Injection molding & mold quotes
Injection molding and mold quotes, through vetted partner factories.
JCH Design & Manufacturing quotes, engineers and builds injection molds for inventors and US businesses, then runs production at the vetted partner factory that best fits the part. Jack Cheng reads your drawing himself and quotes the tool against it.
A mold quote is only useful if you can compare it. Each one Jack sends names the steel, the cavity count, the expected tool life, the sample rounds included and who owns the tool, so you can line it up against any other quote you have.
What the quote says
Five lines that make a mold quote comparable.
Mold quotes for the same part can sit far apart because each supplier assumes a different tool. Why injection mold quotes vary threefold walks through it. Jack's quotes state the assumptions up front, so the price means something.
- SteelAluminum, P20, H13 or S136, chosen by shot count and resin
- CavitiesSet by your annual volume; more cavities, lower part price
- RunnerHot or cold; below about 50,000 shots a year, cold is usually right
- MechanismsSlides and lifters priced one by one
- SamplesTrial rounds included, to a measured first article
- OwnershipYours in writing, with a nameplate on the tool
Steel and tool life
Buy the steel your volume needs.
Jack starts with your volume and your material, because those two answers decide the tool before anyone draws a runner. He specifies it with the toolmaker in Mandarin, so the drawing is not translated twice.
Aluminum (7075)
Prototypes and bridge runs: the fastest and cheapest tool, with the shortest life.
P20 pre-hardened
Low and mid volumes. The usual choice for a first production tool.
H13 or S136, hardened
High volumes and abrasive glass-filled resins, where the tool has to hold its size for a long time.
What a mold costs
Published ranges, before you ask for a quote.
These are published 2026 US figures for each class of tool, from Jaycon's pricing report. They are planning ranges, not quotes: use them to check whether a number is in the right world. Try your own part in the free injection mold cost estimator, and see the sources and the China figures in what an injection mold really costs.
Partner factory tool prices are not in this table, because there is no published survey of them we could stand behind. When Jack quotes a tool he quotes it against your drawing, and puts a second partner option beside it when that is the honest comparison.
- Prototype, 1 cavity7075 aluminum: quoted per project
- Low volume (SPI 104)P20, 1–2 cavities: quoted per project
- Mid volume (SPI 103)P20 or H13, 2–8 cavities: quoted per project
- High volume (SPI 101)H13 or S136, 4–32+ cavities: quoted per project+
From drawing to parts
Quote, build, prove, then produce.
Nothing is released to production on a good-looking first shot. The tool is approved on a measured first article, and that approved sample becomes the reference for the lots that follow.
- Send the part.A drawing or CAD, or a sample or photo, plus the material, your annual volume and any cosmetic or texture needs. We sign your NDA first.
- Design for manufacture.Jack reviews the part for the tool: draft, wall thickness, gates, and undercuts worth designing out before you pay for a slide.
- Build and first trial.Typically several weeks to first trial shots, depending on part complexity; Jack confirms timing in your quote.
- Measured first article.Critical dimensions measured against your drawing on parts from each cavity; corrections written down.
- Production, watched.Lots are checked against the approved sample while the line runs. See line watch.
Where it is molded
The right partner factory, and why origin matters at the border.
Molding runs at the vetted partner factory that fits the part, the resin and the volume. Volumes run from a short first order to millions of parts.
At the US border, a molded part generally takes the origin of the place it was molded, not where the tool was built, and duty follows that origin. On some programs the duty difference on each shipment is larger than the difference in the tool price. Check your own HTS line with a licensed customs broker; the arithmetic is in what moves landed cost.
Already have a mold?
Tools can move.
If your mold sits at a factory you would rather leave, it can be moved, checked against the new press and re-sampled before production. Ownership and custody belong in your contract: see IP, NDAs and tool ownership.
Tighter tolerances than standard? Read precision injection molding: what to specify before you ask for them.
Questions
What buyers ask first.
How do I get an injection mold quote?
Send a drawing or CAD file, or a sample or photo, with the material, your annual volume and any cosmetic requirements. Jack quotes the tool against your drawing and states the steel, cavity count, expected tool life, sample rounds and ownership.
How much does an injection mold cost?
Try the mold cost estimator; your quote is set against your drawing.
How long does it take to build an injection mold?
Typically several weeks to first trial shots, depending on part complexity; Jack confirms timing in your quote.
Who owns the mold?
You should, in writing, with a nameplate on the tool and the drawings kept on your side. A custody record shows where the tool is and how many shots it has run.
What is the minimum order?
It depends on the part size and the cavities in the tool. For single-cavity insert molding, Jack's working minimum is about 500 to 1,000 pieces; multi-cavity tools need more, or a machine fee for a short run.
Where are the parts molded?
At vetted partner factories, matched to the part, the resin and the volume. Jack provides engineering and QC oversight on the line.
Can you take over a mold I already have?
Yes. A mold can be moved, checked against the new press and re-sampled. Ownership and custody of the tool belong in your contract before it moves.
Related
Want an injection mold quote?
Send a drawing, a sample or a photo. Jack reads it himself and tells you what the tool needs to be, what it should cost, and where it should be molded.
Ask for time with JackFree offer
Free DFM review of one part.
Book 15 minutes, upload one drawing, STEP file or photo on your prep page, and Jack marks what will cost you in the tool and what to change before steel is cut. No obligation.