Comparison of the Value Chain of Steel Inserts for Multi-Cavity Tools Manufactured Additively and Conventionally Using Flexsim

The tooling sector is essential for industrial development, providing tools and molds that directly influence the efficiency and competitiveness of industries. In Brazil, low productivity meets only 50% of domestic demand, requiring imports. The main obstacles include lack of modernization, shortage of professionals, inadequate management, and inefficient use of resources. The development of injection molding tools is expensive, time-consuming, and resource-intensive; additive manufacturing emerges as an alternative for faster production. However, there is a lack of effective methods for choosing the ideal technology for each project. Computer simulation allows the emulation of production chains with additive and conventional technologies, enabling economic analysis and the identification of bottlenecks. In this article, FlexSim was used to model a 32-cavity mold and compare the results with those obtained in Tecnomatix Plant Simulation. The systematic review supported the simulation methodology, and the results indicated that conventional manufacturing had higher productivity and lower manufacturing costs.