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3D Printing VS Injection Mold What is Different 3D Printing VS Injection Mold?The principle of plastic injection molding is like making chocolate. After the raw material is heated and melted, it is poured into the mold, and the mold is released after cooling, which is the finished product. Different pigments can be added to the material to give the finished product different colors. 3D printing does not require a special mold, just like stacking building blocks stacked layer by layer. Since the mold mechanism is not limited, the product can be made into any shape accordingly. For example, closed hollow products can be manufactured by 3D printing, which is not possible with plastic injection molding. *3D Printing VS Injection Mold: Differences In Production efficiencyWhile 3D printing might help save a lot of tool costs, it just doesn’t work when you have to put an order into mass production. Taking a mobile phone case as an example, 3D printing takes at least 4 hours to make, while injection molding takes less than 2 minutes.
*3D Printing VS Injection Mold: Differences in surface finishSince 3D printing is layered, it is normal for fabric-like fine lines to appear on the surface of the product. which is different from the Injection mold. 3D printing can be made with different kinds of surface finishes or specific patterns. Such as mirror surface, high polishing, VDI texture, YS texture, sand painting, optical surface treatment, etc.
*3D Printing VS Injection Mold: Differences in Structural StrengthInjection-molded products are generally more resistant to drops and impacts due to the tight bond of plastic materials, while 3D printing can be relatively fragile.
*3D Printing VS Injection Mold: Differences in Manufacture CostIn the initial stage, the development cost of the Injection mold will be relatively high, which results in a much lower cost of raw materials and molding processes. Although 3D printing is a one-time custom cost, it can cost hundreds of dollars or more. All in all, if you only need a very small amount of finished product or just need to verify the product design, 3D printing can be your choice, but if you need high-volume production, injection molds can save you production costs and improve efficiency.
What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of 3D Printing VS Injection molds?*Introduction to 3D printing3D printing is a kind of Rapid Prototyping Manufacturing, which is also called additive manufacturing. Its basic principle is that a 3D model made by design or scanning is cut into infinite sections according to a certain coordinate axis, then printed layer by layer and stacked together according to the original position to form a Solid diorama. Process flowConstruction of product 3D model -> generation of print model format -> slicing of 3D model -> forming processing -> post-processing of parts. Advantages of 3D printing
Disadvantages of 3D printing1.The cost is high, the manufacturing efficiency is not high, and it is currently not suitable for mass production. 2.There are certain restrictions on printing materials, mainly various engineering plastics, some metal materials, gypsum, ceramics, etc. 3.Accuracy and quality issues. The accuracy, physical properties, and chemical properties of 3D printed parts cannot meet the practical requirements of engineering, and can only be used as prototypes.  *Introduction to injection moldingOne of the most common manufacturing processes is mainly used for the mass production of plastic parts. The hot material is injected into the mold through the nozzle with a movable plunger. The material fills the mold and then cools. Process flowClamping->Injection->Pressure->Cooling->Mold-Opening->Product Takeout. Advantages of Injection Mold1.High production efficiency. 2.Various materials can be processed. 3.No need for surface processing. 4.Low labor cost. 5.Fully automated. Disadvantages of Injection Mold1.High upfront investment/expensive equipment. 2.High mold cost. 3.High startup and running costs. 4.Component Design Constraints. 1. |
