Value Chain Comparison of Additively and Conventionally Manufactured Multi-Cavity Tool Steel Inserts: An Injection Molding Industrial Case Study for High-Volume Production

The development of injection molding tools is an expensive, time-consuming, and resource-intensive process offering little to no flexibility adapt variations in product design. Metal additive manufacturing can be used produce these a cost-effective way. Nevertheless, industrial context, effective methods are missing for the selection most suitable technology given tooling project. This paper presents method compare chains based on conventional subtractive technologies metal molding. comparison focused-performance analysis (TFPA) through computer simulation performed using Tecnomatix Plant Simulation developed by Siemens Digital Industries Software combined with customized cost–benefit economic tool. highlights potential bottlenecks production, such as printing phase heat treatment. It also gives deeper understanding maturity level milling machines against laser powder bed fusion machines. result that total costs insert made AM CM indeed rather similar (the cost difference between two lower than 5%). reveals major drivers production high-performance tools, cutting employed steps their changeover frequency. case 32-cavity mold plastic perform study, develop analysis, validate results.