By Melissa Donovan
The transportation industry is vast, comprising of rail, aerospace, maritime, and automotive. One common factor—additive manufacturing’s (AM’s) place in the production of the various parts and tools used.
Above: With a lateral resolution of 40 μm and the ability to print up to 150 layers per hour, the Lithoz CeraFab System S65 creates intricate parts, often used for cooling devices made from ceramics with exceptional thermal properties, above all in hydrogen-powered air and ground vehicles.
According to Norbert Gall, head of marketing, Lithoz, “transportation as a collective term comprises many industries and subcontractors, which contribute to final means of transport. A passenger car consists of approximately 10,000 single components, from load bearing components over smart electronics to interiors. Accordingly, each of these categories have specific challenges and cost structures, which make AM more or less attractive.”
Three-dimensional (3D) printing allows for design freedom, minimized lead times, and the elimination of storage. As these benefits become more noticeable and technology advances it makes sense that what was once predominantly prototype focused, transportation as an industry is now leveraging AM for end use parts.
Well Suited to Manufacturing
3D printing is ideal for manufacturing parts and tools ultimately used in automotive, rail, and aerospace. Designs not capable of being manufactured via more traditional technologies are possible.
According to Matthew Stark, 3D segment manager, Mimaki USA, Inc., transportation OEMs and suppliers benefit from 3D printing’s design freedom, rapid iteration, and low-volume production without the tooling costs associated with conventional manufacturing.
“3D printing is a natural fit for transportation because our customers must do more in less space, at lower weight, and with higher efficiency,” explains Dan Woodford, CEO, Conflux Technology.
Applications in this segment include weight optimized, safety relevant parts. AM yields “complex internal channels, lattice structures, and part consolidation, which help reduce weight and integrate multiple functions into a single component and supporting efficiency goals,” shares the Rapid Shape marketing team.
“Transportation components often require complex geometries, functional surfaces, lightweight structures, and tight process control. AM enables this by allowing engineers to design around function rather than tooling constraints,” says Daniele Grosso, marketing manager, AltForm, formerly Prima Additive by Sodick.
An example is rapid coating of brake discs where laser-based deposition is used to apply functional coatings that improve wear resistance and reduce emissions. AltForm industrialized this process, adapting additive principles to high-throughput production and designing fully automated lines capable of operating continuously in automotive environments.
The creation of complex geometries using 3D printing also eliminates the use of additional machinery like heat exchangers, piping, suspension systems, disk brakes, and turbine blades, asserts Tobias Dornai, senior AM engineer, NIDEC Machine Tool America.
Transportation systems rely on embedded sensors, antennas, wiring, and control electronics to support autonomy, connectivity, health monitoring, and electrification. 3D printing is well suited for these applications. “These electronic features can be printed directly onto or within complex 3D surfaces, reducing part count, wiring complexity, weight, and assembly steps,” notes Brandon Dickerson, business development, nScrypt.
Supply chains and delivery lead times are also influenced, with on demand manufacturing shortening both. This is something attractive for fleets and long lifecycle vehicles, states the Rapid Shape marketing team.
“In aerospace, rail, and automotive sectors, 3D printing allows engineers to optimize parts for weight reduction, thermal performance, and mechanical strength while significantly shortening development timelines. It also supports faster innovation, qualification, and validation of new designs,” suggests Sébastien Jacoberger, marketing manager, Prodways Printers.
Sébastian Recke, senior key account manager, GEFERTEC GmbH, references wire arc AM (WAAM) as a particular 3D printing technology that “enables the production of large metal parts with high deposition rates, significantly reducing delivery times compared to casting or forging. Parts can be produced near-net-shape and often require minimal post-machining, saving time and enabling rapid availability of critical components.”
On demand production offers the ability to create spare parts without the cost of storage. There are number of reasons why a one-off part or small quantities of a single part might be needed.
“Transportation programs increasingly demand variant parts, customized interior components, specialty tooling, and limited‑run spares. AM eliminates tooling costs and lead times,” explains Patrick Boyd, marketing director, EOS North America.
Kailey Harvey, sales and marketing operations coordinator, MELD Manufacturing Corporation, points out that many transportation components are legacy parts, where the tooling no longer exists if replacements are needed. “3D printing allows for tooling to be repaired or replaced without the long lead times and remanufacturing costs. This eliminates warehousing and the personnel required to store and archive physical tooling.”
Increased maturation of AM systems means more niches for AM—above all spare part management. “The fast, geographically independent production of parts is already becoming reality in transportation. Considering an operational life of railcars or planes of multiple decades, passenger cars of 15 years, reproducing high-mix low-volume spare parts locally relieves logistic chains and cuts on cost pressure connected to warehouses and factories,” adds Gall.
In ceramic 3D printing, Lithoz has experienced two particular trends, both connected to efficiencies previously unattainable with legacy technologies—lightweight cooling or electrolysis components for hydrogen propulsions, and cooling elements for heat protection of compact electronic high-performance units.
Prototype to Final
While 3D printing is traditionally used for prototyping in aerospace, rail, and automotive applications, it is also utilized for final transportation components.
“Earlier limitations such as slow print times, limited material choices, and lower resolution made it difficult to produce detailed features like threads or very smooth surfaces. Components involving motion or structural loads were avoided due to concerns about reliability. Adoption was further slowed by a lack of consistent standards and uncertainty around the process. Over time, advances in materials and process control have resulted in more predictable and repeatable outcomes,” which has made it so AM is increasingly used for final part creation, details Dornai.
Established qualification pathways, certified materials, and production-grade facilities support serial manufacturing, note Andrew Cunningham, senior application engineer – automotive and motorsports, and Ralf Frohwerk, global head of business development, Nikon SLM Solutions AG. “Rail and heavy vehicle manufacturers use AM for spare and replacement parts, particularly where castings or legacy tooling create long lead times.”
“Across all industries, around 67 percent of users still apply 3D printing primarily for prototyping, while roughly 21 percent use it for end use parts overall. Transportation stands out—in recent surveys, about 33 percent of transportation users already apply AM for end use parts, significantly above the cross‑industry average,” shares the Rapid Shape marketing team.
A report from Protolabs published in 2024 relays similar information. The transportation industry uses AM for a higher share of end use parts than most other industries. Around one third of 3D printed parts in the transportation sector are considered end use. “This is due to both the reduction in cost of materials, advancement in printing technology, and addition of engineering grade materials,” states Stark.
Historically, Boyd says AM in transportation was 80 to 90 percent prototyping. Today, he says automotive is 25 to 35 percent end use parts, aerospace 60 to 70 percent, and rail 30 to 40 percent. He attributes growth to material maturity, repeatable high-volume printing platforms, and digital certification workflows.
Harvey believes that while 3D printing is still primarily used for prototyping and tooling, it is starting to change. “3D printing is increasingly applied to low-volume and performance-driven applications. This is notable in applications limited by supply chain constraints. As 3D printing matures, the emphasis is moving from feasibility to reliability and repeatability, which is what supports production use.”
“Currently, prototyping is the predominant use case for AM in transportation. But it is a limitation more existing in the minds of users than based on technological reality. The trend to localize spare part supply for high-mix low-volume portfolios is the gateway to fully scale AM into the transport industry. It is key for system providers to long-term proof the economically viable robustness and scalability to make OEMs adapt the systems for regular production,” remarks Gall.
Prototyping remains important, but there is a steady and concrete increase in the use of AM for final parts, suggests Grosso. This is true when traditional processes struggle with flexibility, lead time, or performance. The aforementioned brake disc coating application is a good example of the evolution—here AM is used as a fully qualified, scalable production process integrated into automated manufacturing lines.
“Over the years, improvements in laser systems, process stability, material control, and digital monitoring have made this transition possible, allowing AM to enter production environments that demand consistency, uptime, and traceability,” adds Grosso.
According to Jacoberger, as printing accuracy, process stability, and material performance improve, AM becomes integral to the production chain rather than a standalone prototyping step. “In aerospace, for example, 3D printed ceramic molds are now used in the investment casting of turbine blades and other high-temperature metal components. Compared to traditional methods, which can take one to two years to produce and qualify tooling, AM reduces lead times to just a few weeks.”
Woodford believes 3D printing has moved from mainly prototypes to a proven production route in high-performance programs, which is illustrated by Conflux’s recent collaboration with Pagani and Xtrac.
“We iterated multiple full-scale 3D printed cartridge heat exchanger prototypes, tested on road, track, and through thermal shock, to tune performance and durability. That same AM design is now the final, homologated transmission oil heat exchanger under a six year production commitment, with about a 30 percent gain in heat rejection in the same package, which is why more hypercar, motorsport, and advanced aerospace programs are keeping AM all the way into end use parts,” shares Woodford.
Recke credits increasing industrialization of WAAM—process monitoring, data integration, robust machine architecture, and validated wire materials—as lowering the barrier for serial production. This has transitioned AM from a prototyping tool to a production-ready process for large metal parts, especially in transportation-relevant sectors. Customers of GEFERTEC often approach the company to discuss production of real industrial applications—this includes rapid production of railway components such as yaw dampers.
Material Choice
Various materials are used in 3D printing for transportation—metal, polymers, composite materials, and ceramics. No matter which is run through the printer, they need to exhibit essential properties.
“Regardless of material, many transportation applications demand the same fundamentals—survive vibration and cyclic loading, hold properties at elevated temperatures over extended periods, and stay stable over long service lives,” explains Woodford.
Transportation has specific material specifications. “Mechanical strength/fatigue resistance is critical for vibration‑heavy environments. Thermal stability is important for under‑hood components, aero ducting, and battery housings. Impact resistance is required for automotive interiors and rail components. Corrosion and chemical resistance to fluids, oils, and weather; dimensional stability and repeatability; and flame, smoke, and toxicity compliance is necessary,” lists Boyd.
No matter the material, certifications need to be addressed. “In the railway industry for example, certifications include UL 94 V0, which verifies if a material self extinguishes after exposure to flame; ASTM E662 measuring the amount of smoke released during burning; and ASTM D638, which confirms the material’s mechanical strength and structural stability,” says Jason Tzintzun, head of marketing, Americas, BigRep.
Metal is popular for applications that require load bearing parts, as they can rely on the metal’s strength, durability, and well-understood behavior, according to Harvey. Exterior components turn to metal because they are exposed to elements and subjected to external forces such as uneven roads or damaged railways.
“Metal remains the dominant material category for structural and safety-critical components. Materials must meet demanding requirements, including mechanical strength, fatigue resistance, thermal stability, and corrosion resistance often within strict regulatory environments. When properly processed, alloys demonstrate properties comparable to wrought equivalents and are increasingly covered by ASTM, ISO, SAE, aerospace, and motorsport standards. Continued material development is expanding the range of qualified applications,” say Cunningham and Frohwerk.
Some examples of metals used would be steel—high strength and durability is essential here to build brackets, housings, and large structural nodes for railways; copper aluminum and nickel aluminum alloys—required for corrosion resistance these are commonly used for propellers and other marine structures; and titanium—chosen for aircrafts due to its high strength-to-weight ratio and resistance to heat and corrosion, lists Recke.
Boyd says metals are most prevalent for transportation. Aluminum alloys are ideal for TVs, aerospace, and motorsport with their lightweight, strong, excellent thermal properties. Titanium alloys offer high strength-to-weight ratios and are corrosion resistant. Nickel alloys offer high-temperature performance for aviation engines and thermal systems. Copper alloys are used for heat exchangers and e-motor components because of thermal efficiency.
Polymer and composite materials are used for interiors, tooling, and non-structural parts. “They must offer high mechanical strength and stiffness; impact and fatigue resistance; thermal stability; and resistance to chemicals, UV, and humidity, often with required flame retardant and low‑smoke properties,” adds the Rapid Shape marketing team.
Stark believes polymers and polymer composites are popular because they provide a strong balance of performance, cost, and manufacturability. “Key required material attributes include mechanical strength and durability; thermal stability; chemical and UV resistance; flame, smoke, and toxicity compliance; as well as dimensional stability and surface finish.”
Polymers with functional inks—conductive, dielectric, and resistive—exhibit reliable electrical conductivity and signal integrity; strong adhesion; mechanical durability; thermal stability; and resistance to moisture, chemicals, and environmental exposure, according to Dickerson.
Part of the polymer family, thermoplastics are used, including “polyamide/nylon materials—PA6,66, PA12, or any of the carbon fiber/glass fiber reinforced versions; polycarbonate for durability and heat resistance; polyetherimide for its flame retardancy; and polyphenylsulfone or polyetheretherketone for high performance, chemically resistant parts,” shares Tzintzun.
Ceramics are also utilized. Jacoberger considers silica-based materials critical for projects that demand extreme temperature resistance, tight tolerances, and high dimensional stability. “Silica ceramics offer excellent thermal resistance, chemical inertness, and mechanical strength, making them ideal for producing turbine blade molds, heat resistant tooling, and components exposed to severe thermal cycles.”
“Ceramics are gaining traction in extreme temperature applications such as combustion systems and hardware used in hypersonic environments,” adds Dornai.
Positive Possibilities
There are many options when it comes to using 3D printing for transportation parts, tooling, and end use components. Materials like metal, polymer, and ceramic present opportunities in terms of creating not only prototypes but finished products at scale.
Visit industrialprintmag.com for an article on printers serving this space from vendors interviewed in this piece. Also, listen to a webinar on the same topic.
Apr2026, Industrial Print Magazine
