What is Rapid Injection Molding?
Find Providers For Inj MoldingInjection molding tooling made using affordable CNC processes. Moderately expensive.
CNC and EDM machines make plastic injection molding quick and affordable for low-volume manufacturing.
How It Works
Rapid Injection Molding can shave weeks and hundreds or thousands of dollars off of the
traditional molding process, which uses more expensive materials and equipment for creating molds. Rapid tooling is
usually made of affordable aluminum, which does not last as long as steel but does save money for low-volume production
or prototype parts. The time savings is also a big deal. Some companies offer this service with a 1 or 2-day turnaround.
Typical Uses
- Rapid Prototypes
- Production Parts
Costs
Example quotes for a 2-inch sphere:
So, you can see how volume discounts can be a big factor, especially for processes that are slow in the vertical direction.
Example quotes for a 2-inch sphere:
| Process | Qty 1 | Qty 10 |
|---|---|---|
| SLA | $376 each | $109 each |
| SLS | $501 each | $121 each |
| FDM | $182 each | $154 each |
| PolyJet | $479 each | $139 each |
| Machined Plastic | $458 each | $139 each |
| Urethane Castings | N/A | $120 each |
| Rapid Injection | N/A | $1,500 for 25 |
For More Information
Wikipedia article
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