Sheet Metal Prototyping vs. 3D Printing: Best Approaches for Early Design Testing
The decisions and the choices you make in prototyping can set the tone for your entire development cycle — from the development speed to the overall cost and how competitive your product can be in the market. For early-stage hardware teams, the decision often comes down to either 3D printing or prototype sheet metal fabrication. Each method brings clear advantages depending on your goals. Prototype Sheet Metal 3D Printing Material strength High tensile strength and fatigue resistance Depends on material; generally lower than metal Surface quality Smooth, uniform finishes with no layer lines May show visible layer lines; requires post-processing for smoothness Scalability / Cost per unit Cost per part drops with volume due to setup amortization Fixed cost per part; less scalable at higher volumes Setup time Requires too...