Process Selection Guide
Choosing the right manufacturing process is critical at each stage of product development. We offer short-run injection molding, bridge tooling, urethane casting, and SLA prototyping to help you achieve the optimal balance of cost, speed, and quality for your low volume plastic production needs.
|
Process |
Quantity Range |
Common Materials |
Typical Lead Time |
Unit Cost Trend |
Best For |
|
SLA / Rapid Prototyping |
1–20 pcs |
Photopolymer resin |
1–3 days |
Higher (per piece) |
Design validation, concept models |
|
Urethane Casting |
10–200 pcs |
ABS-like, PC-like, Rubber-like |
5–10 days |
Medium |
Functional prototypes, small-batch display parts |
|
Short-Run Injection Molding |
50–5,000 pcs |
ABS, PP, PC, Nylon |
2–4 weeks |
Lower (decreases with volume) |
Low volume plastic production, bridge production |
|
Aluminum Bridge Tooling |
500–10,000 pcs |
Engineering plastics |
2–3 weeks |
Cost-effective |
Seamless transition from prototype to production |
During DFM analysis, we prioritize wall thickness uniformity, draft angles, material shrinkage, and gate feasibility. Many customers arrive with parts that show sink marks or warping in low-volume plastic injection molding - through early DFM optimization, we reduce the defect rate to below 1% and shorten mold lead times significantly.
Production Capabilities
We maintain strong production capacity for low-volume plastics and safely handle small-batch orders from 50 to 10,000 pieces, with select projects scalable to higher volumes.
Key Capabilities
Quantity range:
Starting from 50 pieces - no strict MOQ, flexible for on-demand plastic parts
Part size & accuracy:
Maximum part size up to 800 × 600 mm; standard tolerance ±0.08–0.13 mm; critical dimensions achievable at ±0.05 mm (material-dependent)
Material options:
ABS (high-impact), PP (chemical-resistant), PC (high-toughness), Nylon (wear-resistant), PC/ABS alloy, and specialty-modified engineering plastics
Quality inspection:
Every batch undergoes full-dimensional inspection, functional testing, and visual inspection - backed by CMM (Coordinate Measuring Machine) and optical comparator
Delivery Advantage
Traditional steel-mold injection molding typically requires 8–12 weeks to produce first articles. Our aluminum rapid tooling shortens mold lead time to 2–3 weeks, dramatically accelerating the pace of low volume plastic production.
Timeline
|
Stage |
Duration |
|
DFM review & optimization |
1–2 days |
|
Aluminum mold machining |
7–14 days |
|
First article trial & adjustment |
1–3 days |
|
Small-batch production & delivery |
- |
|
**Total (fastest)** |
**7–21 days** *(simple to complex parts)* |
Comparison vs. Traditional Steel Tooling:
Traditional steel mold: 8–12 weeks for tooling + production preparation
Our aluminum tooling solution: qualified small-batch plastic parts delivered in 2–3 weeks - ideal for short-run injection molding and rapid market validation
Bridge Tooling
We specialize in helping customers navigate a smooth transition from prototyping to low volume plastic production and ultimately to mass production. The typical progression:
Prototype stage -
SLA / urethane casting for appearance and fit validation
Bridge tooling stage -
Aluminum mold short-run injection molding for market testing
Production tooling stage -
Steel mold, high-volume production
Real Case Study: Consumer Electronics Product Shell
Step 1: 100 urethane-cast prototypes for appearance and assembly testing
Step 2: 5,000 pieces via bridge tooling for market validation
Step 3: Seamless transition to steel-mold production at 50,000 pieces/month after 6 months
The entire process - from design freeze to first market delivery - took just 5 weeks. Through early material selection and DFM analysis, part cost was reduced by 22% while maintaining production-grade quality throughout the low-volume stage.
FAQ
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