What is Additive Manufacturing? Complete Guide for Swedish Companies

Additive manufacturing — has gone from being a niche technology to becoming an essential tool for Swedish companies. But what does it actually entail, and how can your company benefit from the technology? In this guide, we explain everything you need to know.

Additive manufacturing vs traditional manufacturing

Traditional manufacturing (subtractive) starts with a block of material and mills, turns, or cuts away material until the desired shape is achieved. Additive manufacturing does the opposite — material is built up layer by layer, based on a digital 3D model.

This offers several decisive advantages:

• No tooling costs — Avoid expensive tools and molds for short production runs
• Design freedom — Create geometries that are impossible with traditional methods
• Rapid iteration — Modify the design digitally and manufacture a new version the same day
• Less material waste — Use only the material that is needed
• Local production — Manufacture in Sweden instead of importing from China

Common techniques in additive manufacturing

FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)

The most common technique. A thermoplastic wire (filament) is melted and deposited layer by layer. FDM is ideal for functional prototypes, plastic end products, and larger parts. This is the technology we at Race3D primarily use for our automotive parts.

SLA (Stereolithography)

Uses UV light to cure liquid resin layer by layer. Delivers very high detail levels and smoother surfaces than FDM. Perfect for small, detailed parts, presentation prototypes, and architectural models.

SLS (Selective Laser Sintering)

A laser sinters powdered material (often nylon) into solid parts. Provides strong functional parts without the need for support structures, but requires more expensive equipment.

What materials can parts be manufactured in?

Material choice depends on the application:

• PLA — Biodegradable, great for prototypes and presentation models
• PETG — Strong, chemical-resistant, and food-safe
• ASA — UV-resistant, perfect for outdoor parts and vehicles
• PA/Nylon — Extremely tough, for mechanically stressed parts
• TPU — Flexible, for seals and damping components
• CF-reinforced — Carbon fiber-reinforced filaments for maximum strength and rigidity

Applications for Swedish companies

Prototypes and product development

The most common application. With additive manufacturing, you can produce physical prototypes in 1–3 days instead of weeks. Test fit, function, and design before investing in expensive tools.

Spare parts and replacement parts

Do you have a machine with a broken plastic part that is no longer manufactured? With reverse engineering and additive manufacturing, we can create an exact copy — or an improved version.

Short runs and niche products

Do you need 10–500 units of a special product? Additive manufacturing is often cheaper and faster than injection molding for short production runs.

Fixtures and tools

Customized jigs, fixtures, and assembly tools can be manufactured to streamline your production.

What does additive manufacturing cost?

The price depends on several factors: size, material, complexity, and quantity. As a rule of thumb:

• Prototype (small part): from SEK 200–500
• Functional part (medium size): SEK 300–2,000
• Run of 10–50 pcs: Significantly lower unit price with volume discount

Compared to developing a mold (often SEK 10,000–100,000), manufacturing parts this way is much cheaper for small volumes.

Race3D — Swedish additive manufacturing

We at Race3D offer additive manufacturing from Blekinge, with customers throughout Sweden. Whether you need a single prototype or a run of 500 units, we help you from idea to finished product.

Our services include:

• Manufacturing in all common materials (FDM and SLA)
• CAD design and reverse engineering
• Prototyping
• Series production in short and medium runs

Contact us for a free consultation about your project.