You may have read, here or there, that 3D printing would replace plastic injection in the longer or shorter term. Notre avis n’est pas tout à fait aussi tranché !

Originally considered to be competing technologies, These techniques are now widely recognized as each having unique advantages and can even be used together to help maximize production efficiency.

C’est pourquoi il nous a semblé important de faire ce comparatif injection plastique vs impression 3D ?

QUAND UTILISER L’IMPRESSION 3D OU LE MOULAGE PAR INJECTION PLASTIQUE ?

The use of 3D printing in innovative and experimental scenarios is frequently shown in the media, but the reality is that the majority of today's plastic parts are made by injection molding. This choice is understandable given the way the process allows for quality control, cost control and the manufacture of complex assemblies, by injection moulding or bi-material injection with tight tolerances.

3D printing and the plastic injection molding are both useful and competitive processes, as are cnc machining by shooting or milling.

3D printing has given engineers the ability to create plastic models from their desks and bring them to life in a matter of hours. Injection molding, on the other hand, is synonymous with quality and value. It is commonly used to quickly and reliably produce large volumes of complex plastic designs.

For project leaders, startups or manufacturers who are wondering if plastic injection molding or 3D printing is the right process for their next project, we'll explain when to use each technique and how they can be used collectively to support each other.

plastic injection vs. 3D printing

3D printing

• Fast turnaround times (1 to 2 weeks)
• Small series production (100 pieces or less)
• Designs with frequent changes
• Parts or components made of plastic relatively small

Plastic injection moulding

• Des délais d’exécution plus longs (5 to 7 weeks for single parts)
• Mass production (more than 500 pieces per series)
• Final design of the part (Minor modifications) Parts of any size or complexity.

What about the performance of the prototypes?

Évidemment, les fabricants d’imprimantes 3D ou de résines vous indiquerons que les pièces imprimées en 3D sont résistantes, et capable de ceci ou cela, et c’est globalement VRAI !

Il en est de même pour les pièces plastiques moulées par injection plastique.

Le point le plus important est de savoir d’ou l’on vient, afin de comprendre ou on va ! (c’est philosophique non ?)

Small series

• Your product will be made in 3D printing : Pas de souci, votre prototype sera la première d’une série de XX pièces. Vous pouvez faire des tests représentatifs de montage, d’utilisation
• Will your product be manufactured by injection or thermoforming? Le prototype aura des caractéristiques matériaux, performance, endurance, différents de votre pièce série. Il se peut que la pièce prototype soit moins performante que la pièce série (Dans ce cas, vous êtes a peu prés couverts), mais l’inverse est également possible…et dans ce cas, la pièce série sera un peu plus longue à mettre au point, et les couts de modification des moules sera à prendre en compte !!

Medium - Large series

• Will your product be manufactured by injection or thermoforming?
  Ne tirez pas de conclusion hâtive du prototype réalisé en SLS, SLA ou FDM. Même si le matériau a le même nom, ses performances ne sont JAMAIS identiques ! La pièce imprimée en 3D peut vous servir à montrer à illustrer un concept, faire réagir des utilisateurs….à valider une fonction simple d’assemblage, mais pas tout en même temps ! Seul un prototype « Bonne matière » vous permettra de passer avec succès toutes les étapes de validation de votre projet.

Hybster has put in place different levels of security to actively and permanently protect the confidentiality of its clients' projects.

Securing premises and data

We have invested in physical and electronic security systems for the protection of goods and data. All sensitive project information is stored on remote, secure servers. Access is given only to engineers who need to access the stored data. We have systematised the double authentication on all our servers since 2021.
Each customer and supplier visits are also kept in the access register to the building
L’accès au hall de production et au bureau d’études sont strictement encadrés par l’équipe de direction.

The NOA, and more!

Chacun des projet commence par la signature d’un confidentiality agreement with our client and external partners. Collaboration contracts, employment contracts of our employees are also written to ensure a high level of maximum discretion about our activities and those of our clients.

The results of our research and development work are also archived in a laboratory notebook.

Our projects are all codifiedThis is to ensure that only the information needed for development is passed on to our suppliers.

3D printing has a number of significant advantages over traditional machining and the injection molding, en prototypage rapide.

However, like any production method, 3D printing has its drawbacks. As always, It is important to consider the intended application of your part, as this can determine whether 3D printing or traditional manufacturing methods are right for you.

Below, we have compiled a list of advantages and disadvantages of 3D printing and we've discussed it briefly to help you determine if 3D printing is the best solution for manufacturing your parts.

AVANTAGES ET INCONVENIENTS DE L’IMPRESSION 3D

Benefits

Freedom of design

3D printing allows the production of complex geometries that machining and injection moulding are difficult or simply unable to do so.

Traditional methods often do not allow for complex geometry, as some areas are impossible to machine or demould.

However, with 3D printingThe additive process and the use of support materials allow for any type of geometry. This can allow you to simplify your designs, replacing an assembly with a single 3D printed component.

Speed

With 3D printingIn addition, prototypes can be produced in just a few hours. This greatly increases the speed of the design process, as parts can be available within hours or a day and the next iteration can begin.

In addition, with each design change, a new prototype can be made quickly and cheaply using 3D printing.

Waste reduction

3D printing is an additive manufacturing process.
This means that only the material needed to produce the part is used.

Unlike machining which cuts large amounts of non-recyclable material to produce the part, 3D printing produces much less waste. Therefore, it reduces the material cost of production because you only pay for the material you need.

Disadvantages

Materials

3D printing is not yet versatile enough to work with most materials.

3D printing mainly produces parts in a limited selection of plastics with varying mechanical properties.

In addition, most 3D printing materials are not suitable for food contact.

With additive manufacturing, parts are printed in layers that adhere to each other during the process.

Unfortunately, this means that under certain stresses or part orientation, the layers can separate, causing the part to break. For FDM, this is a bigger problem than for other 3D printing technologies. It may be more advantageous to use the injection molding because it produces homogeneous parts.

Limited product size

The vast majority of 3D printers, including industrial grade printers, have small manufacturing enclosures, at least compared to machining centers and injection molding machines.

Any part larger than the manufacturing chamber of a printer must be divided into sections and glued together in post processing. This can increase costs as it will take longer to print the part and will require manual labor.

Post treatment

Post-processing is not limited to large parts. In fact, most 3D parts require post-processing cleaning to remove the support material and smooth the surface finish.

This may include water jet cleaning, sanding, chemical soaking and rinsing, air or heat drying, assembly, etc.

The amount of post-processing required for a part ultimately depends on the 3D printing technology used for production, the size of the part and its intended application. Regardless, it is important to remember that while 3D printing can produce parts quickly, post-processing can be slowed down.

The use of 3D printing in innovative and experimental scenarios is frequently shown in the media, but the reality is that the majority of today's plastic parts are made by injection molding. This choice is understandable given the way the process allows for quality control, cost control and the manufacture of complex assemblies, by injection moulding or bi-material injection with tight tolerances.