14 DAY TRIAL // For a couple of years, 3D printing technology, and 3D printers in particular, have been gaining a lot of attention, but until recently they weren't considered a market of their own.
This has now changed. With so many companies releasing full lines of 3D printers, and with 3D printing services and even gradual courses being offered for teaching the use of this technology, the time has come for the world to recognize this field for what it is.
Stratasys, MakerBot, Organovo, and Inno3D are just a few names in this sector, and there are plenty of freelancers who have invented their own contraptions.
Then there are the many research efforts involving additive manufacturing, like transplantable organs, joint replacements, 3D printed batteries, etc.
It's no wonder that Gartner, one of the world's major market analysts, has started to conduct studies on this matter.
Its recent press release states that, in 2015, the shipments of 3D printers will reach 217,350 units, double what they were in 2014. And by 2018, the number should grow to 2.3 million or so. An impressive figure, to be sure.
No wonder scientific fields reliant on additive manufacturing are set to advance so quickly. Even 3D printed livers will be ready for human trials by 2018.