Introduction: Why Getting the Right Injection Mold Quote Matters

Being a group with more than twenty years of experience in constructing injection molds and manufacturing plastic components in China, we have witnessed it all. We have been sent elaborate beautiful CAD packages which make our engineers smile and we have been sent out of focus photos of one of our competitors products with the query, how much to make this? We have experienced ourselves the difficulties of communication that may be experienced across oceans and time zones. And we are all familiar with the sinking feeling that a buyer can get when an invoice comes in with some surprise charges.

Most of the time all these issues, the delays, the budget overruns, the frustrations, all begin with one thing, the initial quotation is not accurate or it is incomplete. An assumption based quote is a quote that is doomed.

That is the entire purpose of this guide. We are going to draw the curtain and reveal to you what exactly information gives us the ability to provide you with a price that is not just a guess but a promise. By giving the appropriate information at the first stage you change the whole buying experience of a risky transaction to a partnership.

The importance of a Rock-Solid Quote

Honestly speaking. It is a game changer, both to us, to be able to get an accurate quote of the injection mold right up front.

To the buyer such as yourself it means no more ugly surprises. You can safely present the figures to your leadership and rest assured that they are not going to multiply overnight. It will enable you to know whether a project is even economically feasible before you spend hundreds of hours developing and communicating about it. You are able to compare prices of various suppliers on an apples-to-apples basis and make an intelligent decision rather than simply choosing the lowest (and probably most inaccurate) price. It reduces by a magnitude the possibility of delays because a supplier has to hold up and say, Wait a minute, we did not consider that.

The advantages are equally immense to us the supplier. A specific request saves us hours and hours of guesswork and back and forth emails. We avoid the possibility of error and miscommunication when we do not need to re-evaluate a project in the middle of it. It enables us to establish the basis of trust in us, and that is the only thing we cherish more than a well-designed part. With all the facts at hand, we can assign our machine time, our raw materials and our best engineers to your project with accuracy and we will meet your cost and timeline objectives.

Finally, the open information makes us a supporting partner you require. When everyone is on the same page since the first day, everyone is a winner.

What must we know

It is simply two areas really, and a bit of an added bonus.

• Your Part Design: The Blueprint to All Things
• Your Production Requirements: The Future Plan

So what does that mean? Let us dissect it.

Your Part Design, the Quote foundation

The basis of the quote is your part design.

The design of your part is the absolute bottom. All the costs, all the schedules, all the choices, all are radiating out of here.

Part Drawings

This is the most important thing that you can offer. Preferably, we would want to have a 3D CAD file in a common format such as STEP, IGS or X_T. This enables our engineers to open the file, rotate the file, measure it and analyze each curve and feature.

A full drawing package must be able to demonstrate the following clearly:

• Every Dimension and Tolerance: You don’t want to miss any dimension. When a tolerance is essential to fit or operation it should be on the drawing. When it is not present, we are forced to assume a standard tolerance, which may not be that tight as your application requires. That is the formula of a non-fitting part and mating component.
• Parting Lines: The parting line can be imagined as the line between the two halves of the mold. Its position influences the complexity of the tool, and the outcome of the appearance of the part. Displaying your desired parting line assists us in knowing your cosmetic expectations.
• Draft Angles: This is essential. The walls must be angled slightly to allow a part to come out of the mold without being damaged. We can put draft, but since you have already done it, we know that you know how to do a molding, and it will take a step out of the review.
• Finishes: In case you require a particular texture, specify it. This will be discussed more in detail later, but realizing that you require a high-gloss finish instead of a regular matte finish alters the whole process of making the tool.
• Materials Annotations: The ideal would be to have your drawing annotated already, with notes of the material you have in mind to use on each part. This spares all that guess work.

Why should this be so important? Since a dimension that is not there or a feature that is not clear may shift the cost by thousands of dollars. A simple box would be cheaper and much more simple to mold than a complex geometry with many undercuts or internal threads. Your CAD file is the map and until we have it, we are flying blind.

Material Specifications

The material choice is right next to the drawings. The plastic world is diverse and huge. When you say you want “black plastic” it is the equivalent of a chef saying you want red sauce. Do you prefer a plain marinara or a hot arrabbiata?

In order to provide you with the right quotation we should know:

• The Particular Resin Type: Do we mean general purpose Polypropylene (PP), a workhorse such as ABS, or an engineering high-performance resin such as glass-filled Polycarbonate (PC)?
• Mechanical Properties Required: Please give us the history of the part. Does it have to be extremely powerful? Flexible? Does it have to resist hot temperatures in an engine compartment or in a laboratory with rough chemicals?
• Special Finishes or Textures: The texture of a product is strong. Do you require that high-quality, soft-touch experience of a TPE overmold? Consumer electronic with a high-gloss, even called a piano black finish? Or a rough, coarse handle of a power tool?

Why It Matters: Resin is one of the main cost drivers. An engineering plastic may be glass-filled and/or flame-retardant, and may be ten times as expensive per kilogram as a basic commodity resin. Moreover, the selection of material determines the kind of steel that we have to use in making the mold. Glass-filled nylon is an abrasive material, and will soon chew up a softer P20 steel tool; this material needs the harder H13 steel to provide a long tool life at a higher cost.

Part Functionality

We have to know the why of your part to be really your partner. Don’t simply e-mail us a file called Housing_v7. Relate to us the thing it does.

What will be the role of the part? What are its major characteristics? Are there any moving parts or snap fits that must work on the first time and every time?

What is its business environment? Will it be left outside under the sun and the rain? Will it undergo vibrations?

How long does it last? Is this a one-time, disposable thing or a part of a machine that will serve ten years?

Why It Matters: Context is king. Learning that a part belongs to a medical device will alter everything. We will learn to use medical-grade resin, to anticipate tighter tolerances, and to have in place a much more stringent quality control procedure. When we are aware that a part is a cosmetic covering, we can suggest a cheaper material. Knowing the application in the real world enables us to give suggestions that will save you money or make your product perform better.

Production Requirements: Successful Planning

After knowing the part, the second step is to know your production plans. This will determine the whole manufacturing strategy.

Estimated Quantity

This could be the greatest determinant other than the part design itself. What say you:

• Your Anticipated Volume per Annum: Do you produce 1,000, or 1,000,000 parts per year?
• Initial Order Quantity: How many parts do you require in startup?

Value Proposition: The mold design depends on the volume of production. It is like a muffin tin. A 6-muffin tin is okay in case you are going to bake just in case you are the only one. In case you are a commercial bakery, then you would require a large tray, which bakes 48 muffins in one go.

In the case of a small-volume run (say, under 10,000 parts) we would give a simple, single-cavity mold (one part per cycle). It is more economical to construct, but slower to manufacture the parts. On a high volume run of hundreds of thousands of parts we would quote a multi cavity hardened steel mold with automated features. A 16-cavity mold is very much more costly to construct, but makes 16 parts in the time that a one-cavity mold takes to make one, reducing your long-term cost per piece-part by a huge margin. We don’t know your volume, so we are only guessing which of the “muffin tins” you require.

Production Timeframes

Business does not wait and we understand you have deadlines. Spread the love:

• Your Mold Completion Target: When do you need T1 samples (the first off the new tool)?
• Your Ramp-Up Plan of Production: How many parts will you need on day one, and how will you ramp up over a few months?
• Any Deadlines: Do you have a holiday product launch? A big trade fair?

Why It Matters: Our schedules and resource expectations are planned weeks ahead on our machines. By being aware of your critical path we can book your mold build and book press time on your production run. It also assists us in raising red flags. An example would be when you require a complex tool to be developed just before Chinese New Year where the whole country closes down and everyone goes on leave weeks at a time; we need to know at once so we can draw out a feasible timeline.

Quality Standards

Quality is not a subjective thing; it is a measurable criterion. What do you consider quality to be?

• Does the industry have any certification required (e.g. medical, automotive or food grade products)?
• What is your tolerance of defects? What is an Acceptable Quality Limit (AQL) that you can work to?
• Will you give me limit samples? These are physical representations of what you think is a good part and what you think is a bad part (e.g. displaying the maximum permitted sink mark or flash).

Why It Matters: The costs are affected by tight quality requirements, usually involving more process controls and more frequent inspections and possibly special equipment. By the same token, when we know your standards in advance we are able to incorporate the quality plan into the production process on day one and prevent the disagreements and rejections in the future.

Additional (but Very Useful) Information

The above details are the basics. However, to make a good quote to a great quote, some additional details can assist us in narrowing down the price and plotting an easy collaboration. This involves such things as special packaging requirements, shipping requirements, and even your normal payment terms. Each of the pieces of the puzzle you are providing lets us see the whole picture of your project.

Conclusion: Let us make something great out of it

You have now the blueprint in getting the most accurate, dependable and valuable injection molding quote of any manufacturer in China. It is not about putting extra work on you. It is all about spending a bit of time now to save a lot of time, money and frustration in the future.

By offering transparent information about your design, materials, volume, and quality requirements, we will be able to be more than a simple supplier and be an extension of your staff. You are welcome to compile this information and get a custom quote with us now. We have over 20 years experience in assisting companies across the globe to bring their products to life and we are willing to bring that experience to bear on your behalf.