mold costs in China, is it cheap or expensive?

Our mold costs start with an amount of approximately 1000 USD / euros for small molds , creating small parts with dimensions such as 50*20*10 Mm..

Injection molding is therefore only feasible ( due to these necessary start-up costs )  for producing series starting from approx. 3,000 products.

In order to make a good estimate of the mold costs, it is important that the design of the desired product is finished and according the general design rules, and that the expected production volume per year is known. Additional information as part material and quality, product life time will be used to fine tune the mold costs..

The shape (and therefore price) of the mold is in fact determined by

• The design of the product: the more complex the design- structure of the product, the more mold parts are necessary to shape it.
• The expected production  or manufacturing volume: the greater the expected volume, the more sustainable the mold should be

The 2 main aspects that determine the cost price of a mold are listed below.

The shape of the product

• Product size: the larger the product, the larger the mold.
• In the simplest scenario, the mold has one division and therefore consists of two halves. However, many products are provided with all kinds of details and require a more complicated mold construction.
• The requirements that are set on the product surface.

The number of products that you would like to make with ONE mold

• In  a situation of annual deliveries of up to 75,000 units, a single mold is usually used. That means: a mold with one product cavity. With a larger annual requirement, the number of cavities (cavities) can rise to more than 90. This depends on your machine and of course part size. With extreme large injection molded prats we stick to one cavity.
• With large annual collections, it is important that the mold can be maintained in a simple way. The construction of the mold needs to be optimized at this point.

High pressure (up to 2,500 bar)

• This requires a very stable mold construction. In practice, this means that most molds are made of steel.
• Every detail in the mold cavity is visible on the end product. This means that a scratch or a small damage will also be visible on the product. That is why the steel parts in the cavity of the mold are often extra hardened and made very wear-resistant.
• Every opening in the mold cavity that is larger than a fraction of a millimeter (0.03 mm.) Is visible on the product. The mold parts must therefore be processed very accurately.

More information

Would you like more information about molds or the costs of having a mold made? Then contact us. We like to help you.

To some extent, it is a lot to ask how much a plastic injection mold costs. It is a like asking “How much does your car cost?” Will your mold be a Toyota or a Bentley?

The factors that determine the cost you pay for a mold are a combination of several elements, including part dimensions, complexity, selected materials and required quantities. For example, if you need 1,000 simple parts every year, we will recommend a single-cavity mold to you, i.e. it produces one part in each cycle. In this case, the mold will probably cost you 1,000 – 2,000 USD.

Another example: if you need 1,000,000 remote controllers per month, we will create a 16-cavity mold for you, which makes 8 covers and 8 bottoms in every cycle. In this case, however, you will need to pay 4,000 – 10,000 USD  or more.

Surely, the 2 examples mentioned above are every extreme, but it gives us a general idea about how much a mold would cost you, and your specific part will probably fall somewhere in between.

In addition, the selection of material is another factor that determines how much a plastic injection mold may cost. For example, if you require a fiberglass filled product, you will probably need a mold that is made from hardened tool steel, so as to cope with the wear such materials might cause during the injection molding process under high pressure conditions.

It will be useful to tell your mold manufacturer if you already have a target price in mind for your parts. When they design the mold, they can keep your target price in mind, and then make appropriate planning to achieve your desired price with expertise. Although you do not need to know all the details about the available molds, it is better that you come prepared. If you are able to offer the basic information to the mold maker, it will be helpful for them to create the most appropriate mold for your production project. We also recommend that you look for a mold manufacturer who also possesses production capability. A company that is responsible for the production will not create a substandard mold, since they have to reply on it for production activities.

No matter what your project needs, One thing ECO Molding would not do is to suggest you invest in a Porsche when all you need is a VW.