Injection molding is a popular manufacturing process for creating plastic objects, commonly used in industries like automotive, consumer electronics, agricultural machinery, and medical equipment. Normally used for mass production of thousands and millions of parts. The size and complexity of an item, the material used, the number of cavities in the mold, and other elements all impact the injection molding price. This guide will examine calculating injection molding costs: tips and facts you need to know.
Introduction: How Much Does Injection Molding Cost?
Injection molding costs range from under $1,000 to over $100,000 based on factors. These include molding patterns, materials, and volume. Overall, injection molding can be capital-intensive because of the high cost of mold tooling, which is normally made of steel. However, as production volume rises, the cost per item falls, making injection molding a rational choice for mass production.
The price of the mold is sometimes called the “tooling cost” and is the largest cost factor in injection-molded products. The cost of designing and creating a mold varies depending on the scale of production needed, the intricacy of the component design, the kind of materials used for the mold, and the mold-making technique.
Low-volume 3D-printed molds are made for a mere $100. At Zhongde, our injection mold cost start from $500, but designing and making complicated molds for large-scale production may cost $100,000 or more. The method offers inexpensive variable expenses because of the affordable thermoplastic materials, quick turnaround times, and gradually decreasing labor requirements. Labor, design and engineering fees, and shipping also influence costs. It’s essential to consult closely with a professional injection molding maker to choose the most cost-effective strategy for your specific project.
It’s vital to remember that when production volume rises, the cost per component lowers. It is due to the lower total cost per piece due to the tooling costs being dispersed over more pieces. Some injection molding businesses provide bulk discounts for significant purchases.
How Is Injection Molding Cost Calculated?
The injection molding machine’s cost, supplemental equipment, and further ancillary equipment are all included in the total cost. The features, size, and kind of the injection molding machine can greatly impact its price. The price of extra machines, like conveyors, robotics, and material handling systems, directly affects the total equipment cost too.
Industrial injection molding machines go from $50,000 to over $200,000. But this is not all. The equipment also requires massive facility requirements. Not to mention, you need skilled people to supervise, operate, and maintain these machines. That’s why most companies outsource this process.
2. Mold Cost
The mold’s price depends on many variables, including its material, complexity, and size. Larger, more sophisticated molds cost more than smaller, simpler molds because they have more chambers. Steel is more expensive than aluminum, which is another factor that may affect the price of the mold.
A Grand View Research report estimates that the global market for injection-molded plastics was worth USD 265.1 billion in 2019 and is projected to increase at a CAGR of 4.6% from 2020 to 2027. The study also identifies the high cost of molds as a significant issue for the injection molding sector. These factors also affect mold costs:
- Mold Manufacturing Process: The mold’s production method can affect the cost of a mold. The three methods for creating molds are CNC machining, EDM, and 3D printing. Every one of these methods has benefits and drawbacks, with CNC machining being the most expensive.
- Type Of Injection Mold: The cost is also impacted by the type of injection mold. For example, although multi-cavity molds create parts quicker than single-cavity molds, they are typically more expensive. Like cold runner molds, hot runner molds are priced higher yet offer shorter cycle times and less material waste
A Comprehensive Guide for Injection Mold Grades and Types
- Mold Material: The cost is also impacted by the mold’s substance. Steel molds cost more than aluminum but are resilient and can endure higher temperatures.
- Mold Complexity: The cost is also impacted by the mold’s complexity, which includes the number of cavities, undercuts, and parting lines. Molds with greater complexity often cost more to produce and require more time.
This picture gives you an idea of how the mold cost composition.
3. Plastic Resin and Additives
The cost of the technique is influenced by the plastic resin and additives used for injection molding. The plastic costs anywhere from $.90 to $2+ per pound. Some resins are more expensive than others, depending on their qualities, such as durability, strength, and ability to withstand temperature and chemicals. The price is also affected by additives like reinforcements, fillers, and colorants.
4. Injection Molded Parts
The cost of injection molding is impacted by the complexity and size of the part being produced. The cost goes up when making intricate pieces with complex shapes and designs, as they take more time and effort. Additionally, larger parts or volumes are harder to mold and require more resin, which makes the process more expensive.
- Injection Molding Cost
The price of raw materials, labor costs, overhead costs, and profit margins only represent some elements that go into the cost of injection molding. You can get the cost per component by dividing the total expense of the injection molding process by the number of parts produced.
- Part Size
Another critical element when calculating the cost of injection molding is the size of the object being manufactured. The cost of the process is decreased as smaller pieces use less material and can be molded more rapidly and easily. Larger parts cost more to produce since they need more material and take longer.
- Part Design
The complex nature of the part design affects the mold’s complexity, which will impact the cost of tooling and the length of time needed for manufacturing. Parts with complex geometries or challenging characteristics, like undercuts or thin walls, will require more complicated molds and take longer to make, raising the cost.
- Production Volume
The number of parts produced influences cost; higher volume runs often have a lower cost per component than lower volume runs. It is due to the high cost of tooling, which in larger volume runs is distributed over a greater number of parts, lowering the cost per part. The same high tooling costs will be greater per part because lower-volume runs have fewer components.
- Mold Cavitation
The cost of the injection molding process is also influenced by the number of cavities in the mold. More cavities in a mold allow quicker production of more components, which lowers the cost per part. However, producing molds with more cavities often costs more, which can raise the initial cost.
- Injection Molding Cycle Time
The cost is also influenced by how long it takes to complete one cycle. More parts are manufactured per hour with shorter cycle times, which lowers the price per part. The number of parts produced per hour decreases with longer cycle times, but the cost per part rises.
- Injection Molding Setup Costs
Injection molding setup expenses refer to the initial expense of making the mold and setting up the injection molding procedure. These expenses may be substantial, particularly for complicated parts or molds with many cavities. The cost per part gradually decreases by distributing setup expenses across many parts.
5. Labor Cost
The cost of labor is crucial in deciding the overall injection molding cost. The time required to load the raw materials set up the machine, and verify the produced pieces all go toward the labor cost. The location, workers’ experience, and skill level all influence the hourly wage for labor.
6. Additional Service
The price of injection molding is further influenced by other services like assembly, packaging, and labeling. The injection molding business offers these services in-house or contracts them with a different supplier. The complexity of the assembly, the materials used, and the length of time needed to accomplish the job all affect how much these services cost.
- Surface Finishing: In the most essential phase of surface finishing, which comes after injection molding, any flaws or irregularities on the part’s surface are eliminated. The part’s surface is then polished, sandblasted, or painted. The type of surface finishing required and the part’s size and complexity determine the cost.
- Secondary Services: After injection molding, supplementary services like drilling, tapping, and machining are necessary to finish the item. Assembly service may be required under some circumstances. These services, which depend on how sophisticated the required machining is, raise the part’s final cost.
- Part Packaging: The type of packaging used, the size, weight, and number of the completed items produced affect how much it will cost to package them. The packaging must be specifically created to guarantee that the particular items are protected during transportation and storage.
- Part Inspection Requirement: To ensure the quality of the components manufactured, finished parts inspection is a crucial stage. The number of parts produced, the level of inspection necessary, and the amount of time needed to conduct the inspection all affect the cost of the examination. The inspection involves functional testing, measurement inspection, or visual examination.
Assembly and Packaging Service
Injection Mold Quotation Estimate
Molds are essential for producing a variety of goods. Since each mold is unique and only creates a small number of goods, it takes a lot of preparation and money. The challenge is to figure out how much it costs to make the mold quickly. The cost of materials, manufacturing, and other expenses, including the value of the employed technology, affect the pricing.
If the mold does not form correctly, there are extra costs; thus, getting it right the first time is crucial. The price to create a mold depends on its value and how quickly it has to be created. Materials, manufacture, and additional costs like taxes and profit are all included in the price.
You should request quotations from multiple suppliers and compare the costs, lead times, quality, and other criteria to get an accurate injection mold quotation estimate. Given that the aforementioned variables significantly impact the price of an injection mold, it is crucial to supply specific project information to receive an exact quote.
Calculation of Injection Mold Price
There are many approaches to determining the cost of an injection mold. The customer’s needs should be considered initially since they affect the material selection and heat treatment method. The injection mold has to be priced competitively from the assessment to the contract, settlement price, and offer.
- Calculation by Experience
- Mold pricing is calculated as follows: material charge + design cost + mold trial fee + profit & processing fee + transport & packaging fee + VAT, with the breakdown of each item being as follows:
- Material charge: 15% – 30% of the overall mold cost. Create a basic mold layout after choosing the materials so that the mold weight, the formwork cost, the base material, and the thermal treatment cost are determined (the mold base weight). ;
- Processing & Fabrication fee: 30% to 50%. Depending on the complex nature of the mold core, processing costs are often 1.5–3 times as expensive as the core material, while processing costs for mold bases are typically 1:1;
- Design Fee: 10% to 15% of the overall mold cost;
- Risk cost: 10% of the total price listed above
- Moderate Trial charge, which can be kept at 3% for big and medium-sized molds and 5% for small precise molds;
- Packaging and shipping charges are computed using the actual cost or 3%;
- Material Coefficient
The mold material cost is determined by combining the mold dimensions and the material cost.
- Mold cost = material cost * (6~10)
- Mold made of plastic = material cost * 6
- The die-casting mold = material fee * 10
How Do I Lower Our Injection Mold Cost?
Injection molding is expensive, especially for businesses that want to make many products. That’s why it’s critical to discover strategies to reduce injection mold prices to streamline the production process and boost revenues.
The mold complexity, the materials used, the production costs, and the mold design all affect how much injection molding costs. Businesses find chances for reduced expenses and lower the project’s total expense by concentrating on these elements.
Here are six strategies for cutting injection mold expenses:
Improve the Design
The mold’s design enormously affects the project’s ultimate cost. You use less material and speed up manufacturing by improving the mold design. It is done by working hand in hand with your manufacturing partner and taking advantage of their knowledge to spot cost-saving options.
Choose the Appropriate Materials
The injection molding process’s choice of materials affects the project’s cost. By choosing the appropriate materials, you streamline the manufacturing process and cut costs. Using materials with quicker cooling periods shortens the cycle, lowering expenses.
Common 8 kinds of plastic material characteristics and application scope and main processes
Reduce Complexity
Making the mold less complex helps keep expenses down. Cut down on time and materials needed to make the mold by streamlining the design and minimizing the number of components needed. It helps in reducing the project’s total expenses.
Process Improvement
Improving production helps in keeping the price of injection molds down. You can lower the project’s cost by optimizing the production process and finding areas for improvement.
Partner with an Experienced Injection Molding Company
Working with an experienced injection molding company reduces costs. Partners with extensive experience locate opportunities for cost savings and use their knowledge to enhance the production process.
Use Automation
Automation lowers injection molding’s cost. It decreases labor expenses and increases production efficiency, which leads to cheaper costs, by automating some components of the production process.
Zhongde Injection Molding Cost Examples
To better understand the injection molding cost and quantity, we put an example of a hypothetical.
The following shows the cost dynamics of injection molding by highlighting the price of a hypothetical plastic product, like a small enclosure for an electrical device, which would cost to create using injection molding.
Low-Volume Production
- Number of Parts = 100
- Tooling Cost = $100
- Mold Cost per Part=$1
- Raw Material Cost= $0.5
- Labor Cost Per Part = $2.5
Cost per part = $4
Mid-Volume Production
- Number of Parts = 5,000
- Cost of the Mold = $1000
- Mold Cost per Part=$0.2
- Material Cost = $0.5
- Labor Cost Per Part = $1
Cost per part = $1.7
High-Volume Production
- Number of Parts = 100,000
- Cost of the Mold = $10,000
- Mold Cost per Part=$0.1
- Material Cost = $0.5
- Labor Cost Per Part = $0.5
Cost Per Part = $1.1
In most cases, low-volume inejction molding is only reasonable with 3D-Printed molds. It is obvious that the higher production volume, the more expensive the mold cost. But the high volume parts will share the mold cost and reduce the cost per part. Therefore, high-volume projects have the best cost-effectiveness for injection molding costs. And this is one of the advantages of injection molding.
Why Should I Buy Plastic Injection Molding from China
Is injection molding cheaper in China？ Yes! China is a great option if you’re looking for a trustworthy and affordable plastic injection molding manufacturer. You can count on Chinese manufacturers to fulfill your requirements with high-quality goods, flexible customization possibilities, and prompt shipping. They are also:
- Cost-Effective
The cost of plastic injection molding services in China tends to be lower than in many other nations. It results from the affordable labor rates and accessibility of raw resources.
- Quality
Chinese manufacturers invest in innovative equipment and technology to ensure their products satisfy the highest quality requirements internationally.
- Customization
Chinese manufacturers provide many customization possibilities. They create molds of any size and shape and even help you create your product’s design to meet your unique needs.
- Large Scale Production
China’s large manufacturing capability allows it to make plastic injection molding in enormous quantities quickly.
- Delivery Time
Chinese producers are renowned for their short turnaround times, so your order will arrive sooner.
Conclusion
For calculating injection molding costs, consider every factor that affects prices, including manpower, machine settings, material selections, and mold design. Manufacturers minimize costs by reducing material waste, improving cycle times, and investing in automation and innovative technologies.
Working with skilled vendors who offer precise quotes is essential for cost estimation. Manufacturers successfully navigate the injection molding process and get desired results at a reasonable price by following best practices and considering these factors.
