3D Printed Molds

Students in a manufacturing lab working on a 3D printing mold

One recent area of research was that of 3D printed mold inserts for short run and prototype parts.  Typical injection mold tooling is quite expensive, so this low cost alternative allows for the creation of injection molded parts with inexpensive plastic inserts. While very limited in life, this approach allows for the fulfillment of short run or prototyping needs.