Molding tooling costs are high for various reasons, take injection for example.

Material costs: Molds are typically made from high-quality, durable materials like hardened steel or aluminum. Steel is particularly costly but necessary for long production runs due to its durability.

Complex manufacturing process: Producing molds involves precise and labor-intensive processes, including CNC machining, EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining), and sometimes hand polishing. The complexity of the mold, including multiple cavities, undercuts or intricate details, adds to the cost.

Precision: High-precision molds are essential for producing parts with tight tolerances, especially in industries like automotive, aerospace or medical. Achieving this level of precision requires advanced manufacturing equipment and skilled technicians, which increases the overall cost.

Customization: Injection molds are custom-built for specific products, and each design demands unique considerations. This custom nature of the tooling, tailored to individual part requirements, significantly raises costs compared to more standard, off-the-shelf tools.

Design and engineering time: Developing a mold requires significant design work to ensure it can withstand high pressure and temperature during the injection process. The design must also account for part geometry, cooling channels and ejection systems, requiring specialized engineering expertise.

Several factors affect the design:

Part design and geometry: The shape, size and complexity of the part being molded greatly influence the mold design. Complex geometries, intricate details, and thin walls require specialized mold features, such as additional cooling channels or more advanced gating systems.

Material selection: The plastic type significantly impacts mold design, affecting factors like cooling rates, shrinkage and flow behavior. For example, polypropylene shrinks more, while polycarbonate requires higher mold temperatures. The mold material must also resist wear from abrasive or corrosive plastics.

Tolerances: High-precision parts require molds with tighter tolerances, which can complicate the design and increase manufacturing costs. Mold designers must account for dimensional accuracy and consistency, particularly in industries like automotive and medical.

Ejection system: The method of ejecting the part from the mold affects both mold design and cycle time. Options like ejector pins, air blast systems or stripper plates must be carefully integrated into the mold to avoid damaging the part.

Gate design: The location and type of gate (direct, pin or edge gate) determine how the molten plastic enters the mold. Gate design affects the quality of the finished part, influencing flow characteristics, surface finish and cycle time.

Undercuts and parting lines: Parts with undercuts or complex geometries may require side actions or lifters in the mold design to release the part without damaging it. These features increase mold complexity and cost.

Our production engineers review every RFQ we get from customers to make sure the material and CNC machining cost are calculated properly. We’re accountable for your parts with direct good communication, not outsourcing them to unknown global suppliers, which means consistent quality from a known source. However, the online CNC machining quotation system from most of the manufacturing platforms is not yet accurate enough. And platforms often farm work out to a network of anonymous vendors—you don’t know who’s actually making your parts.

First of all, make sure the parts are designed friendly for CNC machining process and provide clear and complete CAD files. For example, avoid the features like sharp corners, deep pocket and thin walk. Secondly, select the right CNC machining partner for your projects, and build a long-term mutual relationship—repeat business often gets better pricing.

The lead time for receiving a CNC machined part from us can vary depending on several factors including the complexity of the part’s design, the type of material selected and our current production schedule. Referring to our previous CNC machining orders, over 90% of them are finished in around 7 days. Simple CNC machined parts can be done within 2 days, while it might take 15+ days to make complex or big CNC machined parts.