Custom injection mould cost: what the fee is made of, and how to structure amortisation

Tooling and cost · 2026-10-16

The published figures

What a mould quote is made of, and what to pin down in the terms

We publish a 45–50 day regular production lead time and tool and moulds as a service line. We do not publish a mould price range, because cavity count, steel, finish, trials and amortisation terms all move it.

The components a mould quote is actually made of

Cavity count. The single largest driver. A single-cavity tool for a 50,000-unit programme and a four-cavity tool for the same programme have different economics, and the four-cavity tool usually costs more up front while costing less per unit. If your volume is uncertain, this is the decision that changes first.

Mould steel. Varies with the material being moulded, the cycle time and the expected tool life. A hot runner and higher cycle times demand more from the steel, and it is the second largest driver after cavities.

Surface finish and texture. A texture that reads well on a sample may be expensive and long-cycle in production. Worth settling on a physical sample rather than a render.

Trial shots. How many are included, and whether re-shooting a cavity to correct a defect is charged. This is where mould cost surprises usually come from — not the tool, the iteration.

Tool lead time. Separate from production lead time, and it sits in front of it on the schedule.

How amortisation terms decide whether the tool helps or traps you

Amortisation is a commercial structure, not a calculation. The same mould fee is recoverable quickly under one structure and is a stranded asset under another. What to establish:

1. What the fee covers and what it excludes. Amortisation of a mould fee does not cover mould maintenance, re-shooting a worn cavity, or a change to the design that requires a new insert.

2. Whether it is refundable and against what. A refundable tooling fee is an incentive structure, and it should be stated in the same terms as the refund trigger — usually cumulative order value across the programme, not a single shipment.

3. Whether the fee is per part or per programme. Per part spreads it across units; per programme concentrates it at the start. They behave very differently at low volume.

4. What happens to the tool when the programme ends. This is the clause most often missing and the one that determines whether you can move a tool to a second supplier or a second product.

The revision question that determines whether the tool is still usable

A mould is specific to a geometry. If the design changes, the question is not whether you own the tool but whether the change can be made in the existing tool — a cavity insert, a slide modification — or needs a new tool entirely.

This is why design freeze timing matters commercially. Every month of design churn after tooling is a month of mould cost and schedule exposure with nothing to show for it. Suppliers who pressure for early tooling are usually protecting their schedule, not yours.

What we publish, and what we confirm per project

We publish tool and moulds as a service line, and we publish our production lead time as 45–50 days. We do not publish a mould price, a cavity recommendation or an amortisation table, because all three depend on the part, the volume, the material and the term structure.

For a defined project we can quote the mould build-up and propose an amortisation structure against the volume profile you actually have. That is a quotation conversation with a volume forecast attached.

What to do before asking for a mould quote

Fix the volume profile first, even approximately, because cavity count follows it. Then ask for the quote as a build-up, not a total. Then settle the amortisation structure and the exit clause in writing before the tool is cut, because both are difficult to change afterwards.

What we will do

For a defined part and volume profile, we can provide the mould build-up, state the tool lead time separately from the production lead time, and propose amortisation terms. We will not quote a price range from a catalogue, because there is no such thing for a tool.

Where the figures behind this came from

Every number on this page traces to one of these.

Models this guide applies to

Coffee Makers

Primary line. Parts-intensive, so the spares plan is designed with the product.

Grills & Baking

Primary line. Seasonal shape, pairs with pizza makers and air fryers.

Pizza Makers

Primary line. Countertop heat appliance, pairs with the grill range in one programme.

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