Metal 3D printing can be as strong, or in some cases stronger than a billet or forged version of the same material. This is due to having much better control of the microstructure, alloy design and processing, and heat treatment.
At Fundamental Motorsports we are designing, optimizing, and pinting products with the DMLS process. This stands for Direct Metal Laser Sintering, which is a process that uses high percision lasers to selectivly fuse layers of metal powder.
Historically, metal 3D printing was expensive in comparison to manufacturing technologies common in the automotive industry. However, technology continues to see advancements that help drive down the cost, making it more accessible to everyone.