Manufacturing Process Comparison Calculator

Compare Manufacturing Processes for Your Part

Compare CNC machining, 3D printing, sheet metal fabrication, injection molding, and vacuum casting based on material, part geometry, quantity, tolerances, lead time, and cost. Explore process suitability and adjust cost assumptions to support your manufacturing decisions.

Manufacturing Process Decision Tool CNC · 3D Printing · Sheet Metal · Injection Molding · Vacuum Casting

Step 1

Enter Your Part Requirements

Order quantity (parts)

Required final material

Part geometry

Bounding dimensions (mm)

Length × width × height, not finished part volume.

Dimensional requirement

Surface requirement

Target lead time (calendar days)

Primary decision priority

Sheet thickness (mm, if applicable)

Allow similar-function materials for initial screening. A substitute is not an equivalent material and must be approved separately.

Illustrative model only. Preloaded costs, tool life, capacity and schedules are fictional planning inputs, not EPOC CRAFTER quotations or published factory limits. Replace them with project-specific supplier figures before making a purchasing decision. Dimensions affect review flags only; they do not calculate material weight or machining time.

Adjust example cost and capacity assumptions

Process	Fixed cost (USD)	Cost / part (USD)	Setup days	Parts / day

Vacuum casting mold life (shots / mold)

Additional silicone mold (USD)

Fixed cost includes initial process setup or initial tooling. Vacuum casting fixed cost includes the first silicone mold; additional molds are added when quantity exceeds the entered mold life. These assumptions are independent of geometry and actual production quotations.

Step 2

Process Fit and Illustrative Cost Comparison

Leading screened process —

Illustrative total cost —

Illustrative lead time —

Process	Material / geometry fit	Example total	Cost / part	Days	Why it ranked this way

CNC vs 3D Printing Cost

CNC typically requires programming, workholding and material removal. Additive processes differ in build preparation, material support, equipment time and post-processing. Compare the same functional requirement, not an assumed equivalence between resin and machined plastic.

3D Printing vs Injection Molding Cost

Injection molding carries an upfront tooling cost, while 3D printing usually avoids dedicated production tooling. The economic crossover depends on the part, material, tooling design, quantity and the supplier’s real prices; it is not a universal part-count threshold.

How the comparison works

Illustrative total = fixed cost + (quantity × cost per part). Vacuum casting also adds replacement silicone molds after the configured mold life.
Illustrative days = setup days + ceiling(quantity ÷ assumed parts per day). This excludes shipping, holidays and schedule conflicts.
Material and geometry mismatch removes a process from ranking. Precision, cosmetic surface, envelope and deadline issues are flagged for engineering review, not silently accepted.
Costs exclude material-price fluctuations, scrap, inspection, finishing, VAT, duties, freight and tooling iterations unless you add these to your assumptions.

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