New Study: 3D Printing Adoption Booming

According to a new report by Sculpteo, a 3D printing company, said that spending on 3D printing is on the rise. According to the survey, 68 percent of respondents said they would increase their spending on additive manufacturing in 2015, with 44 percent noting that they would increase spending by 50 percent or more.

This could be good news for 3D Systems Corporation DDD and Stratasys, Ltd. SSYS, whose stocks have struggled this year. 3D Systems shares have slipped nearly 32 percent, while Stratasys shares are down more than 57 percent.

The survey's respondents suggested that materials and new markets are the two largest trends that would impact 3D printing. Just 23 percent of Americas-based respondents believe themselves to be advanced or professional 3D users, though those "power users" noted that they have competitive advantages over their peers. Those advantages include accelerating product development and offering customized products and limited series.

While many analysts, including RBC's Amit Daryanani, believe that 3D printing has a bright future, the timing and companies that might realize that future are still unknown. In a recent note on Stratasys, Daryanani said that the industry is "rather immature" with "nascent" customer communication.

High-profile investor Whitney Tilson was famously short five different 3D printing companies last year before closing out the positions. Tilson was short both 3D Systems and Stratasys.