The most common question we hear from designers and product engineers is, “How much will a plastic injection mold cost to make my product?”.
It’s a fair question and we understand that perhaps a bottomless pocket may not be part of your current budget. The manufacturing of an injection mold could possibly be the greatest expense a new product faces in the development cycle.
Many factors play roles and directly affect the cost incurred to create an injection mold for your custom parts. Prices can vary greatly between US injection mold manufacturers and off-shore injection molders. In any case, a reliable injection molder should be able to provide an accurate estimate quickly from either a 3D CAD file, sketch or the general dimensions of your product.
We have been in business since 1998 and understand that all injection molders are NOT created equally. Many molds created off-shore are not built to meet the strict tolerances your parts require, so be sure to take the proper precautions when pre-screening a potential injection molding supplier.
Here is what directly effects the cost of your injection mold tooling…
The number of cavities – The number of cavities you incorporate into your mold will directly correlate in molding costs. Fewer cavities require far less tooling work, so limiting the number of cavities in-turn will result in lower initial manufacturing costs to build your injection mold.
The complexity of your part – As the number of cavities play a vital role in molding costs, so does the complexity of your part design. Complexity can be incorporated into many factors such as surface finishing, tolerance requirements, fine detailing or the number of undercuts that may be incorporated.
In general, the cost of manufacturing an injection mold can potentially be a great expense. However, with the experience of Longxiang Group and proper understanding of what makes good part design can help reduce the cost and avoid unnecessary expenses.