP software companies
Appendix E: Material suppliers
Appendix F: U.S. RP systems
Appendix G: RP systems manufactured outside the U.S.
Appendix H: Materials
Appendix I: 3D digitizing systems
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