Application and Development of 3D Printing Technology in Mold Manufacturing

The paper gives an overview of designing and implementing of 3D printing technology in mould production. The idea of several mainstream additive manufacturing techniques, namely Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Stereolithography (SLA), and Selective Laser Melting (SLM), is presented and the properties used in the production of molds are outlined. Moreover, the application examples in medical engineering, construction, automotive manufacturing, and composite materials are examined to explain the potential in using additive manufacturing in the production of molds. The challenges that are present in the research also include; a summary of material performance, surface quality, and production cost. On the whole, the findings suggest that 3D printing has the potential to enhance flexibility of designing the mold, reduce the time in development, and facilitate innovative methods of manufacturing in the mold industry.