Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) Technology 3D Printer Market Size, Share, Opportunities, COVID-19 Impact, And Trends By Laser Power (Under 100 W/CO2, Above 100 W/CO2), By Component (Hardware, Services), And By Geography - Forecasts From 2022 To 2027

SLS Technology 3D printer market was evaluated at US$353.600 million for the year 2020, growing at a CAGR of 22.19%, reaching a market size of US$1,438.37 million by the year 2027.

Selective laser sintering is a process of 3D printing in which a high-powered laser is utilized to bind the powder particles together. SLS printer offers the distinct benefit of giving inherent support to the completed layers without support structures, as compared to other 3D printing processes. Also, since SLS printers only sinter the plastic, they can produce printed structures in a minimal amount of time. Sinterit recently presented two new revolutionary SLS printers, named the Lisa X and the NILS 480. The Lisa X became the fastest and largest compact SLS printer, while the NILS 480 became the first-industrial grade SLS printer. These printers were also equipped to guide the user through post-processing. SLS printers are also easy to build and can be built at home using simple equipment. With projects like SLS4All, announced by Tomas Starek, which explains the building process of an SLS printer, it becomes significantly easier to understand, use and build SLS printers by oneself.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a considerable impact on the SLS market, as well as the 3D printing market. According to a survey by Creative Commons, most workers suffered from a lack of raw materials, decreased staff, less medical support validation, and so forth. Most markets were concentrated on the rehabilitation of patients’ health and on helping the healthcare workers.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global supply chains and created a shortage of medical supplies and equipment. As a consequence of this crucial demand, the 3D printing community of doctors and engineers has successfully developed techniques for producing this equipment to supplement the disruption in supply. 3D Systems, a South Carolina based engineering company, helped combat the COVID-19 pandemic by mass-producing nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs, emergency Stopgap Face Masks (SFM), reusable face shield frames for face shields, ventilator splitters, and Venturi Ventilator Valves, by using SLS 3D printing technology to help fight the shortage of medical equipment around the globe.

FDA approved polypropylene

Recently, XYZprinting, a provider of 3D printing solutions, has announced a collaboration with AM Polymers to provide two new materials for its selective laser sintering (SLS) machines. A food-grade PP01 polypropylene powder and a PB01 TPU powder for the footwear sector have been added to the line. While the PB01 is an excellent material for the manufacture of footwear soles, it is the properties of PP01 that are truly revolutionary.

XYZprinting's SLS machines can now use AM Polymers' PP01 polypropylene powder. It's a material with a high degree of detail, good chemical resistance at a low density, a tensile strength of 20 MPa, and a 30 percent elongation at break. Because the powder is food contact safe, it will be a popular choice for items used in kitchens and packaging. In addition, PP01 has a 50% refresh rate and a low cost per kilo. This powder is perfect for medical, automotive, robotics, and education applications, in addition to food. It may be used to make housings, ventilation systems, and liquid storage containers. PP01 powder is also recyclable and is reused by industries. With the added benefit of the large printing area that an SLS printer offers, this material can be used to mass-produce food-grade biodegradable objects.

Pharmaceutical applications

The SLS printers have the potential to rapidly-produce medicines and revolutionize the pharmaceutical market. Because of the printer’s precision and swiftness, they have been an ideal choice for pharmaceutical companies. It can be used to rapidly produce highly porous medicines (used for rapidly dissolving pills) and a range of immediate-release drugs and dosages. Its high accuracy helps in the production of complex geometric pills and polypills. According to Dr. Christoph Huels, the Founder of Merck Group, manufacturers are primarily focused on SLS printers because they have discovered that it produces oral solid dosage forms with desirable mass, hardness, roughness, and shape, as well as tablets with uniform API content and comparable dissolution to traditional manufacturing. SLS printers are also known for their ability to mass-produce consumer-ready products in a fraction of the time.

Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) Technology 3D Printer Market Scope:

Market Segmentation:

• By Laser Power
  • Under 100 W/CO2
  • Above 100 W/CO2
• By Component
  • Hardware
  • Services
• By Geography
  • North America
    • USA
    • Canada
    • Mexico
  • South America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Others
  • Europe
    • Germany
    • France
    • UK
    • Others
  • Middle East and Africa
    • Saudi Arabia
    • UAE
    • Others
  • Asia Pacific
    • China
    • India
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • Taiwan
    • Thailand
    • Indonesia
    • Others

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. What are the growth prospects for the SLS 3D printer market?
A1. The SLS 3D printer market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 22.19% during the forecast period.

Q2. What will be the SLS 3D printer market size by 2027?
A2. The global SLS 3D printer market is projected to reach a market size of US$1,438.37 million by 2027.

Q3. What is the size of the global selective laser sintering (SLS) technology 3D printer market?
A3. Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) Technology 3D Printer Market was valued at US$353.600 million in 2020. 

Q4. How is the selective laser sintering (SLS) technology 3D printer market segmented?
A4. The selective laser sintering (SLS) technology 3D printer market has been segmented by laser power, component, and geography.

Q5. Who are the major players in the SLS 3D printer market?
A5. Prominent key market players in the global SLS 3D printer market include Formlabs Inc., PRODWAYS GROUP, 3D Systems Inc., Proto Labs, Stratasys Ltd., and Sinterit, among others.