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Comment by tomcam | Hacker News Reader

If I understand the horribly-organized website and YouTube video correctly, you spend $12,500 for the machine, which can be plugged into a standard outlet, and which creates plastic parts up to 6 inches in diameter. In order to make the molds, you must also buy a CNC machine; theirs is $7000 (any CNC would work). The plastics cost about $25 a pound.

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The work envelope is 4.8" x 6.0" so realistically you'd only get a ~4.375" diameter part geometry in there. You can't have hot plastic right up to the edge, the pressure would blow out the mold wall. This is assuming steel or aluminium molds. 3d printed molds would likely need even thicker walls to account for the voids in printing.

The one benefit would be if you were using or developing generative design in 3d printed molds, this would be a great test bed.

source - I work in the injection molding, 3dp, and CNC industry.

Man, this is why I love HN. One paragraph and you clarified questions raised by the last 10 injection molding articles I’ve read. Thank you.

Maybe instead of buying the $7,000 CNC machine you send the design off to a machine shop? Or use the CNC at a local makerspace?

I do agree that the low volume and small build area will pigeonhole the product, but it does fill a niche between 3D printing and big boy injection molding.

> In order to make the molds, you must also buy a CNC machine.

Manually controlled machines also exist.

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