Prototype Mold & Low Volume Injection Molding | Deep Mould

Prototype Mold & Low Volume Injection Molding in China

 

Prototype tooling for functional testing, design validation and low-volume production.

Deep Mould builds aluminum and steel prototype molds for customers who need real injection-molded parts before committing to full production tooling.

We support DFM, mold design, tooling, T1 samples, dimensional inspection and low-volume molding.

Send us your STEP file and drawing for review.

 

ToolingTypical Use

• Aluminum Tooling: Fast validation and lower-volume parts
• Steel Prototype Tooling: Engineering plastics, tighter requirements and higher quantities
• Production Tooling: Long-term high-volume production

Mold material is selected according to the plastic resin, part geometry, required quantity, surface finish and expected tool life.

 

When to Use a Prototype Mold

Prototype molds are normally used for:

• Functional testing
• Assembly verification
• Material validation
• Pilot production
• Market testing
• Bridge production
• Low annual volumes

For very low quantities, CNC machining or additive manufacturing may be more economical. We normally review the expected quantity before recommending injection tooling.

 

Low Volume Injection Molding

We use prototype tooling to produce parts in the final or intended production resin.

Typical materials include:

ABS / PC / PC-ABS / PP / POM / PA / PA+GF / PPS / PEEK

For glass-filled, high-temperature or abrasive materials, we normally recommend steel tooling and review wear areas before mold design.

 

Engineering Review Before Tooling

Before mold manufacturing, we normally check:

• Draft angle
• Wall thickness
• Undercuts
• Gate location
• Parting line
• Ejection
• Shrinkage
• Warpage risk
• Critical tolerances
• Surface requirements

A DFM report can be provided before mold design starts.

 

Typical Project Flow

CAD Review → DFM → Mold Design → Tooling → T1 → Inspection → Mold Adjustment → Low Volume Production

Tolerances & Inspection

• Critical dimensions are reviewed before tooling.
• Depending on the drawing requirements, inspection can include:
• Dimensional inspection
• First Article Inspection
• CMM inspection
• Fit and assembly checks
• Material verification

For very tight tolerances, we may recommend tooling adjustment, process control or secondary CNC machining after molding.

 

Prototype Mold vs Production Mold

	Prototype Mold	Production Mold
Main purpose	Validation / Low volume	Mass production
Tool material	Aluminum / Steel	Production steel
Investment	Lower	Higher
Lead time	Shorter	Longer
Tool life	Project dependent	Long-term production
Design changes	Easier	More costly

 

If future production volume is already known, please tell us before tooling. We can design the prototype tooling strategy accordingly.

 

 

How many parts can a prototype mold produce?

Tool life depends on mold material, resin, part geometry and mold construction. We recommend the tooling according to the required quantity rather than using one fixed shot-life value.

Aluminum mold or steel mold?

Aluminum is suitable for some fast, lower-volume projects. Steel is normally preferred for engineering plastics, abrasive materials, complex tooling and higher quantities.

Can production-grade resin be used?

Yes. Prototype injection molding can use the intended production resin, provided the tooling is designed for that material.

Can you continue production after T1 approval?

Yes. After sample approval and mold adjustment, the same tooling can be used for the agreed low-volume production quantity.

 

What We Need for Quotation

Please send:

• STEP / STP / X_T / IGES file
• 2D drawing
• Plastic material
• Required quantity
• Annual volume
• Surface finish
• Critical tolerances
• Color requirements

If the material or tooling concept has not been decided, our engineers can recommend an option after reviewing the part.

 

Send Your Part for Review

Our engineers will review the part and recommend the tooling approach before quotation.Request a Quote with below email!

 

Contact Us

B Block,No 2,Nan Xing Three Street,Nan Fang Industrial Park,

Bei Ce,Humen,Dong Guan,Guang Dong,China.

info@deepmould.com

WA:86-15024107707

Tel:86-15024107707

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