This guide quickly goes over: Injection molding vs 3D printing cost comparsion.
Injection molding is a process where melted plastic is injected into a mold to create the desired shape.
Making more parts means less cost per part. This is true for injection molding and for the production of FDM 3D Printing at large volumes.
Cost Comparison Between Injection Molding And 3D Printing
Injection molding is the cheaper option when it comes to scaling up production and it's faster over time. It usually costs less to produce a part with an injection molded part than it does with a 3D printed part.
Injection-molded parts may cost more than using a 3D printer but in the likely event that the second run of parts is needed, the price per unit cost will begin to favor injection molding for large volume production.
From that point, each additional order of parts will offer even greater savings
3D printing does have its advantages. It's possible to create more intricate designs with 3D printing that wouldn't be possible with injection molding.
3D printer's price per unit changes very little. The cost of the material and the time needed per unit does not change based on production volume.
Generally, the cost of making an injection mold so you can copy multiple parts ranges between $1000 - $6000. Other large molds may cost up to 5 to 6 figures.
Mold price involves:
- Material cost
- Size
- Design complexity
- Sampling fee
- VAT
- Packing and shipping
For fast prototyping, 3D printing might be the better option to test the project before finalizing the design.
But for large volume production, 3D printing costs more time.
It's worth testing the design with 3D printing and making sure it checks all the important design criteria before investing a large amount of money to make injection molds.