How do I start ordering plastic injection moulding and tooling from a Chinese factory?
Confidence 4/5 Established practice
A workable first order follows the same sequence in every category: fix the specification in writing including tolerance and finish; decide the quantity against the minimum above; get a physical sample approved before any mass production; agree tooling ownership and payment terms in writing; arrange inspection before the balance is paid; and confirm the HS code and the destination labelling requirements before the goods ship rather than after. For plastic injection moulding and tooling the two details that most often delay a first order are cutting a mould for a product with unproven demand. Validate the market with machined or printed units first and not naming the steel grade. A 718H or a P20 mould behaves very differently to a soft prototype tool at 100,000 shots.
Sources
- Injection mould tooling cost and lead-time benchmarks — Industry practice; consistent across published supplier guidance
- Moulds under HS heading 8480 — World Customs Organization HS nomenclature
What goes wrong with plastic injection moulding and tooling
- Cutting a mould for a product with unproven demand. Validate the market with machined or printed units first.
- Not naming the steel grade. A 718H or a P20 mould behaves very differently to a soft prototype tool at 100,000 shots.
- Skipping the DFM review. A part designed without draft angles, uniform wall thickness or adequate radii will mould badly or not at all.
- Assuming one cavity. Multi-cavity tools multiply output and cost together, and the right answer depends on annual volume, not on the first order.
- Forgetting that the tool has a finite shot life and needs maintenance.
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