For various reasons, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are not always the best source for replacement parts. A growing number of people and companies are looking to 3D printing as a way to replicate parts that they otherwise would struggle to procure. This is especially true in the automotive, construction, and hardware technology industries.

Like other tech companies and startups, additive manufacturing – aka 3D printing – benefited greatly from an influx of capital in 2020-2021. Over the past two years, several 3D printing companies have gone public, raised large funding rounds, been acquired, or merged with other companies in an effort to further scale their businesses. However, the recent decline in valuations of public 3D printing companies is raising some questions about the market potential of the technology.