The heavier an aircraft is, the more fuel it needs to stay in flight. Every single part adds to the total weight of the aircraft, from the wings to the engines to the bolts that hold everything together. The many parts that make up a vehicle are traditionally made using various machining processes in which raw materials are cut into their desired final shapes. However, traditional machining processes like milling or grinding are limited when it comes to optimizing shapes for the lowest weight. These traditional machining methods have led to manufacturers creating many separate parts that fit together—but this doesn’t have to be the case.