National Defense Magazine reports that “three-D printing companies are experiencing an explosion of sales to the unmanned aircraft industry, a trend that will likely continue, industry executives said at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International conference.”  

“‘What you’re finding is that the maturity of the process and the advancement of materials is now achieving some recognition [and] legitimacy, and we see a greater degree of adoption,’ said Frederick Claus, business development manager for Solid Concepts, a 3-D printing and rapid prototyping firm headquartered in Valencia, California. The company made headlines last year when it produced the first 3-D printed gun. It has also manufactured airframes for small UAVs.”  

“Solid Concepts itself is an example of how much the industry has grown. The company first attended the AUVSI annual conference in 2006, Claus told National Defense. Since then, Solid Concepts has grown from making $17 million in revenue each year to $70 million. The number of employees has expanded from 35 to 450.”