Keeping inventory on hand is my biggest struggle atm with metal components (aluminum and steel). Most of what I make and sell is a combination of 3D printed parts (some resin, some FDM) and either steel or aluminum. Some of these parts are under constant fatigue, and must be fabricated in metals, however I am starting to redesign some components to be 100% resin printed.
This GPS/phone mount plate under the circular screen is the recent example. It’s mounted on top of the bar clamps, and really the only forces it endures are compression around the bolts. I am ramping up to apply Cerakote C series for some added surface durability and UV protection. The windscreen brace is the other item. I designed an aluminum flat sheet with bends to test against it, but so far my rough rides with the resin print are perfect. I will also coat it in Cerakote for UV protection.
Typically, my inventory is purchased before I even get the components delivered to me for final assembly - so figuring out some resin options that I can print on demand in minutes might take some pressure off my shoulders. The GPS screen mount takes 28 minutes to print in Tough 2k for 2 sets - ordering it in aluminum is usually a 2-3 week turnaround, depending on the time of year. I powder coat my own parts (mostly), so cerakote application is not a factor in production.
Overall, I’ve been VERY happy with how all 3 Tough series performs on my motorcycle parts. I’m currently looking at my FDM prints to see if it makes sense to switch those over as well (they require hardware inserts post printing).