3D printing and rapid prototyping can benefit almost any injection molding project, but do you know the difference between 3D technologies currently available? Here, KASO offers a quick tutorial to get you up to speed on the benefits of 3D printing as well as new opportunities on the horizon.

2. Rapid prototyping creates full-sized models
of physical parts with three-dimensional
Computer Aided Design (CAD).
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6.  Military Component Manufacturers
 Consumer Products
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9. The original additive manufacturing
process, SLA uses an ultraviolet laser to
trace patterns, layer by layer, in a vat of
liquid ultraviolet resin to cure and harden.
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10. Accurate and fast, SLA is still commonly
used for low volume production.
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12. Selective Laser Sintering, or SLS, employs a
laser to melt plastic powder into 3D
models.
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13. Stronger and more stable than SLA, SLS is
not as accurate as FDM or SLA components.
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15. Fused Deposition
Modeling layers plastic
material down by
extruding melted
material through a
nozzle, controlling the
flow of material as it’s
extruded.
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16. Those layers begin to harden immediately
after being extruded.
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17. Highly accurate, FDM can utilize the same
materials that will be used for finished
parts, creating prototypes up to 80% as
strong as finished injection molded parts
will be.
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19.  Urethane cast parts
 CNC milling
 CNC machining
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20. Early Supplier Involvement ensures product
designer and manufacturer are well
informed on all factors of a new design.
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21.  Cycle times of product (as designed)
 Longevity of the design
 Resources necessary to make changes
 Design scenarios and usage cases
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22. This reduces the risk of design errors and the
potential for delays.
PRODUCTION DELAYS $$$
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23.  Uneven wall
thickness
 Unstable part
dimensions
 Part variability
 Slow cycle times
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24. PROTOTYPE
 Design iterations happen
FAST, decreasing overall
development time
 Designs can be tested
prior to manufacturing
 Using FDM, prototypes
can be produced that
are as strong as finished
products
NO PROTOTYPE
 May require substantial
modifications requiring
expensive retooling if
issues are discovered
 Project unknowns make
accurate estimates
difficult
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25.  Bundled tool
modifications, make
small changes prior
to full retooling
 3D printed short-run
injection molds
 Lightweighting
 On-site replacement
parts
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26. Rapid prototyping leads to better products
with shorter development time, saving
valuable resources and avoiding costly
delays in production.
It provides benefits to product designer,
manufacturer, and end user.
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27.  Visit us at www.kaso.com
 Check us out on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/kaso-plastics
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