Certain features require EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining) to be completed, utilizing electrodes made from copper or graphite.

This is due to the fact that pricing is based on the mold’s net weight, yet the actual material used often exceeds this amount. Furthermore, the pricing doesn’t account for mold accessories, which are sold as complete products not priced by weight, nor does it include the materials for electrical discharge machining (EDM), such as copper or graphite electrodes. These factors add complexity to the mold’s pricing structure.

Polypropylene, or PP, is a star when it comes to living hinges. Why? Its natural flexibility. But, to get it right, you need to focus on design. Aim for a wall thickness of about 0.5mm to 1mm. This ensures the hinge is flexible yet durable. And a tip? Make sure to reduce internal stresses; it helps in the long run.

Okay, think of PP plastic as the everyday hero in the world of plastics. It’s like your daily coffee—it’s everywhere, and it won’t empty your wallet. In fact, using PP can make things cost up to 20% less. And the best part? No waiting around! It’s always there when you need it. Making products with it? It’s a total win.

The mold assembly is time-consuming work. It includes adjusting the dimensions that are not in place during machining, making all the moving parts fit with appropriate tightness, and debugging the issues that were not anticipated in the design stage. The more complex or the more expensive the mold is, the longer it takes to match the mold. For example, a 10,000-dollar worth of mold may take 50-100 hours to match.

The cost calculation of the injection mold starts from the material cost. First, we will calculate the costs of the main steel plates.

Likewise, we will do the same calculation for the other steel plates and sliding components to get their weight and costs, and add them together.

As mentioned above, some costs, especially machining and assembly fees, cannot be precisely estimated when calculating quotations. Only the fuzzy quotation method can be used. The so-called fuzzy quotation is that it will be the quotation actually slightly upward than the actual cost, but there is also the possibility of downward fluctuation. And the upward and downward fluctuations between different costs may offset each other, to achieve the overall fluctuation is not very large.

In contrast, the hardness of pre-hardened tools typically ranges from HRC28 – 40. These are made from steel that has undergone a pre-hardening process, eliminating the need for heat treatment and allowing for direct machining to the final dimensions.

And you know what else? PP is super stretchy. Imagine a really, really stretchy rubber band, and that’s PP for you! It can stretch a whole bunch, sometimes even more than double. But it’s not just about stretching. If you bend it, it’s tough there too, with a strength of about 1.5 GPa.

Since the steel for the Core and Cavity are made of more expensive steel, they are often embedded into the A/B plates so they can be made smaller.The calculator will automatically compare the results of embedded and single-piece designs and choose the better option.

This one’s an old friend. It’s the most common material, a polymer derived from propylene monomers. With its high flexural strength and fatigue resistance, it finds its place in numerous consumer products.

This online injection mold cost calculator uses the part dimensions, the number of cavities, and the number of slides to calculate the mold dimensions and then estimate the mold price. It is not 100% accurate but can provide a close enough estimation.

Do you recall playing with those modeling clays as a child? Imagine a slightly more sophisticated version of that. Plastic injection molding is where plastic materials (in this case, polypropylene) are melted and then injected under high pressure into molds. Once they solidify, we have our desired plastic parts. A process I’ve come to respect and admire for its precision and efficiency.

One little thing to note: after you mold it, PP likes to shrink a tiny bit as it cools. Think of it like that shirt that gets a bit smaller after you wash it the first time. So, if you’re making something with it, just remember this, so everything fits perfectly. Neat, huh?

As the ejector plates move upwards, they drive the ejector pins, which then eject the cooled plastic part from the mold.

You know, polypropylene (or PP for short) is pretty cool in the world of plastics. It’s a type of plastic polymer that can melt and be remolded without getting ruined. Imagine something that melts between 160°C to 220°C, and that’s PP for you! That’s why many industries love it for high-heat work.

Ever noticed how some plastics shrink a bit after cooling? That’s PP for you. It can shrink by about 1-2.5%. So, when designing, always account for this little quirk. Think of it like buying a cotton shirt a size bigger because you know it’ll shrink after the first wash.

Processing costs depend on the type of equipment used and the time it takes to complete the process. Accurately predicting processing time is difficult, whether through human estimation or using 3D simulation software. As a result, mold pricing often relies on estimates.

What makes PP special? Well, it’s lighter than most plastics because it has a low density. So, it’s super useful when you want something that’s not too heavy. Plus, it’s tough against many chemicals and even water. That’s why you often see it used in stuff like food packaging.

Ah, the world of polypropylene injection molding. Brings back memories, doesn’t it? Of course, for some, it may seem like an intricate web of terminologies and processes. But don’t fret, dear reader. As a woman of experience, I’ll take you down the nostalgic alleys of my past where injection molding held my hand through various projects.

To provide a quotation for a mold, it’s necessary to first design the mold structure. Following that, you calculate the cost of materials, estimate machining and additional costs, and then finalize a quote for the mold.

There are many types and grades of hot runners, with prices ranging from a few hundred to several thousand dollars, and they require the use of a temperature control unit. While hot runners offer significant benefits, they also lead to an increase in costs.

Tax and profit: Except for the tax and other overhead fees, a reasonable profit margin should be around 15-30%. Sometimes it may be a little higher for more challenging jobs, the extra profit is for the risk (uncertainty) the mold maker is going to take. Remember the mold manufacturer is responsible for delivering the final result, which is the injection mold that can smoothly produce the plastic parts with good quality, but not merely making a mold that ends up with excessive molding defects.

Make sure the length (L) is bigger than the width (W), otherwise, their values will switch automatically.Note: Maximum value for L, W and H: 600mm          Minimum value for L, W and H: 8mm (please use 8mm if the value is smaller)

If you’re considering outsourcing a plastic injection molding project, you might be curious about how to secure a reasonable price for the injection mold. In this article, we’ll break down the cost calculation for an injection mold. We’ll delve into the hourly rates associated with each manufacturing process, along with the key factors that influence the mold’s cost.

This calculator will give 2-3 prices, each corresponding to a different complexity level, so that you can get a price range that provides a better reference. Each price provides a cost breakdown and their percentage.

Here’s something neat: PP plastic doesn’t let water or chemicals bully it. It has top-notch chemical resistance. So, when you’re thinking of food containers that don’t get all mushy with your lunch, or medical devices that stay strong, you’re thinking of polypropylene. It’s like the superhero cape for your spicy curry storage containers.

So, you’ve heard of polypropylene, right? Most folks just say PP. It’s light, weighing in at around 0.895 to 0.92 g/cm^3. But here’s the cool part: even though it’s light, it’s super strong. We’re talking about handling big-time pressure, like around 30 MPa kind of strong.

Tip: The hardness of through-hardened molds generally falls between HRC46 – 54. They are used exclusively for high-volume production or with high-temperature plastics such as PPS, PEEK, and PES.

Due to the common occurrence of undercuts in the designs of plastic parts, injection molds frequently include sliding mechanisms. These mechanisms are primarily of two types: one that transforms vertical movements into horizontal ones using inclined rails, and another that employs hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders for movement.

It makes sense to know what are the most common percentage of each cost, so you will know if the quotes you receive are calculated properly, and if the prices are competitive:

These are the results obtained from the simulation calculator. If you would like a more accurate and realistic manual quote, please contact us

Medium-sized manufacturers might offer less focus on your project and cannot guarantee their technical proficiency, similar to smaller factories.

A complex dance of propylene with other monomers results in block copolymers and random copolymers. They are generally more flexible and have better resistance to external conditions, making them ideal for certain applications where the homopolymer might falter.

Imagine the sprue as the front door of a house. It’s the primary channel where our molten polypropylene, a popular thermoplastic polymer, makes its grand entrance. Typically, the sprue’s diameter is designed to ensure a smooth flow, but it’s essential to remember that its size can influence the plastic injection molding speed. A larger sprue might speed things up, but it could also lead to wastage.

The rationality of the design, such as the design of the gate and the arrangement of cooling channels; the precision of the machining, with minimal marks from later refinements; and a manual test of pushing the ejector plate, which should move smoothly, indicating overall machining accuracy.

The cost of molds based on weight typically ranges from $8 to $50 per kilogram. This variation is influenced by the type of steel used for the mold, as well as the mold’s complexity and size.

In the world of PP injection molding, understanding the gating system is key. This is the pathway that guides the melted polypropylene into the mold, and it’s crucial for a successful molding process.

A successful plastic molding project starts from a good mold design, which requires a lot of skill and experience and often involves teamwork. Designers, mold makers, and others collaborate and combine their input to find the best option.

Now, let’s step into a hospital. Those medical devices and components? A lot of them trust PP. Why? Because it can be sterilized and stands strong against chemicals. It’s like having a reliable soldier in the medical battlefield. And don’t get me started on automotive parts. With its endurance, PP is often the go-to for parts that face daily wear and tear.

♦ Product material: PP♦ Product dimension: 150*150*15mm♦ Mold material: 718H♦ Number of cavities: 1♦ Ejection method: ejection plate

Ever had toys that just won’t quit? Bet they had some PP components. This plastic’s got moves—it’s smooth, meaning things don’t wear out fast. Talking about its strength? Well, imagine a tireless runner. That’s PP for you, especially in the automotive industry. It’s perfect for automotive parts that face the hustle and bustle every day.

Based on the size of the plastic parts, the number of cavities, and the basic structure (whether there are sliders, cores, two-plate molds or three-plate molds, etc.), we can calculate the size and weight of the steel plates and then get the cost of them.

Now, There are various types of gates available, choosing the right gate is like picking the perfect outfit. It needs to be just right. For PP, we often use pin gates. Why? Because they offer a good balance between flow control and minimizing stress on the material. The diameter of a pin gate is usually about half of the wall thickness of the part being molded. This ensures a fast injection molding speed while also preventing defects.

Now, temperature is a biggie. PP flows like honey when melted, thanks to its low melt viscosity. But, we need to keep things just right, between 200°C and 275°C. Too hot, and it might degrade. Too cold, and it won’t flow right.

Upon closing, the Core Plate, Cavity Plate, and Slider form a sealed compartment where the plastic material is molded and solidified. Once the mold opens, these parts disengage, allowing the release of the solidified plastic item.

Small mold manufacturers may devote more attention to each project, but their capabilities vary widely. Some may lack the necessary skills to achieve quality results, so discernment is crucial.

A mold consists of many parts, each requiring various machining processes, making its cost calculation complex. While determining the cost of materials can be relatively straightforward and precise, calculating processing costs is more challenging.

Depending on the size and complexity of the mold, the design fee usually ranges from $100 to $300, sometimes could be even higher.

Since it is hard to estimate the machining time accurately, we can only make an approximation based on the size of the plastic part and the actual processing cost of similar parts in the past.

Lastly, the gate. This is the last stop before our PP fills the mold cavity. It’s like the doorway to a room. The gate’s depth and type play a pivotal role. For instance, a depth of the gate that’s about half of the wall thickness ensures optimal flow.

Machining is the most expensive part of the mold. The cost also depends on the type and grade of the machining equipment. The hourly rate of top brand equipment is 2-3 times higher than that of ordinary equipment.

Molds featuring a higher number of cavities often employ hot runners to ensure even pressure and flow distribution at each gate. Such molds demand greater dimensional uniformity across cavities, posing higher risks for the mold maker. These elements contribute to an increase in pricing.

Curves and angles are key in PP projects. For radii, aim for at least 0.5 times the wall thickness. It helps in reducing stress points. And for draft angles? A 1° to 2° angle is a good rule of thumb. It ensures the molded parts pop out smoothly without any hitches.

The ejecting mechanism consists of ejector pins and the top and bottom ejector plates, playing a crucial role in seamlessly releasing the formed parts from the mold.

The majority of mold prices fall between $1,000 and $10,000. However, the cost of some large-scale molds, such as those used for automotive parts, can reach several hundred thousand dollars.

Sometimes, electrodes can be made small, but at other times, they must be as large as the entire part. The material costs and machining expenses of these electrodes contribute to an increase in the mold’s cost.

If a small mold manufacturer quotes a base price, a medium-sized manufacturer may quote 1.5 to 2 times that amount, while a large manufacturer might quote 2 to 2.5 times the base price. This variation is due to differences in overhead costs and profit expectations among the manufacturers.

The complexity levels are divided into five categories: very simple, simple, medium, complex, and very complex. A “simple” classification indicates minimal small details, lower precision requirements, fewer and smaller sliders, and lower ribs. On the other hand, a “complex” classification suggests the presence of more intricate details, higher precision, larger and more sliders, and taller ribs, essentially the reverse of the simple category.

So, let’s wrap this up. We’ve dived deep into this plastic stuff called polypropylene. It’s super cool how it doesn’t let water or chemicals mess with it. This makes it great for things like food boxes and even car parts. Plus, it’s friendly to our wallets. It’s more than just making stuff – it’s thinking ahead and being smart. Here’s to the rockstar of plastics, polypropylene, and its big future!

Our online mold cost calculator will help you determine an appropriate price for your mold and explore ways to potentially reduce the mold investment.

The hardness of standard mold steel ranges from HRC28 to HRC54. Mold steels with higher hardness require heat treatment followed by precision machining, making the harder molds more expensive due to the longer processing time.

Although the price of mold steel, which ranges from $2 to $20 per kilogram, might suggest that mold costs are relatively high, this isn’t necessarily the case. Material costs alone can make up 20% to 35% of the total mold price, and can even surpass 50%.

As the mold size increases, the Price Factor decreases. Small molds have lower material costs, yet the reduction in other expenses is not as significant. Conversely, with larger molds, the increase in other costs does not scale proportionally with the rise in material costs.

Next up, the runner. Think of this as the hallways in our house, branching out from the main entrance. The runner’s job? Distributing the molten PP to various parts of the mold. Now, here’s where things get interesting. Cold runner molds are commonly used in the plastic industry, especially for PP products. Their size? Often ranging between 3mm to 5mm in diameter. This size ensures a balance between material flow and cooling time, essential for product manufacturing with excellent resistance to defects.

In the above quotation methods, each cost is estimated separately. But in actual operation, mold factories often use simpler methods, that is to calculate material costs first and multiply by a price factor according to the mold size, complexity of the mold and so forth.

The top ejector plate has many holes for installing and positioning the ejector pins, whereas the bottom ejector plate lacks holes and serves to push the ejector pins.

Here are some examples of mold prices to verify the accuracy of the mold price calculator. It can be seen that for plastic products with general complexity and accuracy, its valuation is still close.

Large mold manufacturers possess strong technical capabilities, yet they may not prioritize your project as highly. Although the risk is lowest with large manufacturers, collaboration with them might lack flexibility and adaptability.

There are 3 options here: no slider, 1 side of sliders and 2 sides of sliders  Note: If there are multiple sliders on the same side, they are considered 1 side of sliders.

High pressure is the name of the game here. We’re talking about pressures up to 1500 bars. But, here’s a fun fact: PP hates moisture. So, we need to keep it super dry, ideally below 0.2% moisture content. It’s like keeping your phone away from water; it just works better.

For instance, the type of injection mold depicted in the right-hand image, used for manufacturing dispenser caps, typically costs between $12,000 and $18,000.

However, for some plastic parts with special requirements, the price calculated by this calculator will be low, such as this LED lamp lens, which will give a much lower price than the actual price. This is because the lens has high requirements for the projected light pattern, and its geometric shape accuracy is very high.

When calculating the raw material dimensions, some allowance needs to be added to the length, width, and height. Then we have the material weight of the Cavity Plate.

Let’s paint a picture: Cars need parts that are light but also strong, right? PP is the go-to choice for this. Using the injection molding method, we get parts that are perfect for cars because they help save fuel.

An injection mold consists of several precision-engineered steel parts. These parts are meticulously shaped and honed to specific dimensions and tolerances, then assembled to form a complete mold. This assembly serves as the vessel for injecting, shaping, cooling, and solidifying of molten plastic to form the finished part.

Material costs generally constitute 20-35% of the total mold price. However, for some larger and simpler molds, the material costs can represent 60-70% of the total cost, such as the chair shown in the example below.

Simple geometric molds can be efficiently machined using larger milling tools, requiring less time. In contrast, molds with complex shapes necessitate the use of smaller milling tools for detailed work, and some parts may require EDM (Electrical Discharge Machining), significantly extending the machining time.

Remember those advantages of PP we talked about? Here’s where they shine. In the food industry, PP is like the unsung hero. Those storage containers in your kitchen? Probably made of PP. It’s not just about being cost-effective. Its chemical and moisture resistance means your food stays fresh and safe. Imagine a container that can handle your hot soup and cold ice cream without a fuss. That’s PP for you.

When the product size is L*W, and there are 2 cavities, then the distance between cavities R, and the distance from cavities to edges T1, T2 can be obtained from empirical formulas, so we can get the length and the width of the cavity plate Lca and Wca,

And guess what? Making stuff with PP is super fast. Sometimes it takes just a few seconds for one cycle, depending on what we’re making. So, it’s great for making lots of things quickly, which saves money in the long run.

This is because achieving higher accuracy necessitates the use of more sophisticated and expensive equipment, as well as slowing down the tool’s movement (feeding) to reach the desired level of precision.

Now, to help you better understand how the mold cost is calculated, let’s take a look at an example in the table below. Please note that we have given the hourly rate of different processes, so that you can understand how each cost is calculated.

Where P20 – low end; 718H (medium); H13 (high end), these mold steels are the most commonly used.C45 is also sometimes used in low-end applications.

Think of PP molding like making pancakes. Too thick, and it won’t cook evenly; too thin, and it might tear apart. For PP, a consistent wall thickness, ideally between 1mm to 4mm, works best. And watch out for those sink marks; they can sneak up if the design isn’t spot on.

Although the complexity of injection molds may differ, with some displaying elaborate designs and multiple moving parts, their fundamental structure remains unchanged.

Let’s break down the steps of molding polypropylene, or PP. First, we melt those tiny PP pellets. Then, we inject this melted goodness into molds. Next, we apply some serious pressure. And finally, we let it cool down. Sounds simple, right? But there’s more to it.

Tall ribs/posts are equivalent to deep grooves/holes within the mold, requiring the application of Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM). Additionally, this will present challenges during the injection molding process and elevate the manufacturing cost of the components.

Before you make the final decision to place the order, it makes sense to ask 2 or 3 suppliers to submit you the cost break down for the mold, so you will know whether the costs have been calculated correctly, and which supplier appears to be more professional in the quote process.

A skillful designer’s hourly rate can be 30 to 40 dollars, this sounds a bit high, but they can finish the design of 8-10 simple injection molds in a day (12 hours), so their charge is reasonable for their output.

If you’re venturing into the world of injection molding, remember, choosing the right partner can make all the difference. ACO Mold makes over 300 mold on various products annually. With its expertise and commitment to quality, we can be the ally you need to bring your visions to life.