AM mold inserts show promise for short-run injection molding, systematic review finds

Home-AM mold inserts show promise for short-run injection molding, systematic review finds

Researchers from theUniversity of Navarra,IKOR Technology Centre,GAIKER Technology Centre, andValencian International Universityhave published a systematic review examining how additive manufacturing can be used to produce mold inserts for plastic injection molding.

Published inRapid Prototyping Journal, the paper reviews 67 studies from 2013 to 2024 on 3D printed mold inserts made using polymer and metal additive manufacturing processes. The authors found that material jetting, vat photopolymerization, and laser powder bed fusion with metals are the most widely reported AM routes for insert production.

Additive manufacturing was found to be a feasible option for producing injection mold inserts, particularly for prototypes, temporary tooling, short production runs, and applications with specific design requirements. Insert performance, however, remains closely tied to the AM process, insert material, injected material, part geometry, and injection molding parameters.

Material jetting, also known as PolyJet, was the most frequently studied AM process for producing injection mold inserts. Its use may be linked to relatively short printing times and the ability to produce inserts with good surface finish.

Vat photopolymerization using UV laser curing, commonly referred to as stereolithography or SLA, was the second most studied process. The technology also offers good surface quality, making it suitable for design validation and short production runs.

Laser powder bed fusion using metal powders showed the strongest performance in terms of insert life. Reported maximum injection cycle counts reached 116 cycles for material jetting inserts, 85 cycles for vat photopolymerization inserts, and more than 500 cycles for metal laser powder bed fusion inserts.

Higher mechanical strength and better heat dissipation make metal AM inserts more suitable for higher-volume production. Surface roughness remains a limitation, and post-processing may be required.

Material extrusion, also known as FDM or FFF, has also been explored for insert production. Its use for functional injection mold inserts is more limited because of poorer surface finish and potential delamination.

Materials and molding parameters remain key constraints

Source: 3D Printing Industry