Machining Vs Molding

When is Machining Better than Molding?

At first, injection molding may seem like the obvious choice. However, in many cases machining is the most cost-effective and efficient solution.

Consider these facts:
• When the volume of parts needed is low, or the part is in the prototype stage, machining is often the most cost-effective
• It is sometimes difficult or impossible to mold parts with certain attributes, such as heavy walls and/or undercuts
• Molding often demands high, up-front tooling costs
• When a part is machined, it has lower stress and more consistent properties
• Machining allows for closer tolerances
• Machining offers engineers more freedom and flexibility when designing parts
• Turn-around time for machined parts can be considerably less
• No draft angle is required for machined parts
• Certain undesirable effects of molding, such as gate scars and weld lines, are non-existent in machined parts

At CDS, we specialize in efficiently producing plastic parts by using state-of-the-art machining tools and techniques.