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With current advancements in 3D printing capabilities, it is becoming easier for manufacturers to use additive manufacturing (AM) to create parts from a wide variety of materials. There is no doubt that the additive manufacturing space will continue to grow and develop in the coming years, but will it reduce subtractive manufacturing methods, such as CNC Machining out-dated? Of course not. In fact, precision CNC machining is possible more important to the AM process than you may think, as the process, called “hybrid manufacturing,” is rapidly taking hold in the industry.
The global hybrid additive manufacturing market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.8% from 2022 to 2027, according to Grand View Research, Inc.* The growing penetration of additive manufacturing in aerospace applications is likely to remain a key factor contributing to the growth of the market. Aircrafts components are normally made using short-run manufacturing and in such cases, additive manufacturing provides an improvement in production rate. It also helps to produce complex parts, which are lightweight and more resilient compared to products made from traditional techniques. Increasing manufacturing activities in the aerospace and automotive industries in the U.S. is likely to drive the North American market over the coming years. Expansion of healthcare facilities and the growing healthcare budget in the country are also projected to remain the key factors in the expansion of the market.
Hybrid Manufacturing
Hybrid manufacturing is as a combination of additive processes 3D printing, known in the context of production as AM and subtractive processes, such as milling. While there are plenty of parts being made through some combination of these processes and more are being introduced all the time the crucial qualifier for hybrid manufacturing is that both processes occur on the same machine.
Components usually suffer from wear, distortion, defects, and cracks during their life cycle, and sometimes repairing is considered most cost effective and time saving than replacing these components. For a complex geometry, especially aerospace components, the repair process gets more complicated, and the traditional repair methods cannot be used for. Since the additive technologies are used in repair and the term “Additive Repair (AR)” as “additive manufacturing process for reconstruct and modify prebuilt components.” So, it is an additive manufacturing process, but to build over pre-existing components manufactured from the same base metal or different metals. Additive manufacturing technology can be found in applications like laser repair and laser freeform manufacturing.
Regional insights
In a report conducted by Grand View Research, North America dominated the market for hybrid additive manufacturing with a share of 40.4% in 2019. Presence of numerous aerospace OEMs and its component manufacturers is likely to attract significant demand for 3D printed metal parts over the coming years. In recent years, the region has also witnessed an increase in the number of hybrid additive printer providers.
Meanwhile, the research firm disclosed Asia Pacific is projected to emerge as the fastest-growing regional market over the coming years. The growth in the region is attributed to growing penetration of 3D printing in China and Japan. Expansion of the aerospace sector and increasing investments are also likely to remain key factors contributing to the regional growth market. For instance, as per the Indian government, foreign companies invested nearly US$257.5 million from 2014 to 2019 in the aerospace and defence sector of the country.
Key companies & market share insights
Market vendors are focused on the development of new hybrid printing machines, specifically focused on various end uses. Raw material suppliers are projected to focus on the expansion of advanced and lightweight alloys. The market players are continuously involved in the research and development in order to gain a higher production rate from novel technologies in minimum span of time, high-efficiency rate, and lower operational cost. Some of the prominent players in the global hybrid additive manufacturing market include: Materialise NV, Hoganas AB, Arcam AB, Renishaw PLC, 3D Systems Corporation, GKN PLC, and Sandvik.
As hybrid manufacturing workflows become more popular, so do new hybrid manufacturing machines. These hybrid machines are all-in-one machines where both additive and subtractive manufacturing can be performed in a single setup. Many of these machines offer metal 3D printing, as well as multi-axis machining capabilities, ready for even the most complex parts thrown their way. With a bit of customization, large-scale 3D printing machines or CNC mills can be retrofit to allow for hybrid manufacturing with add-ons.
As manufacturing and design techniques get progressively smarter with CAM/CAD programs offering generative design and artificial intelligence, these hybrid machines could become a new standard in high-end machine shops working in advanced manufacturing industries like aerospace, medical, defense, and the mould, tool & die market.
(*source: Hybrid Additive Manufacturing Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Material (Titanium, Aluminum, Steel, Nickel), By End Use (Aerospace, Medical), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027)
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