Customer: Injection molding manufacturer
Industry/application area: plastics technology, fixture construction
Technology: innovatiQ TiQ8 industrial 3D printer
Material: PEEK

Introduction/challenge
A company that manufactures plastic parts using injection molding requires prototypes of injection molded parts for the production and functional testing of a small series of new product designs. The production of complete metal molds is extremely expensive and takes many weeks.

3D-printed mold inserts:
For small series or prototypes of plastic parts, mold inserts for the injection mold are printed using the FDM process. A high-temperature-resistant PEEK material is used for this. These 3D-printed inserts are then inserted into a standard carrier tool (master frame).

• Advantages in use:
  • Fast production: Inserts can be printed within days instead of waiting weeks for milled metal molds.
  • Cost efficiency: Drastic reduction in tooling costs for small series and prototypes.
  • Design iteration: Fast and cost-effective testing of different geometries and material properties. If a design needs to be changed, a new insert is simply printed.
  • Functional prototypes: Injection molded parts are made from the final material (or similar) and can be fully tested for function and fit before investing in an expensive production tool.
  • Complex geometries: 3D printing enables the production of inserts with internal cooling channels or complex demolding elements that would be difficult or impossible to achieve using traditional methods.

Printing example: mold inserts

Printer: innovatiQ TiQ 8

Material: PEEK