3D Scanning - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2024 - 2029)

The 3D Scanning Market size is estimated at USD 3.56 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 7.16 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 14.98% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

Though 3D scanning technology has not penetrated residential and private settings, these devices are prominently used to produce video games and movies in industries such as entertainment and media. Other industrial applications where these devices are found to be of great use are architecture, construction, aerospace, healthcare, and automotive, among others, where these can be used for onsite parts production. 3D scanners have been a part of the innovations led by applications.

3D scanning technology witnessed considerable adoption from commercial applications. Further, the flexibility of the technology to be customized to meet professional needs in various industries has made it profoundly popular across major end-user industries.

Furthermore, 3D scanners are used in the construction industry to create a scaled 3D many-building structure. In the architectural industry, these devices help preserve and archive historical monuments from museums. Due to this technology's customizability and scalability, manufacturers rely on measurement accuracy and speed when building and developing advanced military and defense systems, using 3D scanners in making weapons and vehicles, such as frigates.

Moreover, the growing construction or infrastructure activities across the globe will increase the demand for 3D scanning during the projected timeline. According to IBEF, the government has dramatically pushed the infrastructure sector by allocating USD 130.57 billion to enhance the infrastructure sector in India. Additionally, India plans to spend USD 1.4 trillion on infrastructure through the 'National Infrastructure Pipeline' in the following five years.

In the medical sector, 3D scanners are used to model body parts in three dimensions, which are used to create prosthetics. It can also facilitate wound healing and care and generate body implants. 3D scanners are widely used by healthcare and medical professionals for creating custom-fit orthotic solutions, back braces, ergonomic prosthetic devices, dental implants, measurements, etc.

Moreover, the increasing elderly population is expected to boost the demand for advanced technologies in the medical industry. According to the Burden of Digestive Diseases in the United States, it is estimated that more than 20 million GI endoscopies are performed yearly in the United States, whereas a total of 75 million endoscopies are performed in the U.S. every year. Also, as per the American Cancer Society, It is estimated that in 2023 there will be a total of 238,340 new cases of lung and bronchus cancer in the United States.

Additionally, the rising adoption of 3D printing technology in various industries is one of the major factors thriving the adoption of 3D printers. As the adoption of 3D printers grows, the need for 3D scanning systems will increase simultaneously, driving market growth. 3D printers are experiencing this inflection point, likely because companies across multiple industries are increasingly using 3D printing technologies for more than just rapid prototyping.

3D scanning as a non-contact technique helped the thoracic chest scanning for COVID-19. The outbreak of this respiratory disease led to using 3D scanning technology as a useful tool to detect and quantify the COVID-19 virus.

3D Scanning Market Trends

Structured-light Scanner by Hardware Type to Drive the Market Growth

A structured-light 3D scanner is a 3D scanning device for measuring the three-dimensional shape of an object using a single light source projecting multiple lines on the object being tracked by a camera or multiple cameras. This contrasts a laser scanner, which emits various laser dots on a single object, one after the other.

Applications, such as reverse engineering of objects to produce CAD data, volume measurement of engineering parts, motion, and environment capture for augmented reality games, body measurements for fashion retailing, automated optical inspection in high-speed manufacturing lines, and obstacle detection systems on unmanned aircraft, have been actively deploying structured light scanners.

By offering capabilities such as fast and no setup time, handheld 3D scanners conveniently integrate the same. Thus, multiple handheld 3D scanners for 3D printing have been deploying structured light technology. The technology uses trigonometric triangulation by projecting a light pattern onto the object to scan.

The growing adoption of robots in the industrial sector will support the growth of the 3D scanning market. A structured light 3D scanner consists of a video projector and multiple cameras. The 3D scanner can be attached to a robotic arm, automatically moving around the object and 3D-scans it from all angles. These scanners can perform quick surface scans with the finest resolution in the range of a few microns and the highest accuracy.

However, a significant downside of this type of scanner is sensitivity to the lighting conditions in a given environment, which poses a significant issue in working outside.

North America to Account for Major Share

The United States is one of the most significant and consequential 3D scanning markets globally, with healthcare, aerospace and defense, architecture and engineering, 3D Digital Corporation, research and education, entertainment, and media as the significant, largest, and among some of the most advanced.

3D scanning opens up boundless possibilities for artists, allowing them to translate their most fantastic ideas into reality. For instance, the US media and entertainment (M&E) market, which is 33% of the global M&E industry, is the largest M&E market in the world, especially 3D animation production in the country, which houses the animation studios such as Disney and Pixar. The technology drives forward the movie industry and video games - many stunts and visual effects would have been difficult or even impossible to bring off before the advent of 3D scanning.

Furthermore, the government invests in helping Canadian creative industries expand their global reach. For instance, in August 2022, the Federal government announced investing USD 11.2 million into 29 publishing, television, and video game companies, further supporting the market growth.

Due to Canada's commitment to public access to healthcare, the government spending on healthcare exceeds 10% of Canada's GDP, one of the highest percentages in the developed world, equating to well over USD 5000 in healthcare spending per capita. These, coupled with the increased demand for plastic surgery, prosthetics, amputation, etc., provide new 3D scanners and scanning technologies.

3D Scanning Industry Overview

The 3D scanning market is fragmented. Overall, the competitive rivalry among the existing competitors is high. Large and small companies new product innovation strategy is giving rise to the 3D scanning market. Some of the key developments in the area are:

In April 2023, Shining 3D introduced its new multifunctional FreeScan Combo 3D scanner. FreeScanCombo adopts metrology-grade accuracy, fine scanning, and high precision from the FreeScan series while providing an even lighter and more compact design. It features 26 + 7 + 1 blue laser lines and an infrared scanning mode. These scanners are used for scanning scenarios such as reverse engineering, metrology-grade inspection, and further applications.

In March 2023, Capture 3D introduced a ZEISS T-Scan Hawk 2. Developed and produced in Germany by ZEISS, this lightweight handheld 3D scanner includes a red laser marker for perfect distance control, new satellite mode, GOM Inspect 3D inspection software, and hyperscale calibration. The ZEISS T-SCAN Hawk 2 also comes with acceptance testing certified to the highest industry standards.

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