Mode 02 · Speed — Rapid Molding

Production tools.
On engineering time.

Mold inserts and complete tools built fast for prototyping, bridge production, and short runs — without skipping the engineering discipline. From CAD to first shot in 3–10 days. Applied across plastic packaging, medical, automotive, white-goods, and defense NPI programs.

Photopolymer SLA-printed rapid tooling insert — Conforma

We design, print, and finish your prototype tool in days, not weeks. Drop-in compatible with your standard mold base, ready for pilot runs and bridge production.

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3–10 days
CAD to delivered tool
vs. 8–12 weeks for conventional steel tooling
≤€2k
typical mold cost
for SLA + aluminum prototype builds
10,000+
cycle warranty
on aluminum bridge production tools
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How it works

Tooling that
keeps up with iteration.

Production tooling takes 8–12 weeks because hardened steel is hard. We use photopolymer SLA, aluminum CNC, or P20 pre-hardened steel — choosing the fastest path that meets your cycle-count target. Same engineering discipline, fraction of the time.

When you're iterating on a design, you need shots fast. When you're launching a low-volume product, you don't need a €40k mold. Rapid tools deliver exactly enough quality and exactly enough cycles for what you actually need.

Anatomy

Simpler geometry.
Same engineering.

Rapid tools focus on the essentials — a clean cavity, simple cooling, drop-in mounting. Less geometric complexity than a full production insert, but every part still designed and validated by our engineering team.

  • Cavity face — mirror-polished
  • Cooling channels — simple straight-drilled
  • Water ports — threaded, in/out
  • Mounting bolts — M6 × 4 corners
  • Ejector pin clearances
INLET OUTLET CAVITY FACE CONFORMAL CHANNELS FIG.02 · EXPLODED VIEW Aluminum 6061 / P20 · CNC + SLA
Aluminum bridge-production rapid tooling insert
In context

Bridge to production.
No commitment.

Test 100 parts with a photopolymer SLA tool. Test 1,000 with an aluminum build. Run a low-volume product launch on P20. Each step is a real production tool, not a workshop prototype.

When you're ready for full production, we move you to the cooling-optimised maraging-steel build. Until then, you're shipping real parts.

vs. drilled cooling

Why steel tooling
is overkill for validation.

Conventional · production steel

Built for millions of cycles

Conventional cross-drilled cooling — production tooling FIG.A · Conventional steel
  • 8–12 week lead time for hardened steel tooling
  • €20k–€80k for a single-cavity production mold
  • Forces final design commitment before validation
  • Overkill for low-volume products or design iterations
Conforma · rapid

Days, not weeks

Conforma rapid photopolymer SLA insert FIG.B · Rapid SLA / Aluminum
  • 3–10 days from CAD to delivered, tested tool
  • €0.5–2k for prototype + bridge production builds
  • Iterate the design 5× while your competitor is still waiting
  • Right-sized engineering — exactly enough quality for the use case
Process

From idea
to running tool.

01 · DESIGN
80
Spec the right path
We pick photopolymer / aluminum / P20 based on your cycle count, tolerance, and part geometry. Match the tool to the use case.
02 · SIMULATE
Design + simulate
CAD model + basic Moldflow simulation for shot prediction. Most rapid designs converge in one iteration.
03 · PRINT
Build · 1–5 days
SLA print, CNC mill, or both — depending on the material and tolerance requirements.
04 · INSTALL
Finish, test, ship
Polished cavity face, water-tested if cooled, delivered ready to drop into your existing mold base.
Specifications

Engineering
specifications.

MaterialsSLA photopolymer · Aluminum 6061-T6 · P20 pre-hardened steel
Cavity tolerance±0.10 mm SLA · ±0.05 mm aluminum · ±0.05 mm P20
Cooling optionDrilled straight channels on aluminum/P20 · None on SLA prototypes
Insert envelope30×30×20 mm to 200×200×100 mm
Surface finishSLA Ra 1.6 µm · Aluminum Ra 0.8 µm · P20 Ra 0.4 µm polished
Cycle warranty1,000 (SLA) · 10,000 (Aluminum) · 50,000+ (P20 hardened)
Mold base compatibilityDrops into your existing mold base — DME, Hasco, Meusburger standard inserts
Typical lead time1–3 days SLA · 5–10 days aluminum · 7–14 days P20
Work with us

Need it next week?

Send your part geometry. We'll spec the right material path and quote the fastest route to a tested mold.