This work introduced a new two-dimensional process chain model to support process selection, concurrent engineering, and design for manufacturing in the early phases of design. This approach was used to consider how additive manufacturing technologies can be incorporated into traditional manufacturing process chains. It was shown that milling and DLP 3D printing with low viscosity materials are viable alternatives to injection molding with a steel insert for the production of a part with high aspect ratio micro scale features. High viscosity DLP 3D printing materials were unable to adequately produce the micro geometries or sharp corners due to the post-curing of liquid residue. Injection molding with DLP 3D printed inserts was to be promising but requires further development and a different type of process optimization than traditional injection
molding.