Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare the overall performance of the injection moulding process by using metallic inserts produced by both conventional technologies and selective laser melting (SLM). Design/methodology/approach: A systematic methodology is proposed for prior evaluation of the effectiveness of conformal cooling channels to reduce cycle time and/or to reduce the scrap rate. Findings: The mould was reengineered considering the SLM process and manufactured. Injection trials were carried out to validate expectations provided by injection simulations, which resulted on good quality parts and a significant decrease on cooling time, and, consequently, on the overall cycle time. The minimisation of scrap provided energy savings and time-to-market reduction. Research limitations/implications: The initial costs for AM tools still pose some doubts on decision-makers. The challenge of this study is to implement the methodology on a small-scale production and still ensure that benefits are achieved. Practical implications: The case study selected for this research work is based on a parking sensor housing, which is a plastic part assembled on the vehicle’s front and rear bumpers, therefore, with aesthetics concerns. The part produced with the conventional mould exhibits surface defects that, to be minimised (not eliminated), require a longer packing time to diminish the sink marks. Social implications: The economic impact of the use of SLM is relevant despite the low batch size for the case study presented. Energy savings are achieved due to scrap reduction and shorter cycle time. Originality/value: The systematic methodology proposed for prior evaluation of the advantages of conformal cooling is possible to be applied both on small scale and high production series.

The increase in waste has motivated the adoption of the circular economy concept, which assumes particular relevance in the case of plastic materials. This has led to research of new possibilities for recycling plastics after their end-of-life. To achieve this goal, it is fundamental to understand how the materials’ properties change after recycling. This study aims to evaluate the thermal and mechanical properties of recycled plastics, namely polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS), glass fibre-reinforced polyamide 6 (PA6-GF30), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). With this purpose, injected samples were mechanically recycled twice and compared through thermal and mechanical tests, such as differential scanning calorimetry, hardness, tensile strength, and the melt flow rate. The results show that the amorphous materials used do not suffer significant changes in their properties but exhibit changes in their optical characteristics. The semicrystalline ones present some modifications. PET is the material that suffers the biggest changes, both in its flowability and mechanical properties. This work demonstrates that the mechanical recycling process may be an interesting possibility for recycling depending on the desired quality of final products, allowing for some materials to maintain comparable thermal and mechanical properties after going through the recycling process.