Many customer is confusion for China Quotation. There are a hundred price in a hundred China mold makers . To clear it well, it is better to analysis the cost of mold making.
What is the cost of mold making?
As we all know, the main cost of mold is including: material and processing. The material is including, such as steel for core, cavity, slider, lifer, cooper, and mold base, ejector pin and hot runner etc. The processing cost, consider, CNC machining, EDM machining and polishing etc. The other could be labor cost and depreciation of machinery etc.
1. Is it have a formula of mold cost.
COST=15-30% mold material + 35-50% processing + 10-15% design + 5-10% other
Pls remember it is just for reference. As different project takes different cost.
2. What is the part structure?
The part structure define how to make the mold. Is it mold complex or not? Is it need to make lifter, insert or slider for mold release. Is it ok to use hydro-cylinder instead of slider? As we know,undercut and unscrewing of the part will make mold complex and difficult to building. It will take much more cost.
4. What is the part feature and require?
Is it corrosively? Such as PVC or POM, it require corrosion resistance steel, like 420S, 1.2083 or S136 etc. Is it plating zinc enough?
Is it high polishing? Is it clear part? What is the annul quantity? It will define the steel section too.
5. What is the mold type?
As we know, cold runner is cheap than hot runner, two plate is cheaper than three plate, production mold is expensive than prototype mold, two shot is expensive than over mold etc.
6. What is the mold maker location, size and special?
The size and location of mold maker offer different price. As the labor cost and company expect profit is different. The mold maker which in first-tier cities, could offer quality mold but much more price.
Many moldmaker focus on special mold making, like precision mold, such as connector. Other for large mold, like housing wash machine. There are lots of mold maker make normal mold. So if you make special part, just find out mold maker who make mold for special part.