Welcome to the first article in my “3D Printing Answered” series. Over the years, I’ve personally responded to more than 300 questions about 3D printing technology on Quora and other specialised forums. While that’s not an enormous number, it revealed something important: many people are asking the same questions and facing similar challenges as they explore this field.
That realization inspired me to create this series—taking the knowledge I’ve shared in various corners of the internet and expanding it into more comprehensive resources that can reach a wider audience. Rather than simply republishing my previous answers, I’m enhancing them with additional insights and real-world applications that demonstrate the technology’s current capabilities.
I’ll be linking to the original questions throughout these articles, inviting you to contribute your own perspectives. As you all know that 3D printing is continuously evolving and so some answers might get outdated over a period of time and by directing knowledgeable people to those questions we all as a community can help people who are facing challenges and are posting questions. By engaging as a community, we can ensure everyone has access to the most current and practical information available.
3D Printing Answered: Industries suitable for Metal 3D Printing
This question (Which industries are metal 3D printing suitable for?) already had a few answers and so I thought that instead of just adding where metal 3D printing is suitable, let me share not only which industries are leveraging metal additive manufacturing but also highlight examples of specific companies and actual components being produced. By examining real-world examples, we can better understand how this technology is solving real-world manufacturing challenges across various fields.
Answer
Metal 3D printing is suitable for a number of industries due to its ability to produce complex, high-strength, and lightweight parts. However, there is also a limitation in terms of the material grades used in 3D printing. If the industry has a very specific material grade requirement that is printable in 3D printing, then only those applications can be serviced. So, while it is being used in a wide range of industries, due to material limitations, the adoption is not across all products or components.
Sharing the key industries below and I am also sharing the real-world examples of how some brands have made use of the technology.
Aerospace & Defence
Metal 3D printing is ideal for aerospace and defence applications, which require components that are both lightweight and strong. The technology enables the production of complicated geometries that would be unfeasible using traditional manufacturing methods, resulting in parts that can reduce aircraft weight while preserving or improving performance.
Furthermore, the ability to combine several components into a single printed part eliminates possible failure spots and streamlines supply chains in mission-critical applications.
- Airbus: The company is using metal 3D printing to produce components for the electric-powered CityAirbus, the experimental high-speed Racer helicopter and the Airbus A350 and A320 passenger aircraft, among others.
Automotive
The automotive industry benefits from metal 3D printing’s ability to create parts with optimised topologies that save weight while retaining structural integrity. This is especially useful for performance automobiles, where every gram counts. The approach eliminates tooling expenses for rare and historic cars, which would otherwise be prohibitively expensive in tiny manufacturing runs.
The freedom of design also enables better thermal management in components like as cooling channels and exhaust systems, which improves overall vehicle performance and efficiency. The technology is also widely used in prototyping and low volume manufacturing.
- Mercedes-Benz: The company utilizes metal 3D printing to produce spare parts for rare and classic cars, ensuring the availability of high-quality components without the need for extensive warehousing.
- Czinger Vehicles: Utilizing 3D printing and AI, Czinger confirmed that almost every metal component in its 21C hypercar is 3D printed, demonstrating the technology’s potential in creating efficient and high-performance parts.
Medical & Dental
The technology is also critical in medical and dental applications because it allows for patient-specific customisation at a reasonable cost. The technology excels at producing the organic, complex shapes required for optimal anatomical fit in implants and prosthetics. Titanium, a commonly used material in medical 3D printing, has high biocompatibility and osseointegration qualities.
3D printing’s lattice architecture encourage tissue ingrowth while reducing implant weight, increasing patient outcomes and recovery periods.
- Incredible3D: In India, Incredible3D uses metal 3D printing to build patient specific implants for real patients.
- Stryker: A leading medical technology firm, Stryker employs 3D printing to create knee and hip replacements, offering customized solutions that enhance patient outcomes.
Consumer Electronics
In consumer electronics, metal 3D printing provides the precision needed for miniaturised components while also allowing for novel interior shapes that improve temperature management and data transmission. The technology allows for the direct integration of electrical functions into structural components, conserving space and minimising assembly needs.
As gadgets shrink while increasing functionality, metal 3D printing provides a manufacturing solution that can keep up with these difficult design requirements.
- LITE-ON Mobile: The global contract manufacturer LITE-ON Mobile Mechanical Strategic Business Group is using Optomec’s Aerosol Jet systems to 3D print antenna patterns and other functional electronics such as sensors onto injection-moulded consumer devices.
- Apple: It is also now widely confirmed that Apple is using metal 3D printing for its Apple Watch 9 Series.
Robotics
Robotics requires components that strike a balance between strength, weight, and complicated functioning, making metal 3D printing an ideal match. The technology enables engineers to design parts with integrated channels for hydraulics or electronics, minimising the requirement for assembly.
Metal 3D printing also permits the fabrication of biomimetic structures that mimic natural physics, which is critical for advanced robots like Boston Dynamics. The flexibility to iterate designs quickly makes it appropriate for this continuously changing area where optimisation is constant.
- Boston Dynamics: It’s advanced robots like Spot and Atlas, make use of metal 3D printing to manufacture lightweight and highly durable structural components. Atlas uses a mixture of titanium and aluminium 3D printed parts to give it impressive strength-to-weight ratio.
Railway & Heavy Machinery
Metal 3D printing’s capacity to make spare parts on demand benefits the railway and heavy machinery sectors by lowering inventory costs and minimising downtime. Many components in these industries are subject to high wear conditions, and 3D printing enables the production of parts with gradient characteristics or specialised wear surfaces.
For obsolete equipment where original parts are no longer available, the technique provides a low-cost alternative for reverse engineering and producing replacement components without the need to keep decades-old tooling.
- Deutsche Bahn: The German railway company uses 3D printing to produce spare parts for older trains, reducing the need for large inventories and enabling on-demand manufacturing.
Energy & Oil & Gas
In the energy and oil & gas industries, the tech can produce components that can endure high pressures, temperatures, and corrosive environments. The method enables the direct integration of monitoring sensors into parts, resulting in predictive maintenance.
For offshore businesses where space is limited and downtime is extremely expensive, having the capacity to make vital replacement parts on-site with a 3D printer can drastically decrease operational hazards and maintenance costs.
- MX3D: In late 2021, MX3D developed a 3D printed pipeline clamp for the oil and gas industry. The part was manufactured and tested and certified to have a high level of safety, demonstrating how WAAM can be used in the oil and gas sector.
Tooling & Moulds
Metal 3D printing allows for the fabrication of conformal cooling channels that precisely match the contour of the mould cavity. This leads to more consistent cooling, shorter cycle times, and better part quality. The method also enables rapid iteration of tool designs without the lengthy machining time that is normally required.
For production runs when tool life is crucial, 3D printing allows for the manufacture of tools with gradient properties—harder surfaces where wear occurs most frequently, and tougher, less brittle cores for overall durability.
- Michelin: The tire manufacturer employs metal 3D printing to produce tire moulds, enabling the creation of complex tread patterns and improving tire performance.
- Nicolet Plastics: Nicolet Plastics, a full-service plastic injection moulding service provider in Wisconsin with extensive in-house toolmaking capabilities, invested in metal 3D printing technology to produce production-ready plastic injection mould cavity and core inserts using H13 tool steel in just days, significantly reducing both the lead time and cost associated with producing tooling.
Conclusion
Metal 3D printing has established itself across diverse industries – from aerospace and automotive to medical and consumer electronics. Despite material limitations, its ability to create complex, lightweight parts and enable on-demand manufacturing continues to drive adoption where customization and performance matter most.
This marks just the beginning of our “3D Printing Answered” series. Do you know about any other metal 3D printing application or it being used in any other industries? I encourage you to share your examples and insights in the comments section of the original question. Your contributions help build a more comprehensive resource that evolves alongside this rapidly advancing technology. Together, we can ensure everyone has access to current, practical information that solves real manufacturing challenges.
Stay tuned for the next article in the “3D Printing Answered” series, where we’ll tackle another frequently asked question from the community.
About Manufactur3D Magazine: Manufactur3D is an online magazine on 3D printing. which publishes the latest 3D printing news, insights and analysis from all around the world. Visit our 3D Printing Education page to read more such informative articles. To stay up-to-date about the latest happenings in the 3D printing world, follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
