Rapid Tooling:

The prototype aims to see exactly how your product appears and acts in a real-world scenario.
There are different prototyping processes in the manufacturing industry, ranging from CNC
machining to 3D printing. The beauty of these processes is their speed and cost-friendliness, as
most of them enable you to produce prototypes cheaply. Rapid tooling is another process used
for producing prototypes.

Unlike the other prototyping processes, this process applied in low volume injection molding
helps manufacturers produce tools and project parts cheaply and fast. Prototyping using this
approach can help show how different parts of your product would work.

Overview of Rapid Tooling

Also known as bridge tooling or prototype tooling, this is one of the steps in product
development. It involves hand-load inserts, stocked mold base, and mold material. The mold
material could be either aluminium or soft steel.
It is a rapid tool that enables you to get project parts cheaply and fast. The result is the
production of parts through low-volume injection molding that functions as tools.
Manufacturers subscribe to rapid tools because they enable manufacturers to notice and correct
flaws in the current design to prevent issues in the final parts before a full-scale investment in
production tooling.

Moreover, it allows you to use the same materials for actual production. In order words, they
enable you to decide if you have made the right material choices, as you get a clearer picture
of your prototype, including how its different parts would function in a real-world scenario.
Therefore, using rapid tooling is a good way to develop small-batch orders in process design,
marketing, and product evaluation.

How Does Rapid Tooling Work?

With the rise in demand for cheap tooling solutions, there is also a rise in the number of methods
used for making rapid prototype tooling. Generally, there are two main methods of making
rapid molds. These include:

• Direct Approach

• Indirect Approach

Direct Approach

The direct approach to rapid tooling produces the cavity mold inserts and actual core. One of
the major strengths of this approach is its ability to produce tools with geometries that might
be unattainable without them. For instance, in the conformal cooling technique, heat removal
from the mold is uniform, reducing cooling times by about 66%. This occurs because the
internal cooling channels follow the contour present in the mold cavities.

Merits of Making Rapid Tools With Direct Method

 • Fast Production: With this approach, you can design and develop tools or molds in a
few days or weeks as in this case.

• Not complex: The steps involved in this method are easy. They are also few as
compared to the indirect method.

• Does not consume resources: Prototyping or producing using this method requires few
resources. For instance, you can make several prototypes from one tool or mold.

• Flexible Approach: This approach is very flexible, allowing you to change designs as
quickly as possible. In other words, if you have a design idea and want to test if it would
work or not, this is the best approach for you. In addition, if your product does not
require high-level detail, you should stick to the direct approach

Demerits Of Rapid Tools Made With Direct Method

• Not durable or robust: Prototypes made using this method are not often durable. That
is to say, molds made using this process could break easily since the material used is
usually not of high quality. This would subsequently lead to a higher production cost if
you repeatedly have to replace the mold. Another avenue that could increase product
cost is if you keep changing designs. Hence, a change of design would mean a change
in the mold. Also, if detail is an important quality for your product or prototype, then
this method is not for you.

• Error Prone: Creating multiple molds using this method often results in errors. This
error is often due to differences in mold dimensions. This is especially true if you use
different materials.

Indirect Approach

The indirect approach uses master patterns produced through additive manufacturing to make
die or mold. While many methods are available for achieving this, soft tooling techniques are
commonly used.

Soft tooling involves making use of silicone molds for plastic parts. Furthermore, these silicone
molds also serve as sacrificial models when you want to cast metal parts.
Merits of Making Rapid Tools With Indirect Method

• Durable: The master pattern made from durable material lasts for a very long time. It
is difficult to damage it during the prototyping process. This means that for the duration
of your production, you may likely not change a master pattern unless there is a change
in design.

• Versatile: Depending on the requirement, manufacturers can create soft and hard tools
faster with this method.

• Ideal for experimentation and testing: This method gives you the leverage to
experiment with different materials.
Demerits of Making Rapid Tools With Indirect Method

• Time-consuming: It takes longer to produce a master tool than it takes to produce a

mold in the direct method. Furthermore, there are many steps involved in the process,
which could increase the cost of production. Also, if there is a likelihood that your
design will change during the prototyping stage, then you should avoid this method.

• Not for simple designs: This method works best with complex designs that require a
lot of detail. In other words, if your design is simple, then this method is most likely
not for you.

Having examined both methods, their merits, and their demerits, how do you choose the ideal
one when you want to make a rapid mold? Below are some guidelines you should consider
before making your decision.

• Budget: This entails how much funds you plan to use for prototyping and production.

• Timeline: How soon do you need the prototype or product

• Design complexity: Does your design require details? Is it complex or simple?

• Materials: What material do you have in mind for developing your prototype or product

Considerations to Make Prototyping Molds

When making prototyping molds, below are some factors you must consider.

• Mold strength: Mold should be strong and durable to withstand the injection molding
process. It is also important to note that molding machines force heated materials into
the mold at pounds per inch. If the mold is not strong enough, it might fall apart.

• Mold Smoothness: To inject and eject the plastic cleanly into and from the mold, it has
to be smooth. However, some processes require adding materials in layers, so their
products are not usually smooth. In situations like this, surface finishing is required in
plastic parts.

Advantages Of Rapid Tooling In Manufacturing

Rapid tooling now has a wide rate of adoption among manufacturers because of the benefits it
affords them. Still undecided on whether to use it for your prototyping needs? Here are some
benefits rapid production tooling affords you.

Reduced Product Development Costs

Materials used in making a rapid mold are often cheaper and more flexible than those required
for making a conventional mold. These materials range from different types of aluminium to
steel.
Besides, 3D printed tooling being cost-effective helps you save money spent on production
because the faster the process, the less you spend.
Fast Time to Market

It results in faster production of both prototypes and products. Besides, this speed reduces the
time spent in the prototyping stage of production, hastening the time to market.
Mold Customization

With this prototype tooling, you can create your custom mold with any dimension. You can
also run different materials through the mold and perform quality control tests on them. This
comes in handy when you are unsure of the ideal material for your product.

Test Design and Functionality Thoroughly

This prototyping method gives you the leverage to make several prototypes or molds in a short
time, sometimes in hours. It also gives you the freedom to test out new ideas and adjust old
ones. This, in turn, helps improve design functionality and market value.

Increased ROI

Another advantage is that it hastens product development time, which in turn ensures you start
recouping your investments in a short time. Also, lower production and prototyping costs
reduce the time spent getting your ROI because you incur fewer expenses.

Limitations of Rapid Tooling In Injection Molding

It’s possible to produce rapid molds or tools in the shortest time, which accelerates the
production of plastic parts. However, there are still limitations to rapid tooling. Below are a
few of them.

Higher Injection costs, Labor costs

Prototyping with rapid tooling is a repetitive process, and this means spending more on
injections, especially if you are looking to perfect a design. Higher injection costs translate to
higher labor costs, which could increase your cost of production.

Shorter Mold Life Cycles

Rapid molds do not last long. This is due to the stress placed on them by the injection process.
Besides, the materials used in producing the molds like aluminium and steel, are not of high
quality. Hence, you would end up creating a new mold from time to time, as the previous ones
wear out.

Rapid Tooling Vs Rapid Prototyping

Some people feel rapid tooling and rapid prototyping are the same, which is not true. There are
differences, and we will discuss them here.

Rapid tooling involves the production of a tool or mold that enables manufacturers to rapidly-
produce parts of a product that would function as a tool. Furthermore, there are two approaches
to prototyping here; direct method and indirect method. But the common technique used is
injection molding.
On the other hand, rapid prototyping is a technology or method that aids the rapid production
of a physical part for end-use or use as a prototype. In addition, the common technologies
involved in rapid prototyping are additive manufacturing (3D printing) and subtractive
manufacturing (CNC machining).

Applications of Rapid Tooling

Rapid tooling is useful in many sectors. Its speed in making unique, accurate instruments makes
it important in fields like:

Automotive Industry: Rapid tooling creates vehicle component molds and prototypes for
quicker design iterations and testing. Motorsports benefit from quick prototyping, which
improves performance in record time.

Rapid tooling helps aerospace manufacturers make lightweight, high-strength aircraft and
spacecraft parts. Rapid tooling creates unique components without sacrificing performance or
safety.
Rapid tooling helps medical device producers design and test surgical instruments, prostheses,
and other components fast. Creating patient-specific tools is crucial in this market.

Consumer electronics: Rapid tooling speeds up product development and manufacturing in

consumer electronics, where innovation advances swiftly.

The Future of Rapid Tooling

Rapid tooling technology will enable even greater production advances. Additive
manufacturing, better materials, and smarter software will speed up, simplify, and lower tooling
costs. Rapid tooling will improve if AI and machine learning are integrated into manufacturing
processes to enhance design and production.