In addition, some enterprises have purchased 3D printing equipment to manufacture molds, which further speeds up product development and improves flexibility/adaptability. Strategically, it improves the ability of the supply chain to prevent the risk of extending the deadline and stagnant development, such as obtaining inappropriate molds from suppliers.
If the current cost of metal 3D printing is higher than the traditional metal manufacturing process, then in the field of plastic products, it is easier to reduce the cost.
Metal 3D printing dies have economic advantages in producing some small, discontinuous series of end products (because the fixed costs of these products are difficult to amortize), or they have more economic advantages for some specific geometric shapes (specially optimized for 3D printing). Especially in the case that the materials used are very expensive and the traditional mold manufacturing leads to a high scrap rate, 3D printing has more cost advantages.
In addition, the ability of 3D printing to produce accurate molds in a few hours will also have a positive impact on the manufacturing process and profits. Especially when production is declining and/or mold inventory is very expensive.