Since 2014, there has been a surge in investments in companies engaging in the 3D printing of composites, with almost $250 million raised to date. The latest report from IDTechEx "3D Printing Composites 2020-2030: Technology and Market Analysis", authored by Dr. Bryony Core and Dr. Richard Collins, examines the key trends and innovations in this emerging technology.

3D printing composite market leader Markforged was incorporated in 2013 by CEO and founder Greg Mark, with an aspiration to enable industrial customers to create same-day, high-strength parts from composite and, subsequently, metal materials. To this end, they have raised $137 million across five funding rounds; however, much of this has been raised following the announcement of their development of Metal X, their low-cost, metal 3D printer.

The Californian 3D printing composite service bureau, Arevo, has raised over $20 million since 2016 for their laser-based, continuous. carbon fiber reinforced PEEK printer, which is similar to automated fiber placement technology. Arevo demonstrated the potential of this technology at the IDTechEx Show! USA 2018 when they showcased a carbon fiber bike with substantially reduced lead times and development costs (pictured).

Other companies attracting significant attention from investors in 2019 are disruptive startups offering substantial technological innovations. Such startups include Impossible Objects, which raised almost $10 million prior to announcing an additional $4.1 million for their CBAM printer, Fortify, which has raised $12.5 million for an aligned fiber vat photopolymerization printer, and finally, the newcomer, Arris Composites.

In May 2019, startup Arris Composites announced it closed $10 million in Series A funding, led by NEA. Arris has spent the past two years in stealth developing the ultimate metal replacement — continuous carbon fiber composites — that can be combined with metals, plastics, wires, and other materials for aerospace, automotive, and consumer products. Arris is continuing to operate in stealth mode while they develop their technology. In a recent press release, Ethan Escowitz, Founder and CEO of Arris Composites explained more: "The product architectures that are now possible with our high-volume manufacturing process unlock a host of competitive advantages for some of the highest revenue and highest value products in the world. Vehicles and consumer products are being redesigned to take advantage of the mass market manufacturing technology of tomorrow. Things are about to get lighter and smaller, and Arris is making that a reality."

Arris continue to keep their cards close to their chest, disclosing little else; however, they stated that their technology will "address the scalability problem of 3D printing and the steep costs and limitations of composite manufacturing, Arris has assembled a team of industry leaders from both 3D printing and conventional high-volume manufacturing. They have developed precisely aligned composites using a novel high-speed manufacturing process that has disruptive design capabilities."

Some of the most exciting technological advancements being unveiled in 3D printing are enabling new processes and materials for composite 3D printing, which is being translated into significant attention from investors. Find out more about the technological and market trends and innovations in the field of 3D printing composites in IDTechEx's latest report "3D Printing Composites 2020-2030: Technology and Market Analysis" by Dr. Bryony Core and Dr. Richard Collins. 

To connect with others on this topic, join us at The IDTechEx Show! USA 2019, November 20-21 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, California. Presenting the latest emerging technologies at one event, with seven concurrent conferences and a single exhibition covering Electric Vehicles, Energy Storage, Graphene, Internet of Things, Printed Electronics, Sensors and Wearable Technology. Please visit www.IDTechEx.com/USA to find out more.

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