Historically, machining has been the only feasible manufacturing alternative for
manufacturers sourcing low-to-moderate quantities of microcomponents. Molders,
because of the modest volumes or the complexity of the components, have often
shunned these manufacturers. However, with advances in technology, micromolding
can now offer a range of cost-effective alternatives for components that are miniature, complex and require high-precision tolerances. Machining places limitations on the material selection process where high-cost ceramics or engineered metallic materials are commonly used. As a result, sourcing low-to-moderate volume microcomponents has been a costly challenge for manufacturers. Advances in material science and plastic injection-mold equipment permit complex machined microcomponents to be injection molded in metal, plastic or plastic with metal or ceramic filler. There are a number of cost and design advantages that can be obtained by converting. Engineers looking to decrease the overall size of their product, incorporate complex features, reduce the number of components or reduce costs should consider converting from machining to micromolding.