Is 3D Printing the End of Injection Molding?

[andrewstaflin]

Some analysts of the manufacturing industry insist that the rise of 3D printing is the demise of injection molding. It is true that there are cases where 3D printing is preferred over injections molding, but the reports about the end of injection molding are essentially made by people with a vested interest and are untrue or exaggerated.

Plastic injection molding is in no danger of fading anytime soon and will continue to hold a great deal of the market share when it comes to creating plastic parts. Despite the recent advances in 3D printing technology, more than 80% of plastic parts manufactured today are injection molded.

When asked “which technique should I use to manufacture my parts?” any serious specialist would say, “It totally depends.” It depends on variables like material type, cost, quality, and quantity of course.

[3Dscaleworks]

Hi Andrew,

It all depends on the quantity’s you’ll have to make

But lets be serious , you don’t mak a mold if you want a 100 or even a thousand pieces!

For that a 3D printer is very usefull.

Also there are two trends to consider

1. Shortening lifespan of a product ( which treathens serial thinking)

2. The demand for customized products

So yes it will effect the moulding industry!

Unless making a mould could be done dynamicaly!

[RCole]

I don’t think that injection molding is going away. Especially not for things that you want a large quantity of. The rise of desktop injection molding machines shifts the industry a bit. In this case, I see 3D printing being used to create the piece that the molds will be made from. A move away from some of the large industrial molding machines - in part, but they can still do larger pieces than the desktop machines.

So, yeah, there will be a shift in the industry, but certainly not the death of the injection molding industry.