At the early stage of product development, many designers or engineer would like to develop their product rapidly, and in cost efficiency. Rapid tooling and quick turn-injection molding is very popular, for small volume of prototypes, or small volume injection molding production.
Anyway, as there are many manufacturers in China and all over the world, you may easily find following vendors:
1) A conventional injection molding tool maker;
2) A prototype manufacturer;
3) A broker;
4) Then a good and reliable quick-turn injection molding manufacturer.
We can image their advantages and disadvantages. We listed them below for comparison:
Advantages
| Disadvantages | |
Production Mold Maker
| Solid technical knowledge; | High price, low speed, not fragile at custom requirement, difficult at project follow up.
|
Prototype Maker | Fragile at custom needs; Various at custom surface finishes; | High price, Not professional enough especially at medium volume production. If with difficult project issues, difficult to proceed.
|
Broker | Fragile, easy to communicate, | If with project issues, especially with difficult project issues, difficult to proceed.
|
Good quick-turn mold maker | Solid technical knowledge; Reasonable price; Fragile manufacturing One-demand manufacturing
| Limited facilities; Company size not very big in normal. |
At special stage of product development, a quick-turn injection mold maker would be what we preferred. How can we find a good quick-turn injection molding manufacturer? Maybe your can judge them from the following 4 respects:
Communication speed, and professional:
1. A good quick-turn injection molding company: response in 24 hours at the most, and 12 hours in normal, with their professional communication, design for manufacturing advices, manufacturing options guide.
2. A production mold maker: response in 1-2 days in normal. It would be even longer if you advise the quantity needs that is not suitable for them
3. A prototype company, will response also quick, 24 hours in normal. While in often they will guide if you would need protypes in advance.
4. Anyway, a broker will react similar as quick-turn mold maker. We may cannot find the difference.
Their tooling cost and Unit prices
1. A quick-turn injection molding company: generally consider tooling structure and quantity needs for quotation. The tooling price is relatively lower. While unit price is relatively higher.
2. A traditional mold maker : will consider the tool suitable more high-volume production. Their tooling price is normally high, tool making lead time is long, while unit price is low.
3. A prototype maker: high tooling price and high unit price. They probably prefer to consider making the parts with rapid prototyping manner.
4. A broker: normally their price is a bit higher than a quick-turn mold maker, but not vary a lot, and depends on different project.
Ask for free DFM analysis, and do this in serveral times.
1. A quick-turn injection mold maker, it’s an average procedure for servicing customer. They have their own designers, and project engineers can do that quickly. Generally, a professional quick-turn injection molding company will do that in 24-48 hours.
2. While for a conventional injection mold company, it’s not a standard service, but a special case. It will take almost 1 week or even more for preparation.
3. A protype maker，it will be difficult for them as well. They would have to consult with other company for this. It will be difficult for them to provide this long term in speed. And you can also judge their professional from here.
4. Follow this in serveral times, a broker may can do that in 1 or 2 times, but in many times. A broker mostly can not keep providing the services.
Facility validation:
It’s always good to visit a factory on-site.
But it maybe not suitable if you’re looking a mold maker China on internet or Google search.
Anyway, we can check their professional, working experience, quality control at their website.
One important thing is that you may ask for company images individually, to compare with the ones at their website.
1. A good quick turn-injection mold maker, probably maybe not with a huge factory, but should be with a company with basic facility should have. And the images you received individually, should be close to their ones at website, and in harmonious background.
2. A production mold maker, is always sharing their many injection molding machines with robotic arm. They have capacity, but not for quick-turn injection molding.
3. A prototype maker, mostly with the model shop, painting shop.
4. A broker, is often with many facilities at their website. But it’s not harmonious with each other. Especially you asked for the factory image for comparison.
In general, we listed a form again for comparison and summary:
Response
| Price | Free DFM, in times | Facility validation | |
Production Mold Maker
| Slow, in Days | High Tool Cost; Low Unit Price; | No, | Many molding machines with robotic arms. |
Prototype Maker | 1-2 days;
| High Tool Cost; High Unit Price; | No, or yes but last long time.
| No mold shop or injection molding shop
|
Broker | 1-2 days | Medium-High tooling cost; Medium-High unit price | No, or yes but take long time | No shop, many facilities at website but not in harmonious. |
Good quick-turn mold maker | 24 hours in standard, mostly in 12 hours With professional;
| Medium tooling cost; Medium unit price. | Yes, and in speed; Standard services. | An average mold shop and injection molding shop |
A quick-turn injection molding company is very popular in USA for product development. Maybe you can follow these suggestions to try to find a good one in China as well. We believe that they have close quality, customer-oriented service, and much more competitive prices.
Danke Mold is also one of the quick-turn injection molding companies. We provide high-quality quick-turn injection molding and on-demand injection molding agilely. Email us via info@dankemold.com. We will response in 12 hours.