![]() ![]() This article looks at FDM 3D printing vs injection molding in terms of process characteristics, product design constraints, materials, cost, applications, and other factors. In other words, calling 3D printing a “prototyping” process and injection molding a “mass production” process is less accurate than it once was. ![]() Advances in low-cost tooling are making short-run injection molding more cost-effective than ever, while new and improved additive manufacturing technology makes it possible to quickly 3D print large production runs of high-quality parts. For example, a small to medium-size batch of simple parts might have roughly the same production costs with either process.įurthermore, the disparity between the two processes in terms of production scale is actually getting smaller. For instance, while 3D printing can fabricate parts with a wide range of geometries - including complex internal cavities - injection molding is generally restricted to simple, thin-walled parts.īut there are some scenarios in which 3D printing and injection molding present themselves as equally viable production processes. 3D printing is primarily a rapid prototyping process for making one-off parts and very small batches, while injection molding is a mass manufacturing process regularly used to make batches numbering millions of units.Īnd the differences don’t end there. ![]() 3D printing, otherwise known as additive manufacturing, doesn’t appear to have much in common with injection molding. ![]()
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