The fact of China plastic injection mold makers
How about sourcing injection molds from America, UK, and Germany instead of China? A lot easier to deal with those companies, but perhaps not as cheap as Chinese plastic injection molds. However, many quotes from China do not include all the necessary things that need to be included in the quote. America companies especially need to make the landed cost and project management costs are usually never considered, or go on another account within a corporation, so noon ever really saw the true total landed cost.
I will also say that more often than not, Chinese injection molds cut major corners on water, mold steels, unless you really get after them to use good mold steels. I have seen Chinese plastic injection molds that literally warp in the press because their injection molds are the softness of lead. I have seen well-made Chinese molds, but again, the materials used have been sub-par. The delay in communications is also an ongoing problem. That's one reason I use America, UK or Italy over China -- never have to worry about any of the things previously mentioned. The only reason that Chinese injection molds remain more competitively priced is the fact that the country pegs its currency to the dollar, so you never see the true cost. In the near future, the Chinese will not be able to continue pegging their currency to US dollar especially when the dollar is getting trashed by our own government. Because of this weak dollar policy, it makes everyone except China very expensive. Yet, for our European friends, it makes US made stuff cost competitive. However, even with our virtually worthless currency, I still get 25-30% less costly tooling in Portugal.
I will also say that more often than not, Chinese injection molds cut major corners on water, mold steels, unless you really get after them to use good mold steels. I have seen Chinese plastic injection molds that literally warp in the press because their injection molds are the softness of lead. I have seen well-made Chinese molds, but again, the materials used have been sub-par. The delay in communications is also an ongoing problem. That's one reason I use America, UK or Italy over China -- never have to worry about any of the things previously mentioned. The only reason that Chinese injection molds remain more competitively priced is the fact that the country pegs its currency to the dollar, so you never see the true cost. In the near future, the Chinese will not be able to continue pegging their currency to US dollar especially when the dollar is getting trashed by our own government. Because of this weak dollar policy, it makes everyone except China very expensive. Yet, for our European friends, it makes US made stuff cost competitive. However, even with our virtually worthless currency, I still get 25-30% less costly tooling in Portugal.