There are many frequently asked questions we are receiving from customers, one of the most common question is “ What is the mold cost can we get from your company/ How much will the injection mold cost?” Not only for new customers, but also for customers who have established cooperation for long time. Today, Qiqiangsheng Moulds is going to discuss with you what will be the factors affecting the molds cost in following points:

1. Mold structure (complexity & size)

The complexity of molds is one of the factors that determine the cost, including the surface finish of final parts, no. of molding undercuts, etc. The mold complexity depends on the part design, if a plastic part is complex, which means the mold will be complex, which will finally lead to higher mold cost. Also, the size of molds will determine the tooling cost, larger parts or higher number of cavities mean larger molds and more material being used in mold making. The more cavities a mold has the more machining time is required due to the complex designs, therefore, the cost of mold will higher than a simple mold.

2. Mold material

The largest upfront injection molding cost is usually the mold steel. There are many types of molds steel available on the market, the material you choose will affect molds cost. What kind of mold steel used in mold making depends on the quantity of mass production, part surfaces, etc. If you need large volume of products, it means the higher requirement on the mold life, we may need to use hardened steel, which will lead to higher molds cost; if you need high glossy surfaces, we may need to use mirror-polishing steel, which will also increase tooling cost.

3. Mold precision & machining equipment

Plastic parts with tight tolerances will require higher precision of molds. This also need some extra strict steps during mold manufacturing, which will require high precision machining equipment for manufacturing. Thus, the tooling cost will be increased to some extent.