3D printing or injection molding? We do both. Calculate which one pays off.
At what quantity does an injection mold pay off – and what does your production run cost in 3D printing? Our calculator shows you in 10 seconds, including tooling costs and lead time. From the first printed part through bridge production to high-volume injection molding – all from a single source, with one contact person. No matter how many parts you need: we have no minimum quantity.
What does your quantity cost – printed and molded?
Three inputs are all it takes. The calculator compares the total costs of both processes including tooling and shows you the break-even point for your part.
Your part
Total cost comparison
Rough comparison based on guide values – no guarantee, not a binding quote.
Turn your result into a concrete quote.
Enter your email address and submit. Your calculator inputs (quantity, size, geometry, result) are sent along automatically. We will get back to you within one business day with an honest assessment. Free and without obligation.
We have received your calculator result and will get back to you within one business day. If you like, send your CAD file in advance to info@adddix.de to make things even faster.
The calculator provides a rough comparison without guarantee – only our individual quote is binding. You can calculate your exact 3D printing price yourself in minutes in our online portal (3D printing only there); our team prepares your injection molding quote including tooling on request. Material basis for the calculation: PA12 (SLS) and PA (injection molding) – other materials shift both curves in a similar way and change the comparison only slightly; we clarify the details in the quote. Injection molding is carried out by FORMEOTEC, a company of our group.
From quantity 1 to 100,000 – without changing suppliers.
With most providers, you have to choose: 3D printing service provider or injection molder. With us, production simply grows along with your quantity – with one contact person across all phases.
From day 1
3D printing: ready to deliver right away
First parts and small quantities come straight from the SLS printer without any tooling – in a few business days, with full design freedom. Changes cost nothing but a new CAD file.
While the mold is being built
Bridge production: no waiting time
An injection mold takes several weeks. So that your production does not come to a standstill, we print the bridging quantity – you keep delivering while the mold is built in parallel within our group.
For high-volume production
Injection molding: the best unit price
From the break-even point on, injection molding takes over – manufactured by FORMEOTEC, a company of our group. For you, this means: series production unit prices with the personal support you have known since the first printed part.
Series production in 3 phases
Keep scrolling: the sketch shows step by step how your parts are made. Tap or click 1, 2 or 3 to jump straight to a phase.
Axis for total demand from 1 to 100,000 parts, with one contact person across all phases: as the quantity grows, production switches from 3D printing to injection molding. While the injection mold is being built, a bridge production run from the 3D printer bridges the waiting time. The hatched area is the break-even range between a few hundred and a few thousand parts.
- From day 1
3D printing: layer by layer
A laser fuses fine plastic powder into the part, and a recoater applies fresh powder after each layer. No mold is needed, and the first part is ready in a few business days.
- While the mold is being built
Bridge production: build after build
In each build, the printer produces many identical parts, with deliveries from week one. In parallel, the injection mold, i.e. the tool for high-volume production, is built over several weeks.
- For high-volume production
Injection molding: part after part
The machine injects molten plastic into the closed mold, opens it and ejects the finished part. This repeats cycle after cycle, and crate after crate fills up with series parts.
Which process pays off when?
Injection molding has the lowest unit price – but only once the tooling costs have been spread across the quantity. 3D printing has no tooling costs and delivers in days. The line between the two is your break-even point, and that is exactly what our calculator shows.
- 3D printing: no tooling costs, delivery in a few business days, design changes at any time – ideal for ramp-up, variants and medium quantities
- Injection molding: the mold as a one-time investment, then very low unit prices – ideal for stable high-volume production
- Undercuts cost nothing extra in 3D printing – in the mold they require slides and push the break-even point up noticeably
- Combined: printed bridge production plus injection molding is often the fastest AND most economical route to series production
Series parts as they leave our machines.
We calculate both routes for you – honestly.
With us, printing and injection molding come from one company. So we have no interest in selling you the wrong process – only the one that is economical for your quantity. You can calculate your 3D printing price instantly in the portal – our team calculates injection molding and bridge production for you personally.
Frequently asked questions about series production
That depends mainly on part size and mold complexity: the tooling costs have to be spread across the quantity until the unit price drops below that of 3D printing. This break-even point typically lies between a few hundred and a few thousand parts. Our break-even calculator shows the threshold for your part in seconds.
A simple open/close mold (straight-pull mold) for a small part starts in the mid four-figure range; planning, mold design and sampling come on top. Larger parts and complex geometries with undercuts (slides, side actions) can cost several times as much. That is exactly why it pays to compare beforehand with tool-free 3D printing – especially for undercuts, which cost nothing extra in the powder bed.
The time between order and finished injection mold is several weeks. Bridge production closes this gap: we print the required quantity using SLS while the mold is built in parallel. You are able to deliver from week one and switch seamlessly to injection molding – both with us, without changing suppliers.
Yes – for new products, that is actually the most economical route: with printed parts, you start without investment risk, validate the market and can change the design at any time. As soon as quantities reach the break-even point, injection molding takes over. Since both come from our group, we support the switch, including adapting the part design to the mold. If your part is currently machined, Machined plastic part or 3D printed? compares the two routes.
Injection molding is handled by FORMEOTEC, a company of our group. For you, everything stays with one contact person: quote, part consultation, bridge production from 3D printing and series production are all coordinated through adddix.