Yes — but the cost and feasibility depend on the change type. Adding material (steel welding + recutting) costs $500-3,000. Removing material (cutting more steel away) costs $1,000-5,000. Adding a new side action costs $3,000-8,000. Growing a dimension (making a feature larger) is cheap. Shrinking a dimension (making a feature smaller or removing it) may require a new cavity insert.
Engineering change cost and lead time by change type:
| Change Type | Feasibility | Typical Cost | Lead Time | Method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Increase hole diameter | Easy | $200-500 | 2-3 days | EDM or drill core pin larger |
| Decrease hole diameter | Moderate | $500-2,000 | 1-2 weeks | Replace core pin with larger (makes hole smaller in sintered part) |
| Add new hole | Moderate | $1,000-3,000 | 1-2 weeks | Add core pin; may need new ejector layout |
| Remove hole | Difficult | $1,000-3,000 | 1-2 weeks | Plug existing core pin hole in mold |
| Change overall dimension (grow) | Easy | $500-3,000 | 1-2 weeks | Weld cavity surface and recut (adds material) |
| Change overall dimension (shrink) | Difficult | $2,000-8,000 | 2-4 weeks | Must remove steel — may need new cavity insert |
| Add side action / slide | Very difficult | $5,000-15,000 | 4-8 weeks | Major mold rework — can approach new mold cost |
| Change gate location | Moderate | $1,000-4,000 | 1-2 weeks | Weld old gate, machine new gate |
| Add surface texture | Easy | $500-2,000 | 1-2 weeks | EDM texture cavity surface |
| Change material | None (if compatible) | $0 (if same shrink factor) | — | Only need sintering process requalification |
- If more than 3 features need change
- If the overall part envelope changes by more than 5%
- If a new side action or core pull is needed
- If the cavity steel has been through multiple weld-repair cycles already
- Requestor submits Engineering Change Order (ECO) with drawing change marked up
- MIM manufacturer assesses feasibility and provides cost/lead time estimate
- ECO approved with budget
- Mold modification performed
- First article from modified tool fully inspected
- PPAP delta submission (only changed dimensions requalified)