Injection moulding evokes mass production: hundreds of thousands of identical parts out of a steel mould. But what if you need five hundred? Or two thousand a year? Small series are perfectly feasible, provided you pick the right technology for each volume. Here is the overview.
Up to about 20 parts: 3D printing
For a few units, 3D printing remains unbeatable: no mould, delivery in days. But a print is a visualisation tool, not functional validation. The mechanical properties of a printed part differ from an injected part in the real material.
From 20 to 200 parts: vacuum casting
Vacuum casting starts from a 3D-printed master to create a silicone mould, into which polyurethane resins close to ABS, PC or PP are cast. Ideal for market tests, pre-series and certification files, without investing in a mould.
From a few hundred to a few thousand parts: the pilot mould
Real injection starts here. An aluminium pilot mould is built in a few weeks and injects parts in the final material, on a real press. You validate the product completely, in the right polymer, with the right properties. For many products the pilot mould even becomes the production mould: if your total need fits within its lifespan, a steel mould is never required.
Beyond that: the steel series mould
Once volumes become structural, hardened steel wins. The higher tooling investment is amortised by a low per-part cost and a lifespan of hundreds of thousands to millions of cycles. The tipping point depends on your part, material and finishing requirements: we calculate it project by project.
Why small series are not an afterthought for us
Our workshop in Ath runs presses from 50 to 250 tonnes with fast mould changes: small and medium series are our core business, not filler between two large orders. Our design office recommends the right technology per volume, and our co-investment model makes tooling accessible to start-ups and SMEs. Large volumes transition seamlessly to our ISO 9001 partner in Poland, with the same quality control.
Unsure which technology fits your volume?
Send us your 3D file and your volume estimate. Within 48 hours you receive a recommendation on the most cost-effective route: vacuum casting, pilot mould or series mould, with a concrete quote.
