ABSTRACT Additive manufacturing (AM) has become an attractive alternative for producing customized and low‐volume automotive components, particularly in the aftermarket sector. This study presents a simplified theoretical cost analysis for manufacturing an automotive rear spoiler using fused deposition modeling (FDM). A Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X spoiler is analyzed as a representative large exterior component. Two commonly used thermoplastic materials, polylactic acid (PLA) and polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), are evaluated using a desktop Creality Ender 3 V2 printer. The cost model incorporates material consumption, filament price variability, print duration, energy usage, labor and post‐processing. Two manufacturing scenarios based on different segmentation strategies are compared and benchmarked against commercially available aftermarket spoilers. The results indicate that, under optimized strategies, desktop FDM can achieve cost levels comparable to aftermarket alternatives. While PLA offers lower cost, PETG provides improved thermal and mechanical suitability for exterior use. The study highlights the economic potential and limitations of simplified cost estimation for large FDM‐printed automotive components.
JINGA et al. (2026) studied this question.
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