Yes, some vendors will do resin based or wood tooling, which is about 20-30% less than aluminum. If there is a lot of machining required, prices are fairly close. There is also the risk of resin or wood molds failing that is eliminated with aluminum tooling.
So I will probably end up going for aluminum tooling. I quoted some FDM molds through RedEye and they were almost as expensive as the aluminum mold for parts this size. I wish there was a better option. FDM might work if someone had a nice pre-made frame so the plastic mold could be more...
I am still looking for the right vendor.
I was really hoping that vendors would know more about rapid prototyping approaches to tooling. Or at least give me an understanding of when it is appropriate.
The mold would definitely have to be two pieces as the largest build size is 24" I believe...
I am looking to have a thermoformed catheter tray made. The tray is 40" long 5" wide. The material is HIPS.
I need about 150 trays and then I know the design is going to change. I really don't want to invest much in tooling, so FDM tooling seems like a good option in theory. I have been told...
