In 2024, a robotics startup scrapped its supplier. Traditional methods missed deadlines, so they switched to a 3D metal printing service with faster turnarounds.
Three weeks later, the engineers were stunned. The parts were on time, the specs were locked, there was no warping, no redesigns, and no stress.
The CEO did the math. It saved 40% of production time, cut waste in half, and landed a major contract because the parts worked.
What changed? They stopped relying on slow, expensive methods.
Ask yourself: Is your supplier quietly bleeding your budget? How much does a 3D print metal cost when projects stall? Why trust delays when a metal 3D printing company delivers faster?
Traditional Methods Are Slowing You Down
Too many steps. Too many chances to screw it up.
In 2025, Dehghan et al. published a detailed bibliographic analysis and reviewed hundreds of case studies from the aerospace, healthcare, and automotive sectors. Their goal was to understand how additive manufacturing (AM) compares to legacy methods in Industry 4.0 and 5.0.
Their findings were clear. 3D metal printing outperformed legacy tech in every sector: aerospace, healthcare, and automotive. Here’s how:
- AM cut lead times by over 60% in most reviewed cases.
- It reduced production waste by up to 45%.
- It improved adaptability in supply chains by over 50%.
Cyber-physical systems and automation gave AM the edge. So why stick with tech from the 1900s?
Complexity Kills Traditional Production
Thin walls? Hollow cores? Odd angles? Traditional methods hate those.
Traditional manufacturing struggles with complex shapes. Tooling costs skyrocket for thin walls, hollow cores, or odd angles—especially in aerospace. But 3D metal printing flips that script.
A 2024 study by D. Schimbäck and colleagues used laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) on Scalmalloy®. Their key findings were:
- Thin walls printed without failure
- No heat-treatment cycles
- Strength matched heat-treated alloys
It isn’t theory—it’s metal, printed strong, right out of the machine.
Don’t design for old rules. Break them—with a 3D metal printing service.
Waste Costs More Thank You Think
Old-school manufacturing? It cuts. Then it dumps. Up to 70% of your material? Gone. That’s waste—and money—on the floor.
Shah et al. (2024) saw the problem and scanned tons of research in a systematic review. Their focus was to check AM’s sustainability. What they found was clear.
AM used less, reused more, and needed less energy. Still working on volatile organic compounds (VOCs), but for short runs? It’s gold.
Why 3D Metal Printing Is More Sustainable
A metal 3D printing company gives you parts, not piles of scrap. Why waste when you can print smarter? It’s sustainable, scalable (almost), and seriously cost-effective.
So why waste when you can print smarter?
Lead Times Are Too Long
Harry Menear’s 2024 article hits home. Traditional manufacturing is too slow. Tooling delays, transport hiccups, grounded planes, idle hospitals, missed revenue, and long waits kill business.
Menear interviewed Dr. Atanu Chaudhuri of Durham University. His study explores real-world bottlenecks, from injection molding delays to wasted inventory.
But 3D printing changes everything. No mold? No problem. Chaudhuri highlights “on-demand” production—parts made in 2–3 days. Even Daimler lets clients print spares locally. Menear calls it a “shorter chain.” We call it faster cash flow.
Bottom line: A 3D metal printing service prints in days. And it works. Fast.
Customization Is Limited
Traditional manufacturing hates change. New designs mean new tools. That’s slow, expensive, and wasteful.
Li et al. (2024) broke this down. I found their study in the International Journal of Production Economics. They built two models using a manufacturer-retailer supply chain—one where the maker customizes and one where the seller does.
They tested it using a Stackelberg Game to predict how pricing and profits shift with customization. The key finding was that when costs are low, full 3D printing wins. Profits rise. Customization gets easier.
Also, offline shopping hurts profits. Online 3DP sells better. Even when production costs shift, the ideal customization level holds steady.
So yeah—a 3D metal printing service cuts out tooling, makes changes fast, and improves satisfaction. And now we’ve got the math to back it up.
Inventory Costs Are High
How to Manage Inventory Efficiently
Old-school manufacturing loves its warehouses, which drain money.
A fresh 2025 study by Ivkić et al. flipped the script. Researchers built a Cloud Crafting Platform linking online shops to local 3D printers. Everything ran on Microsoft Azure with three printer models in a testbed. The goal was to make what’s needed and when it’s needed. There should be no stockpiling or waste.
The results? A massive win. On-demand printing cut storage costs, increased profit margins, and eliminated inventory waste.
A 3D metal printing service fits right in. One-off parts. Zero inventory drama.
Lean shelves = fat margins.
Tooling Is Draining Your Budget
Molds and dies cost a fortune. For what? A hundred parts?
Meng and Yang (2024) examined this problem by exploring two strategies: tech upgrades and material recycling. Their results? Lower costs, higher profits, and cleaner processes.
How much does a 3D print metal cost when you cut out tooling?
Spoiler: Way less.
Quality That Doesn’t Fluctuate
Traditional processes can’t guarantee consistency. That’s why Imran et al. (2024) pushed real-time monitoring in Directed Energy Deposition.
The researchers explored how defects form and the factors affecting them. Their study revealed that traditional methods suffer from defects caused by process variability, leading to a higher rate of errors.
Defects dropped. Quality rose.
That’s what a metal 3D printing company brings to the table—precision with every part.
Energy Hogs Need to Go
Traditional manufacturing? Big energy bills. It isn’t good for your wallet and Earth.
Mattera et al. (2024) highlight this in their Journal of Manufacturing Processes. Their team used machine learning to save energy. They optimized wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) for Invar 36 alloy. Result? Less energy, more quality.
So ask yourself again: How much does a 3D print metal cost when energy bills are slashed?
Global Disruptions Need Local Fixes
Global supply chains are vulnerable to disruptions. They mess with production schedules and hike costs.
Priyadarshini et al. (2024) state it plainly: AM reduces supply chain risks. It means less reliance and more resilience.
A 3D metal printing service prints locally, quickly, and on demand.
One delay gone. Then another.
Fix Fast: How 3D Printing Beats Downtime
Old-school repairs take forever. Machines break. And everything stalls.
Tripp Burd (2024) breaks this down brilliantly. His article—found via Additive Manufacturing Media—shows how downtime drains $250K per hour. Worse? 82% of companies deal with it regularly.
Burd explains how 3D printing flips the script. One German OEM cut 14-day repairs to one day with on-site printers.
Printed parts mimic aluminum but weigh less. They’re strong, fast, and ‘on demand.’ Burd calls it a “transformative solution”—and he’s right.
It isn’t magic. It’s a 3D metal printing service that fixes the time itself.
Why FormAlloy Leads the Pack
You need faster turnarounds. Less waste. Lower costs. Better quality. Tighter deadlines. Local production.
And FormAlloy checks every box.
We don’t just offer any 3D metal printing service—we engineer solutions that speed up your workflow, slash your budget, and help you win.
Want smarter production? Want parts in days, not weeks?
📞 Talk to FormAlloy: 619.377.9101.
🔩 Print faster. Print better. Print with us.
