What is Plastic Injection Molding? Go

Design Resource Center

Professional Plastic Design Information

Making your product a reality requires proactive, creative thinking and attention to detail during the design phase. Bring us an idea and we'll create a strategy to build a zero-defect product.

Factors that Influence the Cost of a Plastic Injection Molding Job

Determining the price of your product depends on several factors. Using a cost-effective approach, we develop a pricing structure based on the amount of hours our machines will be in use, the material selected and the quote from the moldmaker. Learn about the factors that influence the price of a mold and the price of parts.

Mold Price Factors

Mold Quality
Factors that will determine the mold quality are life of the mold, plastic selected and the complexity of part design. Our preference is to use only aluminum in prototype molds, P-20 steel in medium volume applications (100,000-500,000 parts) and hardened steel for higher volume applications.
Mold Size
Part size and the number of cavities will determine mold size.
Number of Cavities
Part volume, production rate, and part price influence how many cavities a mold will have. The mold must be able to produce parts faster than they are consumed. We utilize a formula that relates the number of cavities to part costs.
Offshore vs. Onshore
We determine whether cost savings from going outside the country justifies the possible challenge of communication and distance.

Part Price Factors

Material Selection
The appropriate plastic material must meet all of the application's physical and chemical requirements and be manufacturable in the part design.
Labor Content
Our goal is to minimize the labor content and part price by having the machine run automatically.
Cavities
The more cavities in the mold has, the lower the part price. Conversley, more cavities the mold has, the higher the mold price.
Production Rate
Part design and material selection affect how fast the part can be molded. Since most moldmakers charge for the machine by the hour, the faster the part runs the lower the price.
Order Quantity
Quantity affects price in two ways. First, the higher the part volume the lower the material price. Second, the setup cost is amortized over more parts.
Packaging
Get the product safely to the customer or the end user.
Secondary Operations
Many parts require decorating, assembly or kitting after molding.