The emergence of 3D printed medical devices has led to significant innovation in medical manufacturing. Using 3D printing to create medical devices allows for more flexibility and customization. These capabilities equate to better patient outcomes when using 3D printed medical devices.
For medical device manufacturers, 3D printing enables the creation of complex designs that can’t be replicated with traditional manufacturing methods. And for small batch production, 3D printing is a more cost-effective choice compared to some other options, such as injection molding.
Some 3D printed medical devices include implants, surgical instruments, dental restorations, and prosthetics. As the medical manufacturing industry embraces 3D printing, this technology will continue to be used in more medical applications.
3D Printed Medical Device Market
The market for 3D printed medical devices was valued at $2.2 billion in 2024. It’s expected to double by 2030, reaching an estimated market value of $4.5 billion. This growth will likely be driven by an increase in customized 3D printed medical devices, which are better suited to meet patient-specific needs.
Being able to personalize products on a patient-specific basis is one of the main benefits of using 3D printing in medical manufacturing. This technology enables manufacturers to create medical devices that match each patient’s unique anatomy. Additionally, 3D designs can be easily adjusted, allowing for quick changes to more effectively meet patient needs.
These customized devices are one of the few products that are more affordable to manufacture with 3D printing compared to standard subtractive manufacturing practices. 3D printing can often be seen as a time-consuming method to manufacture products, but for personalized medical devices it is a cheaper and faster way to bring these end-use products to market.
Bioprinting is another 3D printing medical application that is predicted to expand in the near future. This is a vastly different application from medical devices but is an innovative expansion of 3D printing within the medical field. With bioprinting, medical researchers can move away from using implants and prosthetics made of inorganic materials and instead 3D print organs and tissue that can be transplanted into patients.
3D printing’s capabilities are improving patient outcomes and driving innovation in the medical field. These examples highlight why the adoption of 3D printing is growing in the medical manufacturing industry.
Overcoming 3D Printing’s Limitations in Medical Manufacturing
Though there are many benefits to using 3D printing to manufacture medical devices, there are still limitations preventing wider adoption of this technology. One of these is regulatory ambiguity when using 3D printing in medical manufacturing.
Currently, the FDA hasn’t formalized set regulations for 3D printing medical devices. This has led medical manufacturers to adhere to their own set regulations and validation processes to ensure their 3D printed medical devices are safe and reliable.
The nature of 3D printing makes this process even more complex. 3D printed medical devices can be easily customized, meaning these products are usually created as one-off jobs or small-batch production runs. Any variation between production runs, such as different measurements for a customized device, require individual validation and device-specific quality checks.
Despite requiring more quality checks and validations, there are also advantages to the lack of set regulations. With less regulatory hoops to jump through, medical device researchers and manufacturers can more easily bring their products to market. These products often enhance patient lives, so the sooner they are available to the public, the better.
Another roadblock to adoption in the medical industry is the lack of 3D printing expertise among medical manufacturers. To create 3D printed medical devices, these manufacturers need workers who can operate 3D printers and have knowledge of medical-grade devices. With the present manufacturing skills shortage, it is even more difficult for manufacturers to find such highly skilled individuals, whether for medical manufacturing or other industries.
But this lack of skilled workers has also presented an opportunity for industry growth. There are organizations, programs, and events that offer educational classes to help increase the medical manufacturing workforce.
One such example of this is Tufts University (Massachusetts), which has a course on 3D Printing the Human Body offered through their biomedical engineering department. There is also RAPID + TCT, an industrial 3D printing event that offers a conference track on 3D printing in healthcare specifically designed to address the industry’s workforce shortcomings.
Though limitations persist, 3D printed medical devices are still poised for growth in the medical manufacturing industry. The continued research and investment into 3D printing will help overcome adoption roadblocks and pave the way for the technology’s continued market expansion.
Transforming Medical Manufacturing With 3D Printing
3D printing isn’t just a new way to manufacture medical devices — it enables increased customization in the industry and allows for the creation of new medical products that can’t be made with traditional manufacturing methods. Being able to create implants, prosthetics, and even surgical tools for specific patients and surgery needs will improve patient outcomes across the medical industry.
With the adoption of 3D printing, the medical field can manufacture brand-new products. From bioprinting living cells and tissues to creating a 3D printed patch that regenerates heart muscles, there’s extraordinary potential for this technology in medical manufacturing.
If you want to explore more 3D printing medical applications or learn about use cases in other manufacturing industries, check out RAPID + TCT. The 2026 iteration of North America’s largest additive manufacturing and industrial 3D printing event takes place in Boston and will prominently feature medical 3D printing in the region.