AI-powered Contract ManufacturingCNC · Injection molding · PCB assembly
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Product Design & Development
Rapid Prototyping
Mass Production
PCB & Box Build
No exact match. Describe your part and an engineer will tell you the best way to make it.
We design and build your mold in-house, sample it, then mold 500 to 100,000+ parts a year. You own the mold from day one. First samples in 2 to 3 weeks on an aluminum mold, 4 to 8 weeks on steel, with a DFM review on every file.
Materials, tolerances and lead times
Six ways we turn your design into molded parts. Each card shows how the method works, what it can hold and what it suits.
Rigid thermoplastic parts, identical shot after shot
Best for
Soft, heat-resistant parts that flex and seal
Best for
Two materials, or plastic and metal, in one part
Best for
Hollow bottles, containers and tanks in one piece
Best for
Molds designed, machined and kept by one team
Best for
More parts per shot, a lower price per part
Best for
Typical ranges. Your quote confirms the exact figures for your part.
Pick what fits your part. We suggest a molding method and a fallback, and the engineer who reviews your file confirms the choice.
Our suggestion
Hollow bottles, containers and tanks in one piece
Blow molding makes a hollow part in one piece: a hot tube of plastic is blown out against the mold walls.
Also consider: Two injection-molded halves, ultrasonically welded, when the walls need ribs or fine detail.
Our suggestion
Soft, heat-resistant parts that flex and seal
Silicone stays soft from about −50 °C to 200 °C and seals well, right for gaskets, grips and covers.
Also consider: TPE in a plastic injection mold, often at a lower price per part.
Our suggestion
Two materials, or plastic and metal, in one part
The soft layer or the metal insert is molded on in the mold, so there is no gluing and one less assembly step.
Also consider: Two separate molded parts, assembled, while volumes are low.
Our suggestion
Molds designed, machined and kept by one team
At this quantity an aluminum bridge mold keeps the tooling cost down and gives first samples in 2 to 3 weeks.
Under about 100 parts, vacuum casting or 3D printing usually costs less. We quote both. Vacuum casting →
Our suggestion
More parts per shot, a lower price per part
A family mold makes the related parts of one product in a single shot, in one color and from one mold instead of several.
Also consider: Separate molds when the parts differ a lot in size or wall thickness.
Our suggestion
More parts per shot, a lower price per part
At this volume a multi-cavity mold makes 2, 4 or 8 parts per shot and brings the price per part down.
Also consider: A single-cavity steel mold while demand is still uncertain.
Our suggestion
Rigid thermoplastic parts, identical shot after shot
A single-cavity steel mold in ABS, PP, PC or another thermoplastic is the standard route at this quantity.
Also consider: An aluminum bridge mold first if the design may still change.
Production parts, first shots and finished batches from products we tooled and molded, from medical devices to pet products.
Medical device
Pet products
Fitness products
Grooming
Home appliance
Hobby tools
Childcare products
Grip shells
Ready to ship
First shots
Magnet pockets
At the machine
Each of these products started as a prototype, went into a mold we built, and now ships in volume. The same engineers handled every step, so nothing got lost in a hand-off.
The mold is the biggest cost in a molding project and decides the quality of every part. We design it with your part, machine it, sample it and store it between runs.
Draft, walls, gates, cooling and ejection are planned in the same DFM review as your part, so problems are fixed in CAD, not in steel.
Aluminum bridge molds for early runs, steel production molds for long life, with 1 to 8 cavities or a family mold.
You see the first shots on video, then receive physical samples to approve before any production run.
You own the mold from day one. Its passport records photos, steel, cavities and shot count, with your written right to move it.
Pick by what the part has to survive: impact, heat, chemicals, wear or flexing. Not sure? Tell us how the part is used and we recommend a grade.
ABS
Tough, easy to mold
The everyday engineering plastic: impact resistant, easy to color and good for a cosmetic finish.
Ideal forHousings, enclosures, consumer products
Polycarbonate (PC)
Strong and clear
High impact strength and clarity, for parts that must take knocks or let light through.
Ideal forClear covers, guards, tough housings
Polypropylene (PP)
Light and chemical-resistant
Low cost, light and flexible, and the plastic for living hinges and food containers.
Ideal forContainers, caps, living hinges
PC/ABS
Tough with a good finish
A blend that combines the strength of PC with the easy molding and finish of ABS.
Ideal forElectronics housings, appliance parts
Nylon (PA6, PA66)
Strong and wear resistant
Stiff, tough and heat resistant, often glass-filled for parts under load.
Ideal forGears, brackets, clips under load
Acetal (POM)
Stiff and low friction
Slides smoothly and holds its size, the choice for small moving parts.
Ideal forGears, bushings, snap fits
Acrylic (PMMA)
Glass-clear
Crystal clear and weather resistant, for parts that guide or show light.
Ideal forLight guides, lenses, display windows
TPE and TPU
Soft and rubber-like
Flexible plastics with a rubber feel, molded alone or over a rigid part.
Ideal forGrips, seals, soft overmolds
Liquid silicone (LSR)
Soft and heat resistant
Stays flexible from deep cold to high heat and suits skin and food contact grades.
Ideal forSeals, gaskets, skin-contact parts
Typical published values for molded parts. Grades vary, and your quote names the exact one.
Most finishes are cut into the mold itself, so every part comes out the same. Choose them at the design stage, before the steel is cut.
Glossy surfaces polished into the cavity, for cosmetic covers and clear parts.
For: ABS, PC, PMMA
A stone or blasted finish that hides fingerprints and small marks.
For: All plastics
Grain textures in the steel for grip and a premium look. Textured faces need extra draft.
For: All plastics
Colors matched with masterbatch, including special effects such as glitter.
For: All plastics
Logos and markings printed onto curved molded surfaces.
For: Rigid plastics
Brass threaded inserts, ultrasonic welding and assembly, then packing retail-ready.
For: Rigid plastics
Recommended values for rigid thermoplastics such as ABS, PC and PP. Design to them and the mold costs less, runs faster and makes better parts.
Wall thickness
Draft
Ribs
Inside corners
Screw bosses
Undercuts
Holes
Tolerances
| Rule | Recommended | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Wall thickness | 1.5 to 3 mm, kept even across the part | Thick or uneven walls sink, warp and cool slowly |
| Draft | 1° to 2° on vertical faces, 3° or more on textured faces | Without draft, parts stick and scuff when ejected |
| Ribs | 50 to 60% of the wall they join | Thicker ribs leave sink marks on the show face |
| Inside corners | A radius of at least half the wall thickness | Sharp corners concentrate stress and slow the flow |
| Screw bosses | Outer diameter about twice the hole, tied to a wall with ribs | Free-standing bosses sink and crack |
| Undercuts | Avoid them, or allow for slides and lifters | Each side action adds mold cost and lead time |
| Holes | Depth up to about 3 times the diameter | Long, thin core pins bend under injection pressure |
| Tolerances | ±0.10 to ±0.20 mm standard; mark only critical features tighter | Tighter tolerances add steel work and inspection |
Recommended values. Your DFM review confirms them for your part, plastic and mold.
There are two prices: the mold, paid once, and the price per part. The mold depends on part size, complexity, steel and cavity count, and the part price on plastic, cycle time and quantity. Send a 3D model with your yearly quantity and we quote both as separate lines within 24 hours.
No. Molding usually pays off from a few hundred parts a year, and an aluminum bridge mold keeps the first run affordable. For fewer parts, vacuum casting or 3D printing often costs less, and we quote those too.
You do, from day one. Your mold is never used for another client, and its mold passport records photos, steel, cavities and shot count, with your written right to move it.
First samples arrive 2 to 3 weeks after design sign-off on an aluminum mold and 4 to 8 weeks on a steel mold. You approve them on video, then as physical samples, before production starts. A production run takes 2 to 4 weeks.
Aluminum costs less, is ready sooner and lasts tens of thousands of shots, so it suits launches and early runs. P20 or 718H steel lasts about 300,000 to 500,000 shots, and H13 or S136 up to about 1,000,000. Tell us your yearly volume and product life and we recommend one.
Standard tolerances are ±0.10 to ±0.20 mm, and a precision tier holds ±0.025 to ±0.05 mm on selected features. Every plastic shrinks differently, so mark only the dimensions that need it.
Send the mold size, cavity count, steel and the press it last ran on. An engineer checks whether it suits our presses and quotes the parts.
Yes. Most clients start with 3D-printed or vacuum-cast prototypes to check fit and function. Every design gets a DFM review for molding from the start, so the prototype and the mold match.
Yes. We sign a non-disclosure agreement before you share any file, and your files and your mold stay with our team.
Verified reviews from clients in USA, UK, Germany, Australia, Canada and more.
Ready to mold?
Send a STEP file and your yearly quantity. An engineer reviews it for molding and replies with mold and part prices within 24 hours.
CADLETE Team
Design, engineering and manufacturing
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