Plastic Product Prototyping and Tooling Services

Prototyping methods for plastic products vary in cost, lead time, material accuracy, and the development stage they are suited for. SLA (stereolithography) 3D printing: fast (1–3 days), good surface finish, suitable for form and fit checks, visual presentations, and functional testing of non-structural parts. Material properties do not match injection moulded production resins — SLA prototypes are not representative of production part mechanical performance. SLS (selective laser sintering) 3D printing: better mechanical properties than SLA, suitable for functional testing and small batch use, available in nylon (PA) and some other materials. FDM (fused deposition modelling): lower surface quality, useful for early concept checks only. CNC machining: used to prototype rigid engineering plastics (PC, nylon, POM) where the material needs to match production spec — parts are machined from solid stock. Higher cost and longer lead time than 3D printing but production-representative material properties. Vacuum casting (polyurethane): used to produce 5–30 prototype-quality parts from a silicone mould derived from an SLA master — useful for functional pre-production samples in bridge quantities before tooling investment.

The injection mould (die or tool) is the core capital asset in plastic part production. Tooling decisions affect product quality, production cost, and schedule. Aluminium tooling (soft tooling): lower cost (typically USD 1,000–8,000 per tool), shorter lead time (2–4 weeks), suitable for 5,000–50,000 shots. Used for market trials, bridge production between prototype and full tooling, and low-volume products that will not reach full production volumes. Surface finish and dimensional accuracy are slightly inferior to hardened steel. P20 steel tooling (production tooling): standard for medium-to-high production volume. Tool life: 500,000–1 million shots. Cost: USD 5,000–50,000 per tool depending on complexity, size, and cavity count. Lead time: 4–8 weeks. H13 hardened steel tooling: for highest-volume and longest-life requirements (glass-filled or abrasive resins, 1M+ shots). Higher cost and longer lead time. In China, full tooling services are offered by specialist mould-making companies (mould shops) that may or may not also operate injection moulding machines. Some buyers separate tooling and moulding — having the mould designed and built by a specialist mould maker, then moving production to a lower-cost moulder. This is a valid strategy for cost control at high volumes.

Design for manufacturability (DFM) analysis is the review of a plastic product CAD design by the tooling engineer to identify and resolve design issues before the mould is cut. DFM catches wall thickness variations that cause sink marks and warpage, insufficient draft angles that prevent part ejection, undercuts requiring slides or lifters, and gate and runner positions that affect fill pattern and weld line location. A thorough DFM from a competent tooling company reduces the number of tooling modification rounds (T1, T2, T3 trials) and shortens the development timeline. Always request a written DFM report from the tooling company before approving design freeze and tool cutting. First article inspection (FAI) on T1 samples (first parts from the tool) should include dimensional verification against the CAD model, visual inspection against the appearance standard, and functional testing. Document T1 results and any tooling corrections before releasing to production.