We have designed a smart phone case which incorporates an electronic PCB. The case is comprised of two parts, a "shell" and a "tray". The phone lays on the tray, which fits into the outer shell. The electronic PCB lays under the tray.

Anyhow, as per the recommendations of the case's designer, the case is to be made of injection-molded Polycarbonate. This is my first time commissioning an injection mold, and I was hoping for some advice pertaining to pricing.

I was under the impression that a typical mold quote of this type should be in the range of $1.5k-$3k.
A Chinese company (who is already making some custom electronic components for us) just quoted me $8000 for molds for both parts.
This to me seems beyond proportion, and if we cannot find a cheaper price this project likely won't continue. Afterwards the designer said the tray portion does not need to be injection molded, so that should knock the price down somewhat.

Does anybody here with any experience in the field know what a reasonable price range for such a mold should be?

Any advice is appreciated,
Thanks

 

We have designed a smart phone case which incorporates an electronic PCB. The case is comprised of two parts, a "shell" and a "tray". The phone lays on the tray, which fits into the outer shell. The electronic PCB lays under the tray.

Anyhow, as per the recommendations of the case's designer, the case is to be made of injection-molded Polycarbonate. This is my first time commissioning an injection mold, and I was hoping for some advice pertaining to pricing.

I was under the impression that a typical mold quote of this type should be in the range of $1.5k-$3k.
A Chinese company (who is already making some custom electronic components for us) just quoted me $8000 for molds for both parts.
This to me seems beyond proportion, and if we cannot find a cheaper price this project likely won't continue. Afterwards the designer said the tray portion does not need to be injection molded, so that should knock the price down somewhat.

Does anybody here with any experience in the field know what a reasonable price range for such a mold should be?

Any advice is appreciated,
Thanks

$8k is about as good as it gets. Polycarbonate is viscous and requires high pressures. I assume you are into full production and expect this mold to last more than 100 shots. If so, you are paying for tool steel and a tool steel base alone will cost more than $2k before the toolmaker makes any cuts.

A single cavity mold for a small part is $6k to $10k depending on features of the tool.

How is the mold setup for your two parts? Is it two separate mold bases? A really good deal at $8k.
Or a mold base for your larger part and a set of insets that allow the second part to be molded into the same cavity as the first?

Or two separate cavities on the same base?

Also, look into the price so shipping, that can be an extra $500 to $1500.

Finally, if the mold maker doesn't have the exact same material to do a test shot (some tool makers don't even have an injection molding machine so there is a fee to bring it to a service center and shoot a few sample parts.

Anyhow, he may miss the oversizing factor of the polycarbonate you are using and you'll need a local toolmaker to true up the mold if the dimensions are critical.

 

As a retired die/mold maker, I agree with Gopher. $8K is a bargain.

 

We have designed a smart phone case which incorporates an electronic PCB. The case is comprised of two parts, a "shell" and a "tray". The phone lays on the tray, which fits into the outer shell. The electronic PCB lays under the tray.

Anyhow, as per the recommendations of the case's designer, the case is to be made of injection-molded Polycarbonate. This is my first time commissioning an injection mold, and I was hoping for some advice pertaining to pricing.

I was under the impression that a typical mold quote of this type should be in the range of $1.5k-$3k.
A Chinese company (who is already making some custom electronic components for us) just quoted me $8000 for molds for both parts.
This to me seems beyond proportion, and if we cannot find a cheaper price this project likely won't continue. Afterwards the designer said the tray portion does not need to be injection molded, so that should knock the price down somewhat.

Does anybody here with any experience in the field know what a reasonable price range for such a mold should be?

Any advice is appreciated,
Thanks

The best advice I can give a beginner is to work closely with an injection molding company from the start. DO NOT walk in with your mold and say, "give me a bid."

The molder will give you all kinds of advice. From the exact grade of polycarbonate (look at Covestro's site, there are dozens of grades (molecular weight & molecular weight distribution gives strength, flexibility, viscosity (flow index), fillers, colors, ...).

From that they will help with positioning the parting lines, gate size & position and everything else you likely don't know.

 

The best advice I can give a beginner is to work closely with an injection molding company from the start. DO NOT walk in with your mold and say, "give me a bid."

The molder will give you all kinds of advice. From the exact grade of polycarbonate (look at Covestro's site, there are dozens of grades (molecular weight & molecular weight distribution gives strength, flexibility, viscosity (flow index), fillers, colors, ...).

From that they will help with positioning the parting lines, gate size & position and everything else you likely don't know.

Thanks for the advice.
I will speak to the designer about this, but in your mind do you believe there is an alternative material to poly-carbonate that can be used for the shell? I imagine the main constraint is the necessary flexibility of the lips, which need to bend somewhat to be able to accept the phone. Also, what cheaper material would you recommend for the tray (simple thin piece of plastic)?

Thanks again

 

Thanks for the advice.
I will speak to the designer about this, but in your mind do you believe there is an alternative material to poly-carbonate that can be used for the shell? I imagine the main constraint is the necessary flexibility of the lips, which need to bend somewhat to be able to accept the phone. Also, what cheaper material would you recommend for the tray (simple thin piece of plastic)?

Thanks again

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is an indestructible elastomer. All the cool kids are using it fir their cell phone cases. It is flexible, available in clear, highly abrasion resistant and, because of the elongation, it can be put on like a skin. Poly carbonate is very rigid. The headlights of modern cars are made of polycarbonate (coated with scratch-resistant acrylic so every rock or sand particle doesn't scratch it). Very unforgiving if you need it to stretch or flex to snap a phone into it.

The insert can be anything if it is just a filler piece. Polypropylene, for example, molds easily and its cheap (don't use it if you have to paint or glue it).

If you visit an injection molder, they usually have a design room with example parts and materials that you can feel and discuss.

 

Check how many units you must sell for the profit to pay for the molds and finished housing. Be conservative.

Evaluate if buying existing tooling molds (or an existing similar housings) from an obsolete product can be re-purposed with one that does not fit the ego of the designer, needing to alter the design.
The brutal costs for tooling always bothered me, knowing that old products tooling end in a dumpster daily.

 

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) is an indestructible elastomer. All the cool kids are using it fir their cell phone cases. It is flexible, available in clear, highly abrasion resistant and, because of the elongation, it can be put on like a skin. Poly carbonate is very rigid. The headlights of modern cars are made of polycarbonate (coated with scratch-resistant acrylic so every rock or sand particle doesn't scratch it). Very unforgiving if you need it to stretch or flex to snap a phone into it.

The insert can be anything if it is just a filler piece. Polypropylene, for example, molds easily and its cheap (don't use it if you have to paint or glue it).

If you visit an injection molder, they usually have a design room with example parts and materials that you can feel and discuss.

Thanks again all for your useful replies, I will check my options.
Are you aware of what my possibilities are pertaining to prototyping? Thus far I have only a 3-D printed prototype, which unfortunately cannot retain the phone because the lips snap along the layer lines. Are there any options which accurately simulate the final product?

Thanks

 

Thanks again all for your useful replies, I will check my options.
Are you aware of what my possibilities are pertaining to prototyping? Thus far I have only a 3-D printed prototype, which unfortunately cannot retain the phone because the lips snap along the layer lines. Are there any options which accurately simulate the final product?

Thanks

Check protomold

They do low-volume rapid turnaround. It might cost but it is the only way I know of.

They use automation to turn your drawing into an aluminum mold, make a few parts and send them to you. They will NEVER sell the mold to you. They are selling a service, not parts according to their business model.

They are near Minneapolis.

https://www.protomold.com/ProtoQuote.aspx

 

One place I worked we had a very tight schedule and as if often the case, the tooling (molds) were in the critical path, which we shortened by temporarily going to aluminum molds. The tooling charges were much less than the steel molds ended up costing. It was a long time ago but I think the cost of aluminum was about 20% of the cost of the steel tools. The downside is that aluminum tooling wears out quickly so it is not good for high volume production.

 

One place I worked we had a very tight schedule and as if often the case, the tooling (molds) were in the critical path, which we shortened by temporarily going to aluminum molds. The tooling charges were much less than the steel molds ended up costing. It was a long time ago but I think the cost of aluminum was about 20% of the cost of the steel tools. The downside is that aluminum tooling wears out quickly so it is not good for high volume production.

When doing a proto mold many places use what is called a, MUD mold. https://www.creativemechanisms.com/blog/master_unit_die_vs_aluminum_and_steel_mold_tooling

With a little more of the information the TS is giving out, his $8K is sounding more and more like a bargain. When a part needs a "lip" (his description) you're then talking about adding 'slides' into the mold. This adds a lot of time and complexity to the mold, which equals dollars.

 

Are you aware of what my possibilities are pertaining to prototyping?

Are there any options which accurately simulate the final product?

See if there is a place near you doing "stereo lithography". The last place I worked for did this on new parts, to give the engineers a physical part to make sure it could be made. Or would fit the mating part. If you have a newer GM car, most of the wiring connectors you see in it were made by stereo lithography before they were made in a mold. That's where I worked.

It might cost but it is the only way I know of.

Like I told airplane, stereo lithography is another way to get just a few sample parts. They are usually stronger than a 3D printed part too.

 

Evaluate if buying existing tooling molds (or an existing similar housings) from an obsolete product can be re-purposed with one that does not fit the ego of the designer, needing to alter the design.
The brutal costs for tooling always bothered me, knowing that old products tooling end in a dumpster daily.

In my experience this isn't true. You may be able to find 'used' mold bases, but the cavities are usually destroyed by a cutting torch or air arced to destroy them, when their life is done. To prevent some one else from supplying inferior parts.