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 platforms include the Stratasys F3300, produced by Stratasys, a US-based 3D printing manufacturer; the Figure 4 Modular from 3D Systems, an additive manufacturing company headquartered in South Carolina; the P-50 from Desktop Metal, and the Stratasys H350 polymer powder bed system.
Benchmark testing used a 30 mm × 30 mm × 30 mm solid cube (27 cm³ volume) to compare productivity. Injection molding, assuming an eight-cavity mold with a 15-second cycle time, achieved 1,920 parts per hour. Additive systems showed significantly lower single-batch throughput. Material Extrusion produced 7.43 parts per hour in a single batch and 7.23 parts per hour in a 120-hour continuous scenario. Vat Photopolymerization achieved 7.62 parts per hour per batch and 14.00 parts per hour under continuous production. Binder Jetting reached 5.30 parts per hour per batch but increased to 32.25 parts per hour in a continuous workflow, assuming sufficient post-processing infrastructure. Powder Bed Fusion produced 4.42 parts per hour per batch and 9.47 parts per hour in continuous operation.
Researchers introduced a metric called Effective Parts Per Hour (EPPH), which accounts for preprocessing, printing, and mandatory post-processing. For metal systems such as the Desktop Metal P-50, printing may take approximately four hours, but sintering, cooling, and depowdering can require up to 36 additional hours. Polymer systems such as the Figure 4 Modular require shorter post-processing steps, including washing and UV curing, typically completed within several hours.
Cost analysis assumed a 20,000-hour equipment lifespan and a $40 per hour combined labor and operational rate. Injection molding required a $150,000 machine and an $80,000 mold, for a total capital investment of $230,000. At 1,000 parts, the cost per part was calculated at $80.17. At 100,000 parts, cost fell to $0.97, reflecting economies of scale. Additive manufacturing maintained a constant cost per part regardless of volume. Vat Photopolymerization was calculated at $10.67 per part, while Powder Bed Fusion reached $7.96 per part under the same assumptions.
Break-even analysis placed the crossover point between injection molding and additive manufacturing at 10,263 identical parts. Above this threshold, injection molding becomes more economical. Below it, additive manufacturing remains competitive. When multiple design variations are introduced, economics shift significantly. Producing 50 separate designs of 200 parts each would require 50 molds under injection molding, increasing mold costs alone to approximately $4 million. Additive manufacturing requires no tooling changes, and the cost per part remains unchanged across design variations.
Process limitations remain significant. Layer-by-layer fabrication constrains production speed, and increasing resolution through thinner layers directly increases print time. Metal powder systems introduce additional constraints, including anisotropic mechanical properties, residual stress, and high energy consumption during laser melting. Vat Photopolymerization relies on photopolymer resins that may exhibit limited mechanical strength compared to thermoplastics or metals. Post-processing remains mandatory across all additive processes, introducing time and labor overhead.
Application analysis spans healthcare, consumer goods, and distributed manufacturing. Patient-specific dental aligners, hearing aids, and orthopedic devices rely on digital scans converted directly into printable geometries. During the COVID-19 pandemic, companies including Formlabs, a Massachusetts-based resin 3D printing manufacturer, and Carbon, a California-based digital light synthesis company, produced millions of nasopharyngeal swabs using SLA and DLP systems. Industrial adoption includes on-demand spare parts production by Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s national railway operator, and General Electric, the US industrial manufacturer, for maintenance and tooling applications.
Findings indicate injection molding retains clear advantages in standardized high-volume production. Additive manufacturing demonstrates advantages in high-mix, low-volume scenarios where tooling costs dominate. Continuous workflow optimization, expanded build areas, faster curing methods such as Continuous Liquid Interface Production, and integrated automation systems remain central to improving industrial throughput.
The study, titled “Mass Customization Through Additive Manufacturing: Review of Technologies, Applications, and Scalability Challenges,” was authored by Yun Ji, Minsung Kim, and Brian Jun Lee.
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Featured image shows Representative application cases in consumer and industrial sectors. Image via Yun Ji et al., International Journal of Precision Engineering and Manufacturing-Green Technology.
