Abstract: To tackle the limitations of traditional subtractive mechanical manufacturing technology in fulfilling the development requirements of complex balance structures, this study conducted research on wind tunnel balance technology based on metal additive manufacturing and a six-component rod-type strain-gauge balance is developed. The MS1 powder material and the selective laser melting (SLM) forming method were employed, and the optimal forming process parameters and heat treatment methods were established. Through the 3D printing and optimization of the critical local structure of the balance, the conclusive printing scheme of the six-component rod-type balance was obtained and the final printing production, electrification, calibration and the standard model test were performed. The results show that the output linearity of each component of the balance is high, and the zero shift and hysteresis output do not exceed 0.1% of the full scale. The standard error and repeatability accuracy of calibration and standard model testing meet the requirements, which can reach the same level as conventional mechanically processed balances. Furthermore, the research also indicates that applying additive manufacturing technology to balance development can break through the constraints of mechanical processing technology on structural design, meet the development needs of complex structure balances. Simultaneously, this approach can significantly shorten the balance processing cycle and reduce development costs.