From 2D to 3D Printed Electronics 2015-2025

Estimated reading time: 1 minute

The 3D printing industry created a tsunami of hype in 2012 with the advent of the world's first consumer-level 3D printers. This hype around consumer-level technologies made 3D printing a household name. Surprisingly, this culminated in rapid growth across the entire industry including established players offering high-end industrial equipment. The same pattern will repeat in 2016 with the advent of a new breed of printers capable of depositing electrically conductive and insulating materials: the first step towards 3D printed electronics.

Customers funding first generation machines have already spent over $800k on Kickstarter alone. These consumer-level machines will drive the hype but next generation machines aimed at professional use will become the largest commercial markets over the next decade by servicing professional prototyping and manufacturing end users. In addition we have the first truly 3D electronics printer coming to market in 2015 and the impact it will have is unknown.

This report relates the emerging market for 3D printed electronics to the existing markets for printed electronics and 3D printing that IDTechEx has been researching for years. We explain why some candidate applications will not succeed commercially and identify two main applications that will create a total market worth over $1bn by 2025 thanks to core advantages over competing technologies and huge addressable markets. In addition we explore many potential applications for fully 3D printed electronics.

This report discusses all existing and emerging technologies that span 2D and 3D printed electronics, all major applications, all players bringing products to market in this space. Specifically, the inkjetting of conductive and insulating inks, extrusion of conductive pastes and insulators and the Aerosol Jet technology.

The following technologies are covered in detail including lists of all major vendors for each technology type and SWOT analyses quantifying characteristics such as equipment and material prices, conductivities and precision:

• Inkjetting conductive and insulating inks.
• Extrusion of conductive metals and insulating thermoplastics.
• Extrusion of conductive pastes and insulating thermoplastics.
• Aerosol Jet.

The following materials are covered:

• Metals.
• Conductive thermoplastics.
• Conductive inks.
• Conductive pastes.
• Conductive photopolymers.

Eighteen potential commercial applications of 3D printed electronics are considered, most of which have already been demonstrated in the lab.

All major players are covered including SWOT analyses comparing their commercial products and technologies.

This report gives forecasts to 2025 broken down into the following market sectors:

1. Consumer.
2. Education.
3. Professional PCB prototyping.
4. Antenna manufacture