To Injection Mold, to Stamp, or to Assemble? Part I — A DFM Cost Perspective

This paper presents a DFM cost comparison of injection molding and stamping, the processes most commonly used in the production of consumer oriented special purpose components. The general guidelines obtained and conclusions drawn in order to determine if a component should be injection molded or stamped, and/or if several components should be combined into a single component or not, are discussed. The cost evaluation and comparison are primarily in terms of the functional equivalence of feature, component, and assembly.