Additive manufacturing benchmarked against injection molding in mass customization study

• Additive manufacturing can compete economically with injection molding in low-volume, high-mix production, according to a peer-reviewed study published in the International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing-Green Technology by researchers at Sungkyunkwan University’s School of Mechanical Engineering. The research evaluates whether 3D printing technologies can bridge mass production and mass customization through measurable gains in […]

Additive manufacturing can compete economically with injection molding in low-volume, high-mix production, according to a peer-reviewed study published in the International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing-Green Technology by researchers at Sungkyunkwan University’s School of Mechanical Engineering. The research evaluates whether 3D printing technologies can bridge mass production and mass customization through measurable gains in throughput, cost control, and production flexibility. Researchers assessed five process categories defined under ISO/ASTM 52900: Material Extrusion (MEX), Vat Photopolymerization (VPP), Powder Bed Fusion (PBF), Binder Jetting (BJ), and Directed Energy Deposition (DED). Each process was evaluated using representative industrial systems. Selected