14 DAY TRIAL // 3D printing is an industry expected to skyrocket over the next several years, and the same goes for 3D scanning, to an extent, but market research company TechNavio says that there is one big limitation in place: pricing.
3D scanners are really expensive, even more so than the printers themselves in most situations. Partly because there aren't as many of them and partly because they need to be large enough to make models of objects larger than your fist. As large as a person even.
So, while a growth will happen over the next five years, the 3D scanning market won't surge as 3D printers will.
Instead of a jump of several orders of magnitude, the segment will progress by 13.81% or so, between now and 2018.
And as that happens, research company TechNavio says (in regard to the Americas, Europe and Asia), larger companies will assimilate smaller players, like in any other segment.
"Large companies are acquiring smaller players with the motive of increasing their product portfolio and market share," said one analyst.
"Through such acquisitions, larger companies gain a competitive edge by achieving technological advancement and obtaining the opportunity to enter emerging or new markets."
3D Systems has already bought Rapid Form, for example, for $35 million / €25.46 million, no doubt seeking to rival Creaform, Faro Technologies, Konica Minolta, and Surphaser.
It's not all fun and games though, as we said before: the former may have gained the latter's resources and IP, but it will have to shoulder the burden of costs alone, besides the industry being very fragmented.
"The Global 3D scanning market is highly fragmented, which creates many opportunities for mergers and acquisitions," one of the team's analysts said.
"Both large application vendors and core software-based 3D scanning vendors are taking the merger and acquisition route to enhance their market presence and expand their reach."