Dive Brief:

• The past two years of buyer activity within the Thomas Network show demand for additive manufacturing (or 3-D printing) spikes every five to six months or so, ThomasNet.com reported last week.
• According to that data, a fresh round of interest is due in either early December 2017 or late January 2018. The businesses sourcing the technology most are within the telecommunications, automotive, manufacturing and defense industries. 
• Three recent ventures into additive manufacturing include Rolls-Royce, which signed an NDA with PyroGenesis in Canada, Airbus APWorks signing with LPW Technology, and BMW aligning with 3D Systems.

Dive Insight:

Additive manufacturing is making significant inroads into original equipment manufacturers' (OEMs) processes.

Since 2016, 3-D printing has moved from a primarily supportive position — creating prototypes for material extrusion — to forming actual airplane parts made of titanium wire rather than powder. The process has also grown cheaper, thanks to the machines' ability to operate independently. 

Now 3-D printing has moved deeper into manufacturing, particularly in production. With recent clients coming from the high-end automotive world (note that Rolls-Royce signed a non-disclosure agreement), it's clear that the technology has become not only more widely accepted but also suitable for truly performance-oriented vehicles.

That indicates a vote of confidence for the technology once considered mostly suitable for toy production and inexpensive prototypes. Clearly, the industry is hitting its stride and will likely only grow from here.