How Customer Start the OEM Production from Injection Molding
Following an email from customer who is ready to start the OEM production from Injection Molding, the Q&A between customer and Sanwo project manager.
“
Hi Kate,
Thank you again for your quote and reminders. I have been thinking about this injection molding production for the last few weeks and, since I have never had anything produced like this, I am not unsure what to do and don’t want to get this wrong.
We have designed this tool and had a prototype 3D printed which we have been testing. So far with good results which made me start to investigate if we could have it made in larger amounts to sell. It will be marketed to people in the music industry and needs to look professional.
I have been thinking about colors and finishes and would like to know what the options are and if that adds to the cost if we do injection molding production.
(Sanwo project manager:)Thank you for your reply. We would be glad to assist you for this project. Here is our answer,
Are the parts we send you okay to mold or should they be redesigned for a more optimal production?
(Sanwo project manager:)Yes they are OK to mold,and we will provide you DFM and final design with draft adding for confirmation beforeTooling, and will send you T0 sample forconfirmation before production.
I’d like parts 3, 4 and 5 to be black but 1 and 2 in a different color. Can we pick any color or are there set options?
(Sanwo project manager:)As we quoted it a family mold, if 1-5 are the same color we can produce the 5 products at one time, but if 1 and 2 require a different color, we will have toseparate the injection, which the labor cost will raise so that the unit price will raise too.
Or we can also separate the family mold into two molds and quote you.So that you can choose any color at once, You just need toprovide usthe color code either Pantone or RAL
Is it possible to have a textured finish (like a grainy sand finish) on some surfaces, does that change the cost?
(Sanwo project manager:)Yes,please provide the texture number you want, VDI or Mold-tech number.We can add textured finish directly to the mold, so production will get texture after injection molding.This does not change the cost.
We have added some recessed text to some of the parts, will that change the cost? Or would it be better to make the text slightly raised, I could imagine that would be easier with a mold?
(Sanwo project manager:)Please let us know what text you want to add, if not big change, let us keep you the same price.And yes, Raised text will be easier for tooling compared to sink text, but both are OK to go with.
Will we be able to make small changes after we checked the 3-5 samples ( I understand some changes will be harder to make than others…)?
(Sanwo’s project manager:)Yes, small changes are possible,normally after T0, will still need someadjust, we will provide T2 then.
We will check if small change we keep it free for you, but if big change that cause extra cost we update mold modify cost quote for you. Modifications to the mold affect less on the mold life of the steel tooling, but it affects a lot for the Aluminum tooling especially welding modification.
Anyway,our engineers willprovide suggestions base on your requirement.
If we would want to do another production run in the future, could you re use the same molds?
(Sanwo project manager:)For Injection molding, the mold life for rapid tooling is30,000-50,000 shots, so as soon as it is the same design,Yes, the same mold can be used and producethe product directly. you Only need to pay for the tooling at the first run, and for the nextproduction, you only need to pay the product unit price until mold life done.
Production above 500pcs MOQ each, Price not big change, but if too less will have some operating cost extra, which see, around 200USD.
Sorry for all the questions, I hope you will be patient with me since I am totally new to this injection molding industry.
Kind regards,
”
