3D printing market outlook: insights from 4Q24 Executive Reseller Survey

The additive manufacturing industry continues to evolve, but 2024 has proven to be a challenging year for system sales. The Industrial Tech Stock Analyst, which is a research firm covering emerging industrial technology sectors, including robotics, drones and additive manufacturing, conducted an extensive survey of 25 of the largest 3D printing resellers across the United States and EMEA to gain deeper insights into the state of the market. These resellers represent leading OEMs, including Stratasys, 3D Systems, Desktop Metal, HP, and Formlabs, and provide a frontline perspective on demand trends, growth expectations, and competitive positioning.

View full 4Q24 Executive Reseller Report.

Reseller survey demographics

Key takeaways from 4Q24 executive survey

• Demand remains weak across the industry. The majority of resellers reported system sales below plan in 4Q24, reinforcing macroeconomic headwinds and cautious capital spending.
• Consumable sales remain healthy despite weak system demand. Material sales were generally stronger than system sales, reflecting continued usage of installed printers and the recurring revenue potential of consumables.
• Resellers are more optimistic about 2025. While 2024 was challenging, most expect system and material sales to improve next year, suggesting potential upside if macro conditions stabilize.
• Not all OEMs are performing equally. Formlabs stood out as the strongest performer, with resellers reporting better-than-expected sales and the only double-digit growth forecast for 2025.
• Desktop Metal is in the worst shape. It was the only OEM where resellers expect negative growth in 2025, reinforcing concerns about its financial stability if the Nano Dimension acquisition falls through.

Looking ahead: where does the market go from here?

While weak system sales in 4Q24 highlight ongoing macroeconomic challenges, resellers are more optimistic about 2025. As shown below, when asked how demand expectations changed in 2025 compared to 2024, 52% indicated they expect demand to be higher in the coming year. Growth expectations vary widely by OEM, with Formlabs standing out as the only company forecasting double-digit growth, while Desktop Metal resellers anticipate another year of declining sales.

Who we are: Industrial Tech Stock Analyst

This survey is part of our ongoing research at Industrial Tech Stock Analyst, where we cover the fastest-growing industrial tech sectors, including robotics, drones, additive manufacturing, machine vision, and industrial IoT. We provide deep-dive market analysis, earnings breakdowns, and proprietary reseller surveys to give investors and industry professionals actionable insights into emerging technologies.

View all Industrial Tech Stock Analyst research here.