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Making the Right Choice
GUEST
In this blog post, Mark Dickin, Additive Manufacturing &
Moulding Engineering Manager at Ricoh UK, explains how the two technologies can
complement each other rather than compete.
We often get asked which manufacturing method is best, injection
moulding or 3D printing.
Well, it’s a bit like asking which tool is better, a hammer or a
saw. It depends entirely on the job at hand. Let’s take things right back to
basics.
We have been injection moulding on-site at Ricoh since
the early 1990s.
In very simple terms, injection moulding involves inserting
melted material into a pre-designed mould under pressure, where it cools and
hardens to create the desired part.
3D printing, meanwhile, creates an object by building up thousands
of layers of material without a tool or mould.
Each method has very distinct advantages and limitations.
If you are at the prototyping stage, 3D printing (or additive
manufacturing) is almost certainly going to be the best option.
There are no tooling costs, and it’s faster than traditional
methods, meaning you can review a product, make tweaks, and go again within
days.
An AM prototype can also often be printed in the end-use
material, meaning it can easily be validated as a finished product.
But 3D printing isn’t just about prototyping – it can offer
cost-effective and superior results when low-volume production, custom parts,
or components with high geometric complexity is required.
It can also be a vital part of the production and assembly line
– creating custom jigs and fixtures on demand to optimise and accelerate the
whole manufacturing flow.
If you are looking to up-scale, however, and move towards mass
production, there will come a time when the economics favour injection
moulding. What we can’t say categorically is at what number of units the scales
tip from AM to IJ, every customer and project is different.
Sometimes injection moulding might be a better option for 10
units, other times 3D printing will be more cost-effective for 100 units.
Things like the complexity of the object and the size can make
all the difference.
Furthermore, a product might cost more per unit using AM, but it
still might be the best option when a reduction in manpower or quicker time to
market is factored in.
The important thing is not to think of 3D printing and injection
moulding as competing technologies.
They can, and absolutely should, complement each other to create
the perfect product and business solution.
Ricoh is a true end-to-end manufacturer, taking products through
their full development cycle – whether it’s one or one million parts. For more
information, visit rapidfab.ricoh-europe.com.
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