Specifically, using the Objet500 Connex Multimaterial 3D production system, moulders can make customisable design modifications to mould inserts in a fraction of the time needed by conventional methods, and print these customised inserts in Stratasys’ ultra-tough Digital ABS material in only hours.

With this, moulders are therefore able to easily switch between inserts for different products, and can lower their costs to produce small volumes of injection-moulded parts they would require for samples, prototypes and small production runs.

Customers are now looking for solutions that enable them to deliver prototypes quickly and cost-effectively with shorter time-to-market cycles and lower production quantities, said Dirk Paulmann, executive vice president, sales & business development, HASCO.

“Compared with conventional metal or aluminium inserts, our new approach offers moulders the flexibility to quickly produce and switch inserts, making them much more productive and profitable,” he continued. This makes a best of both worlds technique, and would be the future of prototype and low volume production, he added.