Factors determining injection mold making cost
Injection mold making cost refers to the production cost directly related to the mold making process. There are too many mold types, and there will be differences in cost accounting. But the factors affecting mold making cost are basically the same. Taking the plastic injection mold as an example, to briefly introduce the injection mold making cost:
1. Injection mold base cost
The materials for mold base are usually S45C or S50C. The common mold base is standard parts. Injection molding factory in China generally order mold base of LKM. The standard mold base price is relatively cheap. But for the plastic products with too large size, which exceeds the size range of the standard mold base, requiring customizing the mold base. For example, the size of the commonly used large gate mold base ranges from 150mm x 150mm (referred to as 1515 series) to 600mm x 800mm (referred to as 6080 series). If the injection mold base size exceeds 600mm x 800mm, the injection mold base is required to be customized. The price of customized mold base is 2-3 times that of the standard mold base.
2. The material cost of the injection mold cavity and injection mold core are different depending on the characteristics of the injection molding materials and the mold service life. The commonly used mold steels for cavity and core are P20, 738, 738H, 718, 718H, NAK80, 2316, 2316A, S136 etc. The materials used for the harden mold are 2344, 8407, SKD11, SKD61etc.
Characteristics of the material used for mold cavity and core:
1) P20: Generally applicable to plastic molds requiring high hardness, high toughness and wear resistance. After nitriding, the mold service life can be improved. It is suitable for the plastic molding of these thermoplastic without fire retardant, such as PS, PE, PP, ABS etc. This thermoplastic is commonly used mold material for mold cavity and core in injection mold manufacturing, and its price is relatively low.
2) 738: The performance of 738 is better thanP20, and that of 738H is better than 738 and the injection mold service life is improved accordingly.
3) NAK80: EDM and polishing performance are relatively good, generally used in plastic products with high transparency requirements.
4) 2316: Suitable for high acid plastic molds, with high finish and high acid resistance, generally used in plastic molds for molding PVC plastic materials.
5) 2344: Generally used in harden plastic mold, its mold life can reach 1 million times. But because the injection mold making cost is relatively high, so it is suitable for large volume injection molding. The same is true for harden mold materials such as 8407 and SKD11.
Mold cavity and core processing equipment: Due to the complexity of the mold cavity and core, and the difficulty of the mold making process, there are many processing equipment for mold cavity and core, such as CNC precision machining centers, computer machining centers, MC machining centers, slow wire, wire cutting machines, grinding machines, EDM etc.
The precision requirement for mold base and core is ±0.005mm.
How to choose injection mold steel?
(1) It is related to the characteristics of plastic materials. For example, PVC plastics will produce corrosive acid gases. If ordinary steel is used, the molds are easy to rust. Therefore, corrosion-resistant steels such as 2083 and S136H should be used.
(2) Related to the requirements of the plastic product. There are some transparent products with very high requirements, such as optical lenses and ophthalmic lenses. This requires mold steel with very good polishing performance, such as S136. If the wrong steel is selected, there will be obvious material texture when polishing the mold to mirror, which cannot be eliminated by polishing. The plastic products made by such plastic molds are not up to standard.
(3) It is related to the mold service life. Even for the mold steel of the same grade, the price will be different. Of course, the quality of the mold material with higher price will be better. If the mold service life is not required to be high, the mold steel with relatively low price is a good choice.
3. The cost of hot runners (plastic mold may use hot runners, die casting molds and stamping molds have no need for hot runners)
4. Mold materials selection. In injection mold cost, the mold material cost accounts for 15% to 20%, especially due to the difference in the materials of the working parts, the difference in mold making is large.
Therefore, the injection mold material should be correctly selected, so that the material category of the mold working part should first be coordinated with the required mold life, and various measures should be taken to fully exert the material's efficiency. For example, the cost of copper (mainly used for electrical discharge machining or manufacturing parts with special heat dissipation requirements).
5. The cost of slider or lifter.
6. The mold machining cost. Such as, the lathe processing costs, milling machine processing costs, grinding machine processing costs, CNC machine processing costs, EDM processing costs, wire cutting processing costs. Mold machining costs are generally calculated on an hourly basis. The mold processing equipment is developed to high efficiency, high precision, high automation and multi-function, which makes the injection mold making cost increase accordingly. However, this is necessary to maintain and develop mold manufacturing. The effectiveness of this equipment should be fully utilized to improve the efficiency of equipment use.
7. Mold design cost. There is a relatively large relationship between mold design cost and design difficulty. The design cost of plastic product with simple structure will of course be cheaper, the injection mold making cost of plastic products with complicated structure, and relatively high requirement will be higher accordingly.
8. Mold storage fees. Our company exports exported mold and production mold. If you order production mold, that is, the mold making and injection molding are both in China (our company), there will be extra mold storage fees. During the mold storage period, the injection molding factory will regularly maintain your company's molds.
9. Mold precision. The mold precision will result in high mold making costs. The precision and rigidity of the plastic injection mold should be compatible with the requirements of the injection molding plastic product and the production batches of large volume injection molding or low volume injection molding. For low volume injection molding, the mold service life is not required to be very long, so the requirements for the mold precision are also not very high accordingly.
10. Profit of injection molding manufacturer.
The injection mold making cost is usually determined the above factors.Welcome to ACO Mold injection molding manufacturer and contact us to get free quote.
1. Injection mold base cost
The materials for mold base are usually S45C or S50C. The common mold base is standard parts. Injection molding factory in China generally order mold base of LKM. The standard mold base price is relatively cheap. But for the plastic products with too large size, which exceeds the size range of the standard mold base, requiring customizing the mold base. For example, the size of the commonly used large gate mold base ranges from 150mm x 150mm (referred to as 1515 series) to 600mm x 800mm (referred to as 6080 series). If the injection mold base size exceeds 600mm x 800mm, the injection mold base is required to be customized. The price of customized mold base is 2-3 times that of the standard mold base.
2. The material cost of the injection mold cavity and injection mold core are different depending on the characteristics of the injection molding materials and the mold service life. The commonly used mold steels for cavity and core are P20, 738, 738H, 718, 718H, NAK80, 2316, 2316A, S136 etc. The materials used for the harden mold are 2344, 8407, SKD11, SKD61etc.
Characteristics of the material used for mold cavity and core:
1) P20: Generally applicable to plastic molds requiring high hardness, high toughness and wear resistance. After nitriding, the mold service life can be improved. It is suitable for the plastic molding of these thermoplastic without fire retardant, such as PS, PE, PP, ABS etc. This thermoplastic is commonly used mold material for mold cavity and core in injection mold manufacturing, and its price is relatively low.
2) 738: The performance of 738 is better thanP20, and that of 738H is better than 738 and the injection mold service life is improved accordingly.
3) NAK80: EDM and polishing performance are relatively good, generally used in plastic products with high transparency requirements.
4) 2316: Suitable for high acid plastic molds, with high finish and high acid resistance, generally used in plastic molds for molding PVC plastic materials.
5) 2344: Generally used in harden plastic mold, its mold life can reach 1 million times. But because the injection mold making cost is relatively high, so it is suitable for large volume injection molding. The same is true for harden mold materials such as 8407 and SKD11.
Mold cavity and core processing equipment: Due to the complexity of the mold cavity and core, and the difficulty of the mold making process, there are many processing equipment for mold cavity and core, such as CNC precision machining centers, computer machining centers, MC machining centers, slow wire, wire cutting machines, grinding machines, EDM etc.
The precision requirement for mold base and core is ±0.005mm.
How to choose injection mold steel?
(1) It is related to the characteristics of plastic materials. For example, PVC plastics will produce corrosive acid gases. If ordinary steel is used, the molds are easy to rust. Therefore, corrosion-resistant steels such as 2083 and S136H should be used.
(2) Related to the requirements of the plastic product. There are some transparent products with very high requirements, such as optical lenses and ophthalmic lenses. This requires mold steel with very good polishing performance, such as S136. If the wrong steel is selected, there will be obvious material texture when polishing the mold to mirror, which cannot be eliminated by polishing. The plastic products made by such plastic molds are not up to standard.
(3) It is related to the mold service life. Even for the mold steel of the same grade, the price will be different. Of course, the quality of the mold material with higher price will be better. If the mold service life is not required to be high, the mold steel with relatively low price is a good choice.
3. The cost of hot runners (plastic mold may use hot runners, die casting molds and stamping molds have no need for hot runners)
4. Mold materials selection. In injection mold cost, the mold material cost accounts for 15% to 20%, especially due to the difference in the materials of the working parts, the difference in mold making is large.
Therefore, the injection mold material should be correctly selected, so that the material category of the mold working part should first be coordinated with the required mold life, and various measures should be taken to fully exert the material's efficiency. For example, the cost of copper (mainly used for electrical discharge machining or manufacturing parts with special heat dissipation requirements).
5. The cost of slider or lifter.
6. The mold machining cost. Such as, the lathe processing costs, milling machine processing costs, grinding machine processing costs, CNC machine processing costs, EDM processing costs, wire cutting processing costs. Mold machining costs are generally calculated on an hourly basis. The mold processing equipment is developed to high efficiency, high precision, high automation and multi-function, which makes the injection mold making cost increase accordingly. However, this is necessary to maintain and develop mold manufacturing. The effectiveness of this equipment should be fully utilized to improve the efficiency of equipment use.
7. Mold design cost. There is a relatively large relationship between mold design cost and design difficulty. The design cost of plastic product with simple structure will of course be cheaper, the injection mold making cost of plastic products with complicated structure, and relatively high requirement will be higher accordingly.
8. Mold storage fees. Our company exports exported mold and production mold. If you order production mold, that is, the mold making and injection molding are both in China (our company), there will be extra mold storage fees. During the mold storage period, the injection molding factory will regularly maintain your company's molds.
9. Mold precision. The mold precision will result in high mold making costs. The precision and rigidity of the plastic injection mold should be compatible with the requirements of the injection molding plastic product and the production batches of large volume injection molding or low volume injection molding. For low volume injection molding, the mold service life is not required to be very long, so the requirements for the mold precision are also not very high accordingly.
10. Profit of injection molding manufacturer.
The injection mold making cost is usually determined the above factors.Welcome to ACO Mold injection molding manufacturer and contact us to get free quote.