Tariff Troubles– Additive Manufacturing helping Engineers Bridge the Gap

Additive manufacturing and low-volume production have unique advantages—they’re the tools that help you take control in an unpredictable landscape.

Instead of feeling boxed in by tariffs and traditional manufacturing constraints, you can leverage these technologies to stay agile, innovative, and even reduce costs. Let’s break it down.

Alternative Routes for Manufacturing 

Yes, tariffs are a headache. They drive up the cost of materials and parts, especially if you’re sourcing internationally. But here’s another view: it encourages all of us to think critically about where and how we manufacture.

Instead of only relying on overseas suppliers or large-scale production runs, explore and understand how to leverage additive manufacturing to bridge the gap. Opening the door to localized, on-demand production.    

By producing your plastic parts domestically using technologies like Multi-Jet Fusion (MJF) you can potentially dodge import tariffs and avoid the rollercoaster of international shipping costs.  

For some projects, it’s a great alternative solution to help bridge the gap, shorten lead times by manufacturing closer to home, and allow you to gain control over quality and consistency. Request a quote with multi-jet fusion on your next project and compare costs.

COMPARE COSTS– Traditional (+ new tariffs $$$) vs. Additive Manufacturing (local)

We'll assess your project and compare costs to help you figure out an ideal solution.

The Flexibility of Additive Manufacturing

Let’s talk about the real game-changer here: low-volume production. If you’ve ever been burned by the high upfront costs of injection molding or the inflexibility of traditional manufacturing, you’ll appreciate what additive manufacturing brings to the table.

Who does this work for?

• Ideal for plastic internal parts or less cosmetic standards.
• Not ideal if parts require specific material properties like: Electrical discharge capabilities or Flame retardancy.

Cost Tolerance: If plastic part cost is a small portion of total product cost, spending more on MJF to keep production moving can be worth it.

Tooling will take a hit 

We’ve seen it before: a project stalls because the tooling costs are astronomical. Injection molds can easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars—certainly not ideal for small production runs or prototypes. If it’s possible to temporarily test out your project with Multi-Jet Fusion Additive Manufacturing, and use it for short run production, you can skip tooling at least temporarily.

Parts are printed directly from your CAD files, which means: 
- Faster turnaround times (think days, not weeks). 
- Lower initial investment, freeing up budget for other priorities. 
- The flexibility to iterate designs quickly without retooling costs. 

Innovate Without the Wait 

Now is the time of you’re thinking of innovating part designs. It can happen when you have the opportunity to test, tweak, and refine your designs—fast.

Additive manufacturing lets you do exactly that.

Whether you’re working on drone designs, end-of-arm tooling for robotics, custom medical devices, or lightweight EV components, MJF allows you to prototype and produce with agility. 

Imagine reducing lead times from months to just 72 hours. That’s not just faster—that’s transformative. 

Smarter Inventory Management  

How many times have you had to overproduce just to meet a supplier’s minimum order quantity? It’s wasteful, expensive, and ties up valuable resources.

With low-volume production, you can adopt a just-in-time approach: 
- Produce only what you need, when you need it. 
- Minimize warehousing costs and the risk of excess inventory. 
- Stay responsive to changing project requirements.  

Case Study: EV Startup Reduces Costs by 25% 
An electric golf cart startup faced challenges sourcing lightweight battery components and interior parts. Traditional methods required large minimum orders and high costs. With MJF, they produced small batches of high-strength parts at a fraction of the cost, giving them the agility to iterate designs and compete in a fast-moving market. 

Case Study: Medical Device Manufacturer Iterates Faster 
A medical device company needed a short-run of a complex plastic part. Injection molding couldn’t provide the customization or cost-efficiency they needed at this stage. MJF delivered small, fast batches throughout their testing phase– Helping them ease into to production, before investing in the tooling.

Turning Challenges into Opportunities 

Additive manufacturing isn’t just a trend—it’s a proven, practical tool that’s already helping engineers overcome design and production limitations.  Today, it’s a way to help bridge the gap during global economic challenges.

The key is to approach it with the same critical eye you’d apply to any engineering problem.

Ask the tough questions: 
- Will this technology meet my tolerance requirements? 
- Can it handle the material properties I need? 
- Does it align with my project’s timeline and budget? 

The answer, more often than not, is yes. And when it isn’t, the flexibility of additive manufacturing means you can pivot quickly to find a solution that works.  

Tariffs, rising costs, and supply chain disruptions aren’t going away anytime soon. But with additive manufacturing and low-volume production, you don’t have to let these challenges hold up your projects. Instead, you can use it to look at ways to adapt temporarily or time to rethink how you design, produce, and innovate. 

At the end of the day, it’s about control—control over your costs, your timelines, and your outcomes. And isn’t that what every engineer wants? 

So, the next time you’re faced with a project that feels impossible under traditional constraints, remember: there’s a smarter, faster, and more cost-effective way forward.

Additive manufacturing isn’t just a solution—it’s a revolution.

Are you ready to embrace it?  Let’s talk about your next project…