The mold industry is one of the oldest and most efficient sectors in the production world. Mold manufacturing virtually has a close relationship or link with other sectors or production techniques.
Most products that we use on our day to day basis are mostly made from, no matter the application of production technique; molding is bound to improve and enhance its efficiency which not only ensures that it’s of top quality but also enables you to get huge profit margins.
One of the most common techniques that have been used to make molds for the longest time possible was CNC machining. Despite it providing stellar results, its it’s time-consuming and expensive, thus mold manufacturers need to find alternatives elsewhere.
Additive manufacturing especially 3D printing presents an excellent solution especially when the molds are required in small batches and have intricate and complex shapes and designs. If that’s the case then they are suitable for 3D printing.
In the modern manufacturing world, 3D printing uses a wide variety of raw materials such as sands, waxes, metals, composites, rubber as well as plastic. The ease of printing these materials has brought a great deal of convenience to industries such as medical, healthcare, automotive, aerospace just to mention a few.
A lot of companies are slowly incorporating 3D printing especially when it comes to mold making. This leads us to our next question, what are the benefits that 3D printing brings to the mold manufacturing sector. Stay tuned for more.
Additive manufacturing products
Shortening the manufacturing cycle
3D print molds will significantly shorten the development cycle allowing for innovation to thrive and grow. In the past, most firms had to abandon their projects some even midway due to the high cost associated with production.
By cutting down on the mold set-up times and allowing for the designs to be updated as quickly as possible gives most businesses a certain degree of flexibility when it comes to factoring in mold changes as well as making improvements.
This enables the mold design cycle to be able to keep up with the rapid pace of the product design cycle. For other firms, opt for purchasing 3D equipment that makes molds which enhances product development, increases adaptability as well flexibility.
Reducing the overall manufacturing cost
The cost of the overall 3D printing is quite high compared to the cost that would have been incurred in sheet metal fabrication. But when you are plastics it will be very cost-effective. When the materials being used are very expensive, 3D printing comes in handy in comparison to traditional mold making which has a higher scrap rate.
Another impressive thing is the ability of 3D printers to create molds within the shortest time possible which has a positive impact on the manufacturing margins as well as processes.
There are also times where design changes must be factored in after production has started, well the flexibility of 3D printing will allow the designers to make as many iterations as possible which significantly reduces upfront associated with mold modifications and designs.