From Prototype to Production: How to Reduce Your Injection Molding Costs

Managing Tooling Cost (Upfront Investment)

The mold is your single biggest capital expense. The primary driver of this cost is complexity.

• Simplify Your Part: Every side-action, lifter, or unscrewing mechanism adds precision moving parts to your tool, increasing its cost. Can an undercut be designed as a shut-off instead? Eliminating just one slide can save thousands.
• Consider Bridge Tooling: For lower initial volumes (e.g., 5,000-10,000 units), a 'soft tool', or a pre-hardened steel tool, can be a cost-effective “bridge” to production. It won't last as long as a hardened steel tool, but the upfront cost is significantly lower, allowing you to get to market faster.

Driving Down Unit Cost (Ongoing Expense)

This is the price you pay for each part, and at high volumes, every fraction of a cent matters.

• Reduce Cycle Time: Time is money. The faster a part can be molded, the cheaper it is. You can reduce cycle time by designing with the thinnest possible uniform wall thickness, which allows the part to cool and eject faster.
• Use a Multi-Cavity Tool: Instead of making one part at a time, a mold can be designed with 2, 4, 8, or even 64 identical cavities. While the tool is more expensive upfront, it produces parts much faster, drastically cutting the unit cost.
• Build a Family Mold: If your product consists of multiple plastic parts made from the same material, a family mold produces one of each component in a single shot. This is incredibly efficient for logistics and assembly.

The key is to discuss your projected volumes with us. This allows us to help you find the sweet spot between your upfront tooling investment and your long-term unit price.

What's Next?

You've finalized your design and budgeted for the project. What happens when you give the green light? Our final article in this series walks you through the last critical steps: What to Expect When You Order a Mold: The Pilot Run and Mold Modification Process.