As you can see above, while tooling is significantly cheaper offshore, piece price is much higher.  Because of this, there is a $47,500 savings over the entire project's life! This is huge, especially because so many people might get hung up with the sticker price shock of domestic tooling.

When considering injection molding, manufacturers have two primary options: domestic and international production. In this blog post, we'll provide an in-depth comparison of domestic and international injection molding pricing, as well as a hybrid model, to give you valuable insights to help you make a more informed decision on your next project.

Also called multi-shot or double-injection molding, two-shot injection molding is an over-molding process that adheres additional material—like thermoplastic elastomer (TPE)—to plastic substrates to improve the appearance, grip, handling, environmental resistance, or impact resistance of injection molded components. Two-shot injection molding is typically performed by multi-barrel injection molding machines, which add extra material shortly after forming the substrate to create strong bonds between the materials.

Before we get into pricing differentiation of domestic vs. offshore molding, it’s vital also to have a fundamental understanding of the primary factors that will play into the quote you receive.

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Importing a tool made overseas to have parts made domestically has become a more common go-to option, but you’ll want to plan ahead the time it takes to get the mold made, delivered, set up, and tested to meet project requirements.

The choice between domestic and international injection molding depends on various factors, including cost considerations, lead times, and quality requirements. Ultimately, both options have advantages and disadvantages, and the decision should align with your project needs, budget, and risk tolerance. Manufacturers often succeed by combining domestic and international production strengths to optimize their supply chains and meet diverse customer demands. Careful evaluation, strong communication, and thorough due diligence are essential when deciding between these two manufacturing approaches.

For bonding to occur, the two parts undergoing the two-shot molding process must be chemically compatible. Fabrik consults with customers and material suppliers to ensure proper material selection for the specific application.

We typically recommend offshore molding for low-to-mid volume projects and for certain materials that we either can’t or won’t use domestically. With low volume, it will be much more difficult to offset the price of tooling domestically.

More parts needed means more need to be shipped. This is a huge advantage for domestic injection molding due to transportation cost savings.

A manufacturer requests a quote for an automotive clip project requiring a 4-cavity tool. Below, we’ll take you through tooling quotes, lead times, and piece pricing differences.

Commonly used materials for two-shot injection molding include thermoplastics, thermoplastic elastomers, and liquid silicone rubber.

At Fabrik Molded Plastics, Inc., we offer custom two-shot plastic injection molding capabilities. Other service offerings include precision plastic injection molding, insert molding, CT scanning, scientific plastic injection molding, automotive lighting, tooling transfers, and custom automation services.

The two-shot molding process improves the final product in terms of feel, color, and functionality. There are many design opportunities to suit specific preferences. Examples of two-shot injection molded products include toothbrush handles, buttons, switches, caps and closures, and hand and power tools.

For further cost savings, if the first article's lead time is acceptable, the customer is able to get an additional $15,000 in cost savings by going with a hybrid model.

If your part is highly complex and needs to meet strict tolerancing and performance requirements, you’ll likely want to go domestic for several reasons. The main reason is that if modifications need to be made to the tool, support is nearby to make corrections.

Two-shot plastic injection molding is an injection molding process used to create multilayer, multicolor, or multi-material parts in a single process. This process is also sometimes referred to as two shot injection molding, 2-shot molding, 2K, multilayer, multi-shot injection molding, or multishot molding. Multi-shot manufactured products eliminate steps in the manufacturing process while creating a more cost-effective, enhanced finished product.

Your biggest hangups on this will likely come from time constraints and how tight your tolerancing is, especially when it comes to complex parts. You’ll want to ensure you partner with an injection molder, like Echo, experienced in successfully launching hybrid model projects.

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Fabrik Molded Plastics, Inc. is a custom injection and insert molding provider of thermoplastic products. We use the latest molding technologies and automation equipment in our full-service offerings to ensure we compete at the global level. Because we use the latest molding technologies and a  scientific approach in our molding processes, our clients can reap the benefits of our competitive advantage. Contact us today or request a free quote to start your custom project.

The two-shot injection molding process consists of two main phases. Similar to traditional injection molding, the first phase involves injecting resin into a mold, which is then cooled to form a solid part in the shape of the mold. The second phase involves overmolding the 1st shot by transferring it to a second cavity by robot or rotating platen. The two plastic resins will form a molecular bond and, once cooled and ejected, becomes a finished multi-resin molded part.

Injection molding is a widely used manufacturing process to create various plastic products and components. This process is crucial in industries ranging from automotive and electronics to medical devices and consumer goods.