The extent of use of additive manufacturing in the automotive industry really comes down to confidence in its capacity as a tool for production and, what may be most significant—cost, which still largely influences whether companies pursue high-volume production.

For instance, because performance vehicles cost big money to produce, such manufacturers usually have change to spare when manufacturing specialized parts and components, making AM a cost-effective fit.

But what about the rest of the automotive industry—does AM really make economic sense? Can it support large-scale production of parts? How exactly is its use being adopted across the sector? Digital Engineering reached out to several companies in AM who addressed their successes and limitations in using AM as a tool to impact automotive parts production and more.

Trending in Additive Manufacturing

Conflux Technology, an Australian advanced manufacturing company, designs and produces metal additive manufactured heat exchangers for use in production vehicles, motorsport, aerospace, and defense applications.

“From where we sit, the headline trend in automotive AM is straightforward: 3D printing has moved from ‘prototyping and curiosity’ to a legitimate tool in the production toolkit—and adoption is accelerating,” says Daniel Woodford, CEO, Conflux Technology. “Two forces are driving this.

The No. 1 driving force for the 3D printing shift from prototyping to a tool for production, according to Woodford, is confidence. “There is now a growing body of certification evidence and experience that AM delivers—production parts, race-proven components, multi-year OEM contracts. That self-reinforcing knowledge base is lowering the barrier for procurement and engineering teams to specify AM parts.”

The other force, which may be obvious, is cost. “The economics are improving materially, driven by higher productivity, lower cost AM platforms (particularly in metal) and companies like Conflux investing deliberately in cost-down manufacturing strategies,” Woodford suggests.

Automotive grill prototype created using 3D Systems SLA 3D printing and Accura AMX Rigid Black material. Image courtesy: 3D Systems

Although Conflux sees economic bright spots, Eric Utley of Protolabs says it’s still critical to understand the financial piece with automotive: “It’s an industry laser-focused on cost per part. That’s always been one of the main reasons 3D printing hasn’t moved more broadly into high-volume production. The technology is really good at making complex parts with high-performance features like lightweighting, but automotive companies are constantly trying to drive costs down to the absolute minimum.”

Joe Dopkowski, business development manager, 3D Systems, says the cost factor is related to volumes. According to Dopkowski, volume is “always at the leading edge of cost-driven solutions. When you’re manufacturing millions and millions of components a year, tenths of a penny start to add up quickly. The end customer for volume automotive is also very price sensitive. The main hurdle [for AM] to be used at a greater scale is cost.”

A view of the side of a Harley-Davidson racing motorcycle engine and 3D-printed exhaust system designed to get closer to the ground on turns, according to Eric Utley of Protolabs. Image courtesy: Protolabs

That said, what may influence increased adoption of AM in automotive is supply chain pressure, according to Bruno Romero, HP Additive Manufacturing EMEA applications engineer manager. “As companies look to reduce inventory and produce parts closer to where they are needed, on-demand, localized production is making additive manufacturing a more practical solution.”

Romero continues, “Historically, cost per part and throughput limited its use beyond prototyping. That is now changing as systems become more productive and materials more efficient.”

Cost aside, innovations and developments in AM also increase its attractiveness to the automotive sector.

“…advances in automation, software, and workflow integration are making it easier to move from design to production using the same processes and materials. This allows engineering teams to produce functional parts in-house and reduces the gap between design, validation, and manufacturing,” HP’s Romero adds.

Protolabs’ Utley notes more developments tipping the scales in favor of AM.

“For high-performance vehicles, 3D-printed parts that are complex or require lightweighting are still a strong application for 3D printing,” Utley says, as is mass customization. “More OEMs are offering customization features that fit nicely with low-volume manufacturing methods like additive.” Another growing opportunity involves replacement parts, especially for older vehicles, or components that aren’t easy to source.

What’s Driving Performance Automotive

Pictured here is the right side of a Harley-Davidson racing bike, which features a 3D printed exhaust system, a collaborative effort involving Protolabs. Image courtesy: Protolabs.

Collaboration helps fuel the integration of AM in automotive especially in the performance vehicle segment. “Conflux’s automotive engagement runs across the high-performance spectrum—from motorsport at the sharp end through to low-volume hypercar and supercar OEM production,” shares Woodford. The company’s longest automotive relationships are in motorsport, including Formula One, where performance expectations and tolerance for AM technology have been high.

On the OEM side, Woodford spoke of two specific programs that Conflux has worked on all the way to production.

Pagani Utopia — Conflux developed a bespoke transmission oil cooler for the Pagani Utopia hypercar. The Utopia’s V12-powered drivetrain demanded “exceptional” thermal management of its transmission oil circuit, particularly under track conditions. Conflux delivered a 30% increase in heat rejection compared to the previous solution, Woodford notes.

Donkervoort P24 RS — Donkervoort selected Conflux’s barrel water charge air coolers for their upcoming P24 RS supercar — a 600 hp, twin-turbo V6 in a 780 kg car. The P24 RS will carry two Conflux WCACs, utilizing cylindrical designs placed directly between the turbochargers and throttle bodies. Each unit features tailored fin geometry, density, and size.

“These are production programs, not prototypes—and they reflect what we believe is a broader shift in how performance vehicle manufacturers are approaching thermal management,” Woodford says.

Where AM Makes Most Sense

Smaller parts can present a strong case for 3D printing, according to Utley. “3D printing tends to make the most sense when the part is relatively small, fairly detailed, needed in lower volumes, or likely to be redesigned a few times. That’s where we’re seeing the most traction. It’s less about trying to compete with traditional manufacturing on huge production runs and more about helping customers move faster, iterate faster and solve problems that conventional processes don’t handle as well.”

Again, though, the size of the component being produced can limit AM’s use, notes Dopkowski. “Large components are likely to still be made with traditional methods that can support the large component size. Metal structural components, turbochargers, engine internals, interior panels, gaskets and electronics enclosures, even the molds used to manufacture tires, can and are being made additively,” he shares.

Yet AM is in play for a broader range of automotive components today. “Additive has really worked its way, in some way/shape or form, into virtually all components—whether it is the end-use part itself, prototyping of that component or fixturing to assemble the final components,” Dopkowski adds.

Specific Use Cases for Additive in Automotive

For performance vehicles, use cases for AM can include “everything from quick iteration wind tunnel testing to lightweight structural components for reducing unsprung mass and everything in between,” says 3D Systems’ Dopkowski. “Performance vehicles are very purpose-focused (performance) and less price sensitive as long as the tool applied (additive) provides the solution that is being looked for.”

At Protolabs, Utley breaks down use cases by category:

Prototyping: A large amount of work here centers on interior components, housings, headlights, taillights, and development parts, Utley notes.

Low-volume production: Such as for EV startups and specialty vehicles

Aftermarket and replacement parts: ”In situations where parts are out of market, 3D printing can be a very practic...

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