3D Printing Industry TrendsRich McComas is a Senior Editor and Research Director at Cellular 3D, an experienced journalist and opinion leader who has written, researched and covered the consumer and professional medical device industry for more than 20 years. Rich heads up all healthcare market and technology research projects at Cellular 3D, personally overseeing a number of dental and medical initiatives. Rich believes that 3D printing can help make a variety of medical devices more accessible to patients and practitioners throughout the world.
A late 2014 Gartner press release indicated that prototyping (24.5%), product development (16.1%) and innovation (11.1%) are the three most common reasons companies are pursuing 3D printing. Of those surveyed in a recent Gartner study, 37% had just one 3D printer within their organizations, with 18% owning 10 or more. The average number of printers per organization was 5.4