Manufacturing Process Comparison
| Manufacturing Process | Typical Lead Time (Dependent on Order Volume) | Typical Part Yearly Volume | Approx. Part Size | Relative Tooling or Set-up Cost | Relative Cost per Part after Set-up | Applications | Limitations |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Tooling (wood or urethane), Chemically Bonded Sand (nobake) | 6 to 12 weeks (including tooling build time) | Medium to High | 5lb to 4000lb | $$$$ | $ | More cost-effective for higher volume parts. | Engineering changes to modify the pattern equipment requires time and incurs cost. Complex part geometries may increase tooling costs |
| Machined Foam Pattern, Ceramic Shell | 4 to 8 weeks (including foam machining time) | Low | 5lb to 2500lb | $ | $$ | Quicker lead times for low volume parts. Capable of more complex part designs than traditional tooling. | Thin section sizes are sometimes not possible. |
| Blown Foam Pattern, Ceramic Shell | 20 to 26 weeks (including foam die build time) | Very High | 5lb to 500lb | $$$$$$ | $$ | More cost-effective for higher volume parts than machined foam. | High set-up cost and time. Engineering changes to modify the pattern equipment requires time and incurs cost. |
| 3D Printed Pattern, Ceramic Shell | 6 to 8 weeks | Low | 5lb to 2500lb | $$ | $$ | Rapid prototyping or complex part designs. | More expensive than foam patterns. |
| 3D Printed Sand Mold and Core | 6 to 8 weeks | Very Low | 50lb to 1000lb | $$$ | $$$ | Rapid prototyping or complex part designs. | Not cost-effective for more than a few parts. |
| Patternless Milled Mold | 4 to 8 weeks | Low | 50lb to 2500lb | $$ | $$ | Large and complex part designs. | No hard tooling. |
Note: All manufacturing processes require at least a 2D engineering drawing, however a 3D model expedites the processes.