2.1.2. Machining Time Calculation

The workpiece material also significantly influences the final machining time by influencing the cutting parameters possible to use with the selected cutting tools. Therefore, two tool steels commonly used in injection mold structures were considered (Table 2).

**Table 2.** Tool steels used to calculate machining time.


Based on the features presented in Table 1 and the materials to be machined in Table 2, 30 parts like the one shown in Figure 2 were generated and modeled. Each of the parts was assigned to one of the workpiece materials, as well as the elements in Table 1 in different quantities. Subsequently, and based on the sequences of operations assigned for each feature, a library of cutting tools was created, and machining strategies were defined.

**Figure 2.** Examples of models used to produce the mold parts (Figure S1).

Then, the 30 parts were calculated using traditional and empirical methods, with the machining times obtained being shown and compared in Figure 3.

**Figure 3.** Machining times of each of the 30 parts obtained by the traditional method (TM) and the empirical method (EM).
