The process of successfully designing and manufacturing new injection molds begins with product design and injection mold design.
If the design of the injection mold is correct, all tolerances are specified, as well as material, steel grade, hardness and surface finish requirements, then with this information, the injection mold can be built in China.
If you have encountered difficulties in cooperating with Chinese mold makers, it is definitely because of the lack of awareness of mold costs when ordering the mold. You have to know that the competition between mold making companies is reflected in the quotation. In order to get your order, they must cut their cost so that the quotation is lower than their competitors. So in your mind, you must know the correct cost of your mold. If you feel that this requirement is difficult for you, please contact First-rate mold solution company, our technical team will help you get a good mold. Because the molds with insufficient cost usually reflect (or do not reflect) the surface treatment, material selection, material hardness, lack of precision grinding of mating surfaces, and lack of close tolerances in wall thickness on thin wall products and so on.
5 aspects to examine and select plastic mold manufacturers
After understanding the information above, we now arrive at the focal point of this blog, where we will introduce the criteria you use to evaluate plastic mold manufacturers.
1. Get to know their business background, location and price
The first thing we need to know is the size of their company, and whether their offer is in line with the size of their company. If the price is not right, then there will be no point in continuing the communication.
You may want to request the mold makers to provide the cost breakdown, so you can compare them and see if each cost is accurate and reasonable. However, the large companies may refuse to do this because it may expose their high overhead and make them look bad.
You can use our online mold cost calculator to get an estimate of the reasonable cost for each item and the total price. This is only for reference, as different molds may have some variations in designs.
It is also important to know where the company is located, whether it is in an area where the mold industry is well-developed. This is because these areas have more people and equipment for design, processing, and so on, and are more likely to produce better mold companies. For example, Dongguan and Shenzhen in Guangdong, Ningbo in Zhejiang, and Kunshan in Jiangsu.
We also have a map of mold companies that shows our trust level, some cities we are reluctant to approach because we have bad experiences in the past, before understanding that some places have different folkways. Of course, this is not a fixed rule.
2. Test them with a difficult part
What this mean is not to use the parts you want to make to let them quote, but to use a product with a higher difficulty to let them quote.
The logic behind this is that it is very difficult to judge the skill or talent of a mold maker by the usual difficulty of the product, but why does this matter?
Well, if you only let them to do occasional small batches of simple products, this may not be a big deal. But if you want them to do large batches of simple products, or if you plan to work with them for a long time to develop more products, this will be more important.
Also, and this may be a bit of a personal bias, I think there is a correlation between the level of knowledge and the level of integrity of a mold maker.
3. Ask them to provide quality inspection report
See if the factory can provide inspection reports and correction plans for T0 samples (or even T1, T2 samples, etc.)
Generally, such inspection reports cover injection molding defects (e.g. flashes, warpage, weld line lines, etc.), whether key dimensions are within tolerance, and the appearance of the product (uniformity of surface texture, color, etc.).
This is because factories need to be in the habit of inspecting their own products, rather than relying on customers to do so. This will save you a lot of time and effort. But if you have to make trade-offs, this point is less important, because the small factories may be aware of the issues but do not have time to complete the report.
4. Ask them to deliver a DFM report
The DFM report can provide the basic design of the mold (e.g. gate type/location, ejector pin location, etc.) which will have a direct impact on the quality of the product.
The DFM report also provides a wall thickness/draft analysis, and suggests changes to the product design.
In addition, the DFM report will also include what injection molding defects are likely to occur in the product, and take countermeasures to reduce the extent of injection molding defects.
There are many small and medium-sized molders who do not know how to produce a DFM report, but it is important for future product quality assurance.
You may not need the DFM report for simple plastic parts, but it is beneficial to know that the factory has this capability.
5. Are they courteous and responsive?
You want to feel that they are interested in your project, that they understand your needs and expectations, and that they are willing to communicate with you throughout the process. That is why it is important that they are courteous and responsive when you contact them.
They listen to your questions and concerns, and answer them clearly and honestly. They show that they value your time and business, and that they care about your satisfaction.
They reply to your messages or calls as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours. They provide you with the information or documents that you request, such as quotes, samples, or references. They update you on the progress of your project regularly, and inform you of any changes or issues that may arise. They follow up with you after the completion of your project, and ask for your feedback or suggestions.
Being courteous and responsive when contacting a mold maker can help you establi
sh a good rapport and trust with them. It can also help you avoid misunderstandings, delays, or disputes that may affect the quality or delivery of your project. It can also increase your chances of having a successful and long-term partnership with them.
When you are making the mold, you need to follow some steps to ensure the quality and delivery of your project.
First, you need to ask for a timetable from the mold maker before they start working on your mold. The timetable should include the milestones, deadlines, and deliverables of each stage of the mold-making process. If possible, you should also sign a contract with the mold maker that specifies the terms and conditions of your cooperation.
Second, you need to contact the mold maker regularly to ask for updates on their progress. You should also check if they are following the timetable and meeting the quality standards. If there are any changes or delays in the timetable, you should ask for the reasons and request a revised timetable.
Third, you should not be afraid to be persistent and assertive when contacting the mold maker. You are not being annoying, but rather showing your interest and involvement in your project. You need to do this from time to time to make sure that your project is done on time and according to your expectations.
if you want to order the mold, it is standard for them to require a purchase order before assisting you with design for manufacturing (DFM). It is reasonable for them to ask for a design fee for DFM if you are not ready to place an order. You can stipulate that the design fee be waived, if and when you buy the mold. Unless you have a plastics engineer with mold flow software in your office, you’re relying on them to fine tune your design to get the optimal part. This is the point where the best tool makers separate themselves. A good tooling engineer is worth the extra cost up front. They will thoroughly analyze the wall thickness, draft angles, gate design, etc. to reduce material, reduce warping or other issues, and reduce cycle time. They can find innovative approaches to handle undercuts. My bad mold makers will just take the part design I sent them, add draft angles, and call it a day. They’ll also claim they can’t handle an undercut situation, but after you argue with them, suddenly they figure it out. Often the bad ones will agree to make a part as designed, but then take liberties on their own after you place the PO. I’ve also seen bad ones send me drawings with obvious issues, like missing draft angles, thin areas that are not really mold-able, etc. and then ask me to approve. A more recent development in China is rapid prototyping. They should have a relationship with a rapid prototyper to make a sample, if that’s what you need.
They should provide you with revised 3d drawings of your part, and also drawings of the mold you are agreeing to buy. You will need those later if there is a repair or re-texturing. Refusing to provide that is a big red flag that I see all the time. What happens is cheaper mold makers put work into the quote, but don’t get the business, and so they are reluctant to cough up the drawings until they get paid. So now they hold your files hostage. Another thing that can happen is that they use your mold to make parts for someone else. I’ve seen that too.
Once you approve the samples, the factory should provide you the optimal press parameters to obtain the best part. Good molders will give you spare parts like lifters, the EDM electrodes, etc. as part of the price, so that you don’t have to scramble if one fails.
Finally, educate yourself on Chinese business culture. It is part of the business culture to never say “No” and always make promises that they are capable of something. To say that they can’t do something would be “losing face” and would bring them shame. So instead, they just quote you an exorbitant price and hope that you say no. It is also Chinese business culture to quote a low RFQ price, then nickel and dime you for engineering changes and other unexpected upcharges later. Learn to identify these tactics early on.
Important tips on finding China injection molding company
TIP 1: Product quality
Injection molding is a complex process and it is important to choose a company that has a proven track record in producing high-quality products.
Before starting in-depth project communication, understand the size and management of this company through the introduction of the website, ask the injection plastic molding factory to provide quality management certification, show photos of past projects done, and show if they have experience in similar projects.
TIP 2: Stable production capacity
You need to consider the delivery time of the products. Injection molding projects usually have long lead times, so you need to make sure you can get the product in time.
From the introduction of the website, you can know information about the factory’s machinery and equipment, and you can ask the factory to provide the injection molding machine and equipment list.
TIP 3: Professional technical support
During the communication process of the project, whether the factory has given technical feedback on the possible risks or unreasonable mold design of the project. This can well reflect the technical strength of the factory.
Because usually, the product designer may not be very professional in the injection mold making industry, after the product design is out, the injection mold engineer is needed to evaluate and give feedback on the risk and feasibility of the project from the perspective of the structure.
And consider the possible risks before the project is formally made into a mold, to ensure the smooth implementation of the project.
TIP 4: Good and smooth communication
Due to the language difference, the factory salesman needs to be fluent in English to ensure smooth communication, and it is better to have more than one English-speaking salesman in the factory to prevent the salesman who is responsible for communicating with you about the project from leaving or taking leave, the project will not be able to communicate properly.
It is better if the factory can have a technician who speaks English so that you can communicate directly with the technician about the project, which can greatly improve the communication efficiency.
TIP 5: Competitive price
You need to consider the price of the product. Injection molding can be an expensive process, so you need to make sure that the product you order has a good price.
TIP 6: Company reputation
After going through the previous 5 stages of verification, when finally deciding to work with an injection mold factory, it is a good idea to ask the factory to provide information about a few customers they have worked with to confirm some experiences and feelings about the process of working with this factory. This can directly reflect the various aspects of the factory’s situation.
The best thing, as another banner recommended, is to go to a career expo and converse with them. Assuming that is not in the financial plan, or time doesn’t permit, look for organizations that guarantee ISO9001 consistence (regardless of whether your organization isn’t ISO9001). The organization ought to have been doing business for longer than 10 years to have the experience important to plan and assemble molds. At the point when you request references, they ought to promptly give them. You can look on the web and check whether they have shipments into the US (the traditions information is on the web). I looked, and the device creator I use showed 19 shipments to the US a year ago.
A bigger organization like my boss would send a delegate to the production line, to vet them. During the visit, we make them round out a poll, check consistence with nearby laws, financial balance, credit check, and so forth We have a non-divulgence understanding and a waiver that clarifies that they will forgo their privileges to any plans that they helped you to draw and shape. That is significant on the off chance that you are looking for a patent. I got into a circumstance where a shape creator improved a plan I made, however then he wouldn’t transfer ownership of his privileges to the patent I needed. During a visit, an old structure isn’t something to zero in on (indeed, you could contend it’s a solid point). They ought to have an assortment of trim presses, to lead form preliminaries. They ought to have squeezes that are outfitted with dryers. They ought to have present day CNC gear, EDMs, CMMs, and so forth They ought to have an exhibition of parts that they’ve shaped (and be extremely pleased with!). They ought to notice security and natural standards. They ought not have entryways locked or any undeniable stuff like that.
They ought to give you a rundown of their providers of the form bases and shape steel, segments like hot sprues, surfaces, and so forth The better shape creators utilize Swedish or German steel and DME segments, yet can likewise offer Chinese reciprocals at a markdown. The Chinese steel can be okay, when utilized in the correct application. They ought to have a shape configuration staff in-house that can plan the form, yet additionally help you to some degree plan. That part is basic! Their product ought to be forward-thinking. A lower level disintegrate will do things like utilize pilfered programming, utilize another shell organization to plan the molds and do CAD and CAM work, utilize one more organization to sell the molds, change names frequently, and so on
Before signing any contract, make sure you understand the terms of payment. Getting stuck with unexpected costs is not something you want to happen.Be sure that you know what your supplier is asking for when it comes to payment. You should be prepared to pay upfront or in installments. Normally for injection mold: 30% down payment, 30% after cutting and 40% after samples approval.
Make sure that you and the injection molding supplier are on the same page when it comes to delivery schedules-normally for tooling,6-8 weeks. By doing this, you will be able to avoid any delays in receiving your goods or services. As mentioned earlier, it is essential to understand the risks involved with injection molding and make sure that you are prepared. If you want to lower your risk of experiencing a delay in production or a poor quality product, then it is important for you and the company that will be handling your injection into have an agreement in place.
Ensure that the contract clearly states the pricing to avoid surprises down the road. Price term (Incoterms) includes: FOB (Free on Board), CIF (Cost, Insurance, and Freight), CFR (Cost and Freight), CPT (Carriage Paid To), DDP (Delivered Duty Paid).
The supplier’s scope of work should be clearly defined in the contract. As a result, there will be no misunderstandings in the future. There are a number of different types of contracts. The contract should have the following elements: the name of the parties, the time period for which it will cover, the subject matter of the work to be performed, and-its scope.