How 3‑D Printing Supercharges Our Injection‑Molding Workflow
With 135 employees, agility is our competitive edge. Additive manufacturing frees our craftsmen to focus on complex toolmaking while printers handle quick‑turn prototypes and specialty inserts. The result? Faster launches, smoother builds, and a shop floor that feels a little less rushed—and a lot more collaborative.
A Night‑Shift Partner, Not a Rival
At Decatur Mold, toolmaking is in our DNA—and now 3‑D printing is, too. Instead of replacing tried‑and‑true practices, additive manufacturing simply moves certain steps upstream. Overnight prints give our tooling team instant, tangible feedback, so they can refine steel cavities with confidence and speed.
From Printer Bed to Production Press
That lattice you notice in the early frames is intentional support material. It peels away in seconds, revealing a prototype that’s:
Sized for real‑world tests. Snap it into a fixture, run airflow studies, or hand it to a customer for “first feel.”
Made while you rested. No machine-hour bottlenecks, no press schedule reshuffles—just uninterrupted production.
Built for conversation. Teams can point to exact features, decide on tweaks, and lock in design intent before a single toolpath is programmed.
Bringing the Idea to Life on a Busy Shop Floor
Spot an opportunity. A part with thin ribs, cosmetic surfaces, or a looming design change is perfect.
Print overnight, review at first light. The prototype becomes a conversation starter, not a late‑stage correction.
Iterate seamlessly. Adjust the CAD, re‑print, repeat—until everyone’s confident the steel will run right the first time.
Move to full production. With lessons learned and cooling channels optimized, the final tool heads to the press bay ready for long, reliable life.
