3D print giants under threat from smaller rivals

Global 3D printer shipments up by more than 50 per cent in first half of 2015

Worldwide 3D printer shipments grew by 52 per cent annually in the first half of 2015, according to Canalys, which claims large vendors in the space are struggling at the hands of smaller rivals.

The analyst said there is demand for the technology from the business and consumer space, prompting sales of the devices to grow by 21 per cent year on year to $1.8bn (£1.17bn) over the same period. The market will be worth a massive $20.2bn by 2019, Canalys added.

Small, local vendors in the 3D printing space are faring better than their larger competitors, with Taiwan's XYZprinting gobbling almost a quarter (22 per cent) of the market in the first six months of the year.

"This follows a trend in the 3D printing industry where many small and medium-sized businesses are experimenting with switching from larger, more established players to smaller, local vendors, which promise the same product quality and substantially lower prices,' said Canalys analyst Joe Kempton.

"Additionally, the compelling price points have helped these products become increasingly popular among consumers and some have seen remarkable success in the education market too.

"Several of the major 3D printing vendors struggled in the first half of 2015, some as a result of lacklustre product offerings. This allowed smaller vendors to perform exceptionally well. Various market forces also contributed to this dip, including the falling value of the yen and euro against the US dollar, with many large customers delaying purchasing decisions."