Injection molding tooling cost increases exponentially if we are talking about a large custom-designed part. From the operator's perspective, it is preferable to use small (desktop) injection molding machines (and even 3D printers) in order to fulfill low-volume orders.

Extra steps such as finishing or post-processing services, inspection, and packaging represent an additional cost to the price per part and setup fees.

You can either buy a ready-made injection mold or have one made for you. Ready-made mold use is a common practice and the less expensive option, especially in the electronics industry since standardization is quite prevalent. You can also have one produced for you, which is better for unique designs.

Double shot molding is an ideal process for complex, multi-material, and multi-colored plastic products; specifically in high-volume production scenarios. Other advantages include:

Trained personnel are required to validate the quality of the parts included in your order. Generally, however, if the part does not meet requirements (or expectations), the quality verification team of your provider is tasked with identifying the area and possible cause of the issue. This is, however, an internal process that is taken into account when you first make your order (no additional costs should be applied in this scenario).

Injection molding cycle time takes up about 60% of final part cost. The part rate comes down partially to cycle time and partially to cavitation, which is covered in the next section. Generally, manufacturers will have set hourly rates they charge for their machines.

Injection molding tooling for a mid-level order (around 1000-2000 small parts), can cost up to $10,000. For more complex geometries and large orders, the cost can go up to $100,000.

In this equation α is the thermal diffusivity coefficient and h max is the maximum wall thickness in millimeters. While the first is a material-specific constant, the latter is a design choice or requirement. As such, depending on the part's complexity, the cycle time can take up to two minutes.

Some parts may not need secondary services, while others do. The cheapest parts fall out of the machine and into a box, but others will form attached to the gate. Those require post-process machining to remove the gate, but they are used because gating makes the overall process more efficient and less wasteful.

Double shot molding, sometimes referred to as two-shot molding, is a manufacturing process used to produce complicated molded parts from two different materials by molding plastic around a preformed metal or plastic insert. The process is relatively simple; one material is injected into a mold in order to make the initial piece of the product, followed by a second injection of another material that is compatible with the initial injection molded piece. The two plastic resins then form a molecular bond and the multi-resin molded part is cooled and ejected.

Injection molded parts cost varies based on mold upkeep, the time to form a part, and factors around the plastic. These include the part rate, the estimated amount of scrap (usually 3-5%), the plastic weight, and sometimes a mold maintenance fee, which covers the cost of injection mold warranties. The quoted price should also include any setup costs for the molds.

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Part packaging costs range depending on whether you require consumer-facing or just shipping packaging. Larger manufacturers can also make use of automatic packaging, which reduces the risk of error and damage.

Mold setup costs include optimizing the process as well as physically setting up the materials and machinery to create your parts. These are part of the final price per part. The process will be optimized, and there may be some setup time that goes into preparations, which most companies will charge as its own flat fee. This may encompass processes like drying the resin, hanging the molds, arranging water lines, external troubles, and any type of sensors in the mold. It may also include any type of special cooling required or specific gating scheme that acts as a hot manifold system (which keeps runners hot enough to keep the plastic in them liquid).

Mold cavitation is related to part size and design. If your part is relatively simple, single cavity molds are usually more affordable. However, if the part's geometry allows it, it is preferable to go for multiple-cavity molds to speed up the production process (making production less expensive over time). Larger parts may, however, not allow for this.

Injection molding costs from $10,000 or less to $100,000, depending on order size, part complexity, and other factors. Injection molding can be expensive to set up, but is cheaper over the long run, so it works best for large production volumes. There is a range of factors affecting the final price you would pay for injection molded parts, including the cost of the resin itself, tooling, cycle time, mold cavitation, and other details.

Secondary services will range in cost, though often you can get a discount for ordering both injection molding and secondary services from the same provider (this also saves on shipping costs for another facility). These may come in the form of:

The form impacts the cost of this material it is bought in, as not all polypropylenes are molding-ready. It is thus necessary to buy the plastic resin in pellet form. You may notice that engineering-grade plastics are generally more expensive (as with POM and PC). Overall though, the more materials you buy, the better your cost-effectiveness will become, as producers and distributors often have high-volume discounts which translate into better prices for your project.

If your provider is expected to deliver a ready or almost ready-to-use product, the packaging used may be the one your customers get to see directly. Some providers also offer personalized packaging services for this purpose.

Injection molding costs can vary depending on materials, equipment, mold cavitation, packaging, necessary certifications, and additional services employed. While your project may have strict requirements for the functionality of the desired part, there are multiple ways one can cut costs without sacrificing quality.

As a manufacturer, it is preferable to maintain the cycle time to as low as a number as possible, since that translates into the production of more parts in a given time.

Plastic weight cost includes both the plastic formed into parts and the hardened plastic left over in the mold. You'll also have to cover the cost of the plastic weight, not only in the parts but in the runner, sprue, and gate as well (the runner and sprue are channels molten plastic flows through to get into the mold, while the gate prevents plastic from flowing out once it's inside). For example, if you end up with 4lbs of parts, and 1lb of leftover plastic that hardens in the sprue and runner, you'll pay for 5 lbs.

Some companies offer the possibility of additional certification to your parts, at a cost. This implies the involvement of specialized engineers that are also licensed and are legally capable of offering these certifications.

If you are overmolding a metal part with plastic, you can really use any type of plastic. If you are overmolding a plastic part with another plastic, then there can be some compatibility issues. Your experienced molder will be able to recommend the best materials suitable for your project

Tooling costs depend on how complex or large your parts will be. In other words, if your part is complex (for example, if it has intricate geometry or dense walls), the manufacturer may need to use a special (i.e. more expensive) machine to complete your order.

If you want to impart special physical properties to the resin you're using, or simply defray the cost of using pure plastic resin, you can add additives. Commonly used materials like plasticizers and mineral fillers are among the cheapest that can be used, while products like lubricants and heat stabilizers can cost more than the polymer itself. There is a wide array of additives that impart a variety of properties, including glass fiber, ceramic fillers, pigments, UV stabilizers, plasticizers, and antioxidants. These materials can increase strength, impact resistance, durability, elasticity, and fatigue limit.

Plastic resins, which can range between $.90-$2+ per pound, are the primary material used in plastic injection molding, while additives can range from more expensive additives like heat stabilizers to cheaper plasticizers. When choosing a resin, take into account the following considerations:

Part inspection requirements costs for quality can include standard inspection or specialized certification, though specialized certification will cost more. The injection molding process itself can introduce defects of various degrees to parts (from cosmetic to critical). Some of them may be acceptable, depending on industry standards.

However, to be able to do this, you should understand what exactly these areas are and how vital they are for your project. At Xometry, we offer the Xometry Quoting Engine to quickly get started on quoting your next injection molding project. Insert your requirements and designs into the Xometry's Quote Engine to get started and our experts will be in touch with you to start working out the details!

There are a variety of manufacturing methods used to create plastic molded products. Two methods mentioned in this article, double shot molding and overmolding, are viable manufacturing processes that offer several advantages for many plastic manufacturers. Both processes can be difficult to master since they require adherence to the very tightest of tolerances. Below, we discuss the differences and advantages between double shot molding and overmolding.

Another aspect to keep in mind is that for custom injection molds, the geometry has to be compatible with the machine used by the manufacturer. This constraint may affect your project (and possibly design), so it is best to make sure the company you are interested in can fulfill the order.

Large, industrial plastic injection molding machines can cost over $200,000 and have additional costs that are related to skilled labor training, maintenance, monitoring, and even industry regulations. These types of machines are reserved for high-volume orders.

Besides physical properties, the color of the part can also be influenced, which is one of the most popular uses for additives. These providers will also sometimes establish partnerships with the thermoplastic producers to offer customers cheaper deals.

Overmolding is a process of adding an additional layer of material over an already existing piece or part. This process is regularly used to manufacture parts, sub-sections of parts, and for prototype development. Typically, the substrate material (the first piece in what will be bonded and mechanically interlocked with other materials) is placed into an injection molding tool, at which point the overmold material is shot into or around the substrate. When the overmold materials solidify, the two materials become joined together as a single part.

Mold cavitation cost, another factor in price per part rate, increases with the number of cavities. Cavitation is the amount of identical cavities that produce parts per mold. The injection mold itself can cost thousands of dollars.

The table below can be used to approximate the cost of plastic injection molding related to the most commonly used materials. These prices can vary, depending on the supplies and volume order.

Set scrap rates will also go into the final cost of injection molding. These are for purging the plastic injection molding machines of previous plastics from the barrel and screws as well as reloading them with your plastic.

Saving money on injection molding can be helpful, but it’s important to be strategic around which areas you save money in. In order to maintain a cost-effective strategy for low cost injection molding, it is just as important to identify areas where trying to save money could cause bigger issues down the line as it is to find areas to lower the cost. The following tips will help you with both:

As mentioned above, these processes are relatively simple to understand. However, it is highly difficult to master. It requires high levels of technical expertise and attention to detail. When dealing with high-volume production scenarios, the smallest mistake can be costly. This is why it is critical to find a highly capable molding manufacturer. Once you find one, you need to involve them early on in the design phase of your part, as they can engineer value and quality into any problem areas. If you have questions or concerns regarding your part or the double shot or overmold processes, contact our experts at Midstate Mold today!

Overmolding can be added to change the surface of a piece or product by adding texture, color, and incorporating necessary functionality components. Other advantages include:

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