In 2022, additive manufacturing continued its trajectory toward industrial maturity, with several defining shifts shaping the year. The sector expanded beyond pandemic recovery, embracing larger-scale operations and a heightened commitment to sustainability. The Additive Manufacturing Green Trade Association (AMGTA) grew to 50 member companies, reflecting a surge in environmental responsibility within the industry, despite ongoing debates over plastics usage.
One of the most prominent developments was consolidation. Mergers, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships reshaped the competitive landscape. The merger of Ultimaker and MakerBot, finalized in September under the UltiMaker brand, aimed to “fuel global 3D printing innovation,” according to Nadav Goshen, now CEO of the combined entity. This union brought together hardware expertise and widely used Cura software, targeting professional, educational, and light-industrial applications.
3D Systems re-entered the FDM market by acquiring Titan Robotics and Kumovis, later adding dp polar GmbH to its portfolio. Stratasys absorbed Covestro’s 3D printing materials business, while Carbon acquired ParaMatters for its generative design capabilities. Markforged’s purchase of Digital Metal marked its entry into metal binder jetting, positioning it against Desktop Metal. Even companies outside traditional AM circles, such as Nikon, moved in—acquiring 92.38% of SLM Solutions. Partnerships also flourished, with HP and AMT, and DyeMansion with Nexa3D, integrating post-processing and automation into streamlined workflows. Wayne Davey of HP emphasized that such collaborations are “key to accelerating the scale of additive manufacturing to production.”
Disruption accompanied growth. The war in Ukraine prompted industry-wide condemnation and action, with companies like EOS halting business in Russia and initiatives such as Together We Are Strong organizing silent auctions at major events. Open-source designs for medical tourniquets and 3D printed prosthetics were deployed to aid civilians. Supply chain instability, driven by material shortages and altered trade routes, challenged production. Layoffs underscored financial pressures—Desktop Metal reduced its workforce by 12%, with CEO Ric Fulop citing “opportunities to optimize our expense structure while maintaining our growth opportunities.”
Automation and software integration gained prominence as additive manufacturing scaled. Post-processing, often a bottleneck, saw automation advances through partnerships like AMT–HP and DyeMansion–Nexa3D. Software solutions became central to monitoring and quality assurance, enabling end-to-end workflows. Markforged’s Digital Forge Platform integrated simulation tools, with CEO Shai Terem noting, “Simulation enables our customers to adopt The Digital Forge deeper into their manufacturing operations… Cloud-based software innovation like Simulation is core to our mission to bring industrial part production to the point of need.” AI adoption expanded, from process monitoring to research applications such as Fraunhofer institutes’ work on customized finger implants.
Binder jetting emerged as a standout technology. Desktop Metal broadened its material portfolio beyond metals and sand to include wood, rubber, and foam, expanding its reach into diverse industries. Markforged’s acquisition of Digital Metal and HP’s launch of the Metal Jet S100—first shown at IMTS 2022—signaled a focus on mass production of end-use metal parts. Ramon Pastor of HP described the system as “the industry’s most advanced commercial solution for 3D metals mass production… helping customers realize the unlimited potential for digital manufacturing.”
These shifts—consolidation, disruption response, automation’s ascent, and binder jetting’s rise—illustrated a year of both resilience and transformation for additive manufacturing. The interplay of technology development, strategic alignment, and global events underscored the sector’s evolving role in modern production.