3. Prospects for additive manufacturing in tooling

3.1 Topological optimization

Additive manufacturing processes offer the possibility of hollowing out parts to reduce mass. Lattices (or lattice structures) are very often added in the hollowed-out areas to support the overhanging walls during part manufacture. For an injection molding machine, the mass of an injection mold insert is negligible compared to the weight of the mold casing. The advantage of recessing a part using a topological optimization method does not therefore lie in saving mass, as is the case in aeronautics. However, reducing the volume of material to be fused does two things:

• reduction in manufacturing time required to produce the tool, and reduction in the amount of material consumed;

• ...