The fourth quarter of 2021 capped a strong year for additive manufacturing markets, according to SmarTech Analysis, New York, New York.

The growth rate for all additive hardware, materials, software and outsourced services is estimated to be 18 percent (to $10.6B) for 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. Specific to metals, the market grew 16 percent, to $3.9B. Specific to polymers, the market grew 13 percent, to $5.8B. Software is believed to have grown significantly from 2020 to account for the remainder and worth nearly $900M in 2021.

Beyond the annual data, the report also provides numbers for Q4 2021. The fourth quarter saw the recovery trend continue with strong single digit year-over-year growth, and healthy continued sequential growth compared to Q3 2021. SmarTech’s “Core Metals” and “Core Polymers” market data products include four years of historical quarterly data and provide 10-year forward forecasts.

Quarterly reports on the metal and polymer AM markets are available as a one-time or subscription purchase via SmarTech’s website and are customizable as needed.

For more information, visit www.smartechanalysis.com/data-services.