Metal parts manufacturing has undergone significant evolution over the past few decades. The transition from manual casting and forging to CNC machining and now to 3D printing represents a major shift in how metal parts are designed, produced, and delivered on the factory floor — transforming both the speed and flexibility of modern manufacturing.

In today's competitive landscape, faster turnaround, smarter material use, and safer production methods are essential for maintaining efficiency, meeting customer demands, and staying ahead in a rapidly evolving manufacturing industry. Engineers, managers, and decision-makers must stay informed about these changes and understand how new technologies and advancements in metal 3D printing are reshaping the future.

Despite rapid technological advancements, challenges persist across the manufacturing landscape. Time-to-market pressures strain operations, while traditional tooling methods continue to extend project timelines. Custom tooling for short production runs remains costly, and maintaining quality assurance for new technologies requires adapting existing standards and processes.

Addressing these challenges through metal additive manufacturing has proven highly effective. 3D printing enables faster production cycles, the creation of complex geometries without expensive tooling, and greater flexibility to adapt designs during development. More importantly, metal 3D printed parts are increasingly meeting the stringent validation and certification standards required in industries like automotive, aerospace, and medical — making it a viable production method, not just a prototyping tool.

The following examines how metal parts manufacturing has evolved—and where it’s headed — with a focus on practical ways engineers and production teams can optimize workflows, reduce constraints, and unlock new value through metal 3D printing.

Metal Parts Manufacturing: Traditional Methods vs. Modern Techniques

Traditional Metalworking

Casting, forging, machining, and stamping have been reliable methods for metal parts manufacturing for decades. However, these processes have notable limitations:

• Long lead times for tooling and setup
• High upfront costs
• Material waste impacting both budgets and sustainability goals
• Limited flexibility for quick design changes
• Skilled labor shortages: Traditional methods like casting increasingly rely on aging workforces and specialized skills that are becoming harder to replace.

Modern Manufacturing Technologies

Current manufacturing leverages CNC machining and additive manufacturing (3D printing), offering:

• Greater precision and repeatability
• Flexibility to adapt designs quickly
• Significant reductions in waste and lead times

While modern manufacturing solutions offer clear advantages over traditional methods, adopting new technologies like metal 3D printing can be challenging. Organizations must navigate skill gaps, justify upfront investments, and manage cultural shifts in design and production processes.

Overcoming Common Challenges in Adopting Metal 3D Printing for Metal Parts Manufacturing

While the advantages of modern manufacturing technologies are clear, successfully implementing industrial 3D printing for metal parts manufacturing comes with its own set of obstacles. By proactively addressing these challenges, manufacturers can fully leverage the benefits of additive manufacturing and integrate it smoothly into their operations.

Knowledge and Skills Gap: Engineers and technicians can overcome this hurdle through targeted training programs focused on design for additive manufacturing (DfAM). Many companies also partner with 3D printing vendors, like Markforged, which often provide training, certification programs, and dedicated application engineering specialists support to accelerate workforce upskilling.

Initial Investment: To manage upfront costs, manufacturers can start with hybrid systems like the FX10 that support both composite and metal printing. Investing in a scalable solution allows teams to gradually expand capabilities while achieving quick wins that justify further investments.

Change Management: Cultural resistance can be addressed by involving production teams early in the transition process. Piloting small, successful projects — like low-volume tooling or factory aids — can demonstrate the value of 3D printing firsthand, easing the adoption curve across the organization.

Validation and Certification: Following industry-standard validation protocols is critical when adopting metal 3D printing — especially in highly regulated sectors. Azoth 3D demonstrated what’s possible by successfully passing the rigorous Production Part Approval Process (PPAP) required by General Motors. Their work culminated in producing the first metal 3D printed production component in a Cadillac, a polished stainless steel medallion that sits in the manual shifter knob. By aligning early with quality teams and applying structured validation practices, Azoth proved that additive manufacturing can meet the same demanding standards traditionally reserved for machined or cast parts.

Current Trends in Metal Parts Manufacturing

Overcoming the common challenges of adopting metal 3D printing is only part of the journey. What makes the effort worthwhile is how emerging trends are reshaping the possibilities on the factory floor. The rise of smarter factories, advanced materials, and demand for customization isn't theoretical — it's already driving real competitive advantages for companies that embrace change.

Smart Factories & Automation: Robotics, automation, and connected systems (Industry 4.0) are no longer optional. Forward-thinking companies are leveraging automation in combination with metal additive manufacturing to consistently deliver high-quality parts at scale for automotive and defense sectors.

Advanced Materials: Engineered metal powders and composites are expanding what is possible with 3D printing. PTI Tech's success with metal binder jetting technology, using materials like 316L stainless steel for critical parts, highlights how advanced materials are closing the gap between prototype and production.

Low-Volume, High-Mix Production: Demand for customized, small-batch production is growing rapidly. Dixie Iron Works capitalized on this trend by printing custom metal parts on demand, freeing up traditional CNC capacity and eliminating costly inventory buildup.

Sustainability Pressures: Sustainability is no longer a secondary concern. Additive manufacturing inherently reduces waste compared to traditional subtractive methods. Companies adopting digital inventory strategies, like Dixie Iron Works and Toivalan Metalli, are lowering material usage, reducing shipping emissions, and accelerating response times.

The Benefits of 3D Printing Metal Parts

Adopting metal 3D printing isn't about replacing old methods—it's about unlocking new possibilities and efficiencies across the entire production cycle. From rapid iteration to full-scale manufacturing, the benefits are measurable and proven.

• Faster timelines: Cut development cycles from weeks to days
• Lower costs: Eliminate tooling, reduce material waste
• More design freedom: Consolidate parts, print complex shapes easily. For geometric complexity, there is a lot more design freedom with additive manufacturing because complex shapes are easily printed.
• Production-ready strength: Durable, high-performance components
• Safer operations: Easier factory integration, and in some AM methods, like with the FX10, the metal powder is bound in a flexible filament that is safe to handle with bare hands and without respirators.

3D printing drastically shortens lead times, reduces costs, and opens the door to greater design flexibility. Dixie Iron Works demonstrated these advantages by using Markforged's Metal X printer to eliminate costly CNC setups for low-volume production. They redesigned complex assemblies into single components, reduced material waste by 75%, and slashed production costs.

Similarly, PTI Tech leveraged metal binder jetting to prototype critical elevator components in stainless steel, cutting product development time from 16 weeks to just four. By doing so, they eliminated the need for expensive pre-production tooling and delivered functional, production-representative parts with high durability.

The PX100 platform extends this capability even further, enabling manufacturers to move from prototype to true high-volume production with binder jetting. Together with the FX10, which uniquely offers safe, flexible filament-based metal 3D printing on the factory floor, Markforged technology makes additive manufacturing accessible and scalable.

Tackling Common Challenges Head-On

Adopting new technology always comes with concerns. Strength and durability have historically been questioned, but both Dixie Iron Works and Azoth have proven otherwise. Azoth, for example, successfully passed rigorous certification processes, demonstrating that metal 3D-printed parts can meet or exceed Tier 1 automotive quality standards.

Safety has also historically been a barrier to widespread adoption of metal 3D printing. Traditional powder-bed fusion processes involve handling hazardous loose metal powders. The Markforged FX10 printer solves this with its use of flexible metal filaments, making the material safe to handle with bare hands and eliminating the need for complex protective measures. This innovation reduces operational risks and lowers the barrier for deployment on the factory floor.

Looking Ahead: The Future of Metal Parts Manufacturing

The shift toward faster, more flexible, and more sustainable manufacturing is inevitable. Metal 3D printing solutions like the FX10 and PX100 are at the forefront of this transformation, offering safer workflows, reduced costs, and faster lead times. By integrating case-proven 3D printing technologies, manufacturers can stay agile and competitive in an increasingly demanding marketplace.

Innovation is already underway, backed by real-world success stories. It is time to bring these advancements to the production floor and embrace a smarter, more efficient future for metal parts manufacturing.