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Views: 0 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2025-07-04 Origin: Site
Introduction |
Core Factors Affecting Mold Delivery Time |
Reference Table for Delivery Time Benchmarks in the Injection Molding Mold Industry |
How to control and optimize injection mold delivery? |
Analysis of Actual Customer Cases |
In Conclusion |
In the injection mold industry, customers attach great importance to the mold delivery time. Timely delivery of molds is crucial for customers' production plans, directly affecting their product launch time and market competitiveness. For injection mold manufacturers, effective delivery time management can not only strengthen the cooperative relationship with customers and improve customer satisfaction but also stand out in the fierce market competition and win more business opportunities.
Customers have diverse requirements for products. The complexity of product structure, precision requirements, and degree of customization can significantly affect the delivery time. Complex - structured products require more design and processing time. High - precision products place higher demands on processing equipment and technology. Highly customized products often need special design and manufacturing processes.
· Product Structure Complexity
· Core Influence: The complexity of the product structure directly affects the design difficulty and manufacturing cycle of the mold. For example:
· Multi - slider/core - pulling structures (such as automotive interior part molds) require additional design of motion mechanisms, increasing design verification and processing procedures.
· Thin - walled or micro - features (such as electronic connectors) require high - rigidity materials and precision processing to avoid the risk of deformation or fracture.
· Precision Requirement Level
Precision Level | Tolerance Range | Impact on Delivery Time |
Conventional | ±0.05mm | Standard processing flow |
High-precision | ±0.01–0.03mm | Requires slow-wire cutting/mirror finishing, cycle extended by 20%–40% |
Ultra-high precision | ≤±0.01mm | Requires constant-temperature workshop + special processes, cycle extended by 50%–100% |
The sufficiency of pre - project communication and the effectiveness of design review are directly related to the smooth progress of the project. Unclear requirement confirmation, frequent design changes, and cumbersome review processes can all lead to delivery delays. Therefore, in the early stage of the project, in - depth and detailed communication with customers to ensure clear requirements and the establishment of an efficient design review mechanism are crucial.
· Impact of Design Changes
Change Type | Average Delay Time | Main Affected Areas |
Partial feature adjustment | 3–5 days | Drawing modification, processing path reset |
Core structure change | 7–15 days | Material repurchasing, semi-finished product scrapping |
Customer plan overhaul | 20+ days | Process route reconfiguration, equipment rescheduling |
The supply situation of key raw materials such as steel is an important factor affecting the delivery time. Shortages of raw materials, quality problems, and delivery delays from suppliers can all lead to production stoppages. Therefore, establishing a stable supply chain system and strengthening the management and monitoring of suppliers are the keys to ensuring the delivery time.
The design difficulty, processing precision, and equipment automation level can all affect the manufacturing time of the mold. Complex designs require more processing procedures and time. High - precision processing requirements need advanced equipment and technical support. In addition, the level of equipment automation directly affects production efficiency and delivery time.
· Impact of Design Difficulty on Delivery Time
· Structural Complexity: Complex molds (such as automotive interior multi - slider molds) require 3D simulation verification:
· For each additional core - pulling mechanism, the design verification time is extended by 2 - 3 days.
· Thin - wall design (wall thickness < 0.5mm) requires additional thermal deformation analysis, increasing the debugging cycle by 5 - 7 days.
· Mold Parting Surface:
Number of Parting Surfaces | Design Time (hours) | Trial Molding Times | Delivery Time Increment |
1–2 surfaces | 40–60 | 1–2 times | Baseline |
3–5 surfaces | 80–120 | 3–5 times | +15–25 days |
· Impact of Processing Precision on Delivery Time
· Precision Level and Process Route:
· Conventional precision (±0.05mm): Ordinary CNC machining, with a single - process time of 2 - 4 hours.
· High - precision (±0.01mm): Requires a combined process (slow - wire cutting + mirror polishing), with the time consumption increased by 3 times.
· Medical - grade precision (≤±0.005mm): Must be processed in a constant - temperature workshop, with the daily production capacity decreased by 40%.
· Hidden Costs of Surface Treatment:
· Smooth - surface molds have 2 more polishing procedures than matte - surface molds, extending the time by 3 - 5 days.
· Mirror finishing (Ra < 0.02μm) requires special equipment, increasing the delivery time by 7 - 10 days.
· Impact of Equipment Automation on Delivery Time
· Efficiency of Five - axis Machining Centers:
Device Type | Complex Cavity Machining Efficiency | Accuracy Retention Rate | Delivery Time Optimization |
Traditional 3-axis CNC | 1 piece/8 hours | ±0.03mm | Baseline value |
5-axis linkage equipment | 1 piece/3 hours | ±0.01mm | Reduced by 35%-50% |
· Automation System Integration:
· The intelligent tool management system reduces the tool - changing time by 60%.
· The on - line inspection system reduces the rework rate by 85% and compresses the quality inspection cycle by 3 - 5 days.
Injection mold manufacturing involves multiple process nodes. The time control and personnel cooperation at each node are crucial. Project managers need to reasonably arrange the production plan and coordinate the work between different departments to ensure the close connection of each link and avoid delays.
Mold testing is an important link to verify the performance of the mold and the quality of the product. Various problems may occur in the first mold test, which need to be corrected and adjusted. The speed of problem discovery and solution and the customer's confirmation process can all affect the delivery time.
· Common Problem Types
Problem Type | Incidence Rate | Average Delay Duration | Root Cause |
Structural design defects | 45% | 3–7 days | Unreasonable parting surface / Ejector pin layout error |
Material shrinkage deviation | 30% | 2–5 days | Failure to predict material property changes |
Cooling system failure | 15% | 4–8 days | Deformation caused by improper water channel layout |
Customer requirement changes | 10% | 5–15 days | Additional new functions requested after trial molding |
Strict quality control and inspection processes are the keys to ensuring the quality of the mold, but they may also have a certain impact on the delivery time. On the premise of ensuring quality, optimizing the inspection process and improving inspection efficiency are important measures to ensure the delivery time.
· Inspection Items
Inspection Type | Inspection Tools/Methods | Average Time Consumption (hours) |
Dimensional accuracy | Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) | 2–4 |
Surface roughness | Roughness tester | 0.5–1 |
Structural strength | Static pressure test | 1–2 |
Cooling system | Water pressure test + temperature sensors | 1–3 |
In addition to the above internal factors, external uncontrollable factors may also affect the delivery time. For example, material delays, temporary changes in the customer's scheme, etc., may lead to adjustments in the production plan and delivery delays.
Conventional molds have a relatively short delivery time because of their simple structure, which results in lower design and manufacturing difficulty. Complex/multi - cavity molds, however, require more design and processing time due to their complex structure and high precision requirements, leading to a longer delivery time. Rapid molds are a special type of mold developed to meet the urgent delivery needs of customers, and their manufacturing time is usually short.
Mold Type | Design Stage (Days) | Material Procurement (Days) | Manufacturing (Days) | Mold Testing and Modification (Days) | Total Delivery Time (Days) |
Conventional Molds | 5 - 10 | 7 - 15 | 15 - 30 | 5 - 10 | 30 - 60 |
Complex/Multi - cavity Molds | 10 - 20 | 15 - 25 | 30 - 60 | 10 - 20 | 60 - 100 |
Rapid Molds | 3 - 5 | 3 - 7 | 7 - 15 | 3 - 5 | 15 - 25 |
No. | Procedure | Time |
1 | 1.1 Make a DFM report and send it to you for checking and confirmation. | 2 - 4 Working days |
2 | 2.1 After the mold 3D drawing is confirmed, we will purchase steel and start mold machining. | 4 weeks |
3 | After mold machining is finished, we will conduct a mold test and send you the first samples for testing and checking (by DHL or FedEx or UPS). | 2 - 4 Working days |
4 | If the T1 samples are not perfect, we will modify and improve the mold. | 2 - 4 Working days |
5 | If the samples are okay, we will make the surface structure according to your requirements. | 3 - 5 Working days |
6 | When the samples are confirmed, we will carry out mass production for you. | It depends on your quantity. Generally, we need 2 weeks for production. |
If your project is urgent, we can prioritize it. Here are our solutions:
Set up a 15 - minute emergency response team (comprising technology, production, and procurement personnel). Immediately start a feasibility analysis upon receiving the urgent requirement and provide an "Urgent Feasibility Report" within 2 hours.
Reserve 1 three - axis machining center on standby specifically for handling urgent orders. Implement a two - shift relay production system:
· Day shift (8:00 - 20:00): Complete rough machining of the mold base and electrode production.
· Night shift (20:00 - 8:00): Conduct precision CNC machining, EDM discharge, and polishing to ensure continuous and efficient operation.
Strengthen communication with customers to understand their needs and expectations, ensuring clear requirements. At the same time, optimize the design process, improve design efficiency, and reduce the number of design changes. Use a requirement confirmation list (covering 12 key parameters such as material properties, service life cycle, and mass - production scale) to reduce the design error rate by 65%.
Core Elements | Content Description | Consequences of Unclear Information | Alpine Mold's Approach |
Product Drawings | Whether complete 3D structural diagrams (STEP/IGES), 2D dimension drawings, and tolerance requirements are provided. | Lack of information may lead to misunderstandings of the structure and repeated design modifications. | An engineer will review the drawings during the preliminary quotation. If any omissions are found, they will be immediately reported, and assistance will be provided to the customer to improve the design. |
Material Type | Whether it is standard plastic. Whether it needs to be flame - retardant, reinforced, transparent, food - contact - grade, or medical - grade. | Different materials have significant differences in shrinkage rate and fluidity, which affect the demolding angle, exhaust, and cooling. | Confirm the material model (e.g., PC Lexan 945U, PA66 + 30%GF) and grade before quoting, and match the corresponding mold steel (e.g., S136, NAK80). |
Product Lifecycle/Annual Output | Whether there is an estimate of the annual output. Whether the mold life is considered. | The number of cavities and the grade of steel will affect the mold cost and delivery time. Rearranging the process is required if there are later changes. | Evaluate the customer's usage scenario and annual production scale at the initial stage, and recommend a reasonable number of cavities and steel that matches the required life (300,000 times/1,000,000 times). |
Assembly Relationship/Information of Fitting Parts | Whether there are assembled parts, sliders, buckles, and sealing positions. | Failure to confirm will result in fitting interference, missing assembly, or deformation, requiring rework. | The engineer will confirm the fitting structure and assembly interference item by item during the DFM stage and propose modification suggestions to avoid secondary mold modification. |
To address the pain points of customers, such as being unable to see the mold progress and having delayed communication, Alpine Mold has built a project management and control system featuring "visible progress, controllable exceptions, and efficient communication" through a combination of digital systems and manual services.
(1) An ERP system supports the entire production process management:
· Alpine Mold has introduced a dedicated ERP system for the injection - molding mold industry for node management from order placement to delivery of projects.
· All key nodes (such as design confirmation, steel arrival, mold base machining, CNC progress, and mold - testing arrangement) can be uniformly recorded and queried in the system, facilitating cross - departmental collaboration.
· Project exceptions (such as drawing changes and material delays) will be immediately recorded by the system, and the project manager will lead the coordination and resolution to ensure a fast response.
(2) The project manager provides weekly active progress feedback: Each project is assigned a dedicated project manager who uses a "one - on - one" full - process follow - up mechanism. A weekly project progress report will be sent to the customer regularly, including:
· Real - shot photos of the processing site and the mold.
· A description of the current process progress.
· The next key time nodes.
· Potential risks and preventive measures. If the customer needs it, the project manager can provide instant communication support at any time via WeChat, email, video call, etc. All dimension inspection reports (CMM), original steel certificates, and heat - treatment reports will also be provided during the mold - testing stage to ensure that remote customers have access to first - hand information.
Strengthen communication and collaboration between the procurement department and the production department, optimize the procurement plan, and ensure the timely supply of raw materials. At the same time, reasonably arrange the production plan to improve production efficiency.
Strategy | Implementation Points | Benefits |
Strategic Supplier Reserves | Establish a pool of 3 - 5 core steel suppliers as alternatives. | Reduce the risk of material supply interruption by 90%. |
JIT Procurement Model | Purchase materials in batches according to production nodes. | Reduce inventory costs by 40%. |
Supplier Performance Dashboard | Update the on - time delivery rate and quality pass rate monthly. | Increase the supplier's rectification response speed by 60%. |
Whether the design is standardized determines the replicability of the delivery time and the risk - resistance ability. Alpine Mold comprehensively promotes structural modularization and parameter standardization. Core actions:
· Establish four standard libraries:
· A standard library for mold base parts (LKM, HASCO systems).
· A library of typical structural modules (such as core - pulling, buckle, and positioning column templates).
· A database of common process parameters (feed rate/discharge current corresponding to steel).
· A library of mold failure modes (common cases of warping, shrinkage, and scratching + corresponding optimization solutions).
· Design engineers use the module - calling method for structural assembly, shortening the design cycle by 30%.
· For molds of similar product series, support the rapid reuse of components (such as multi - cavity structure templates and cooling channels).
· Significantly reduce the design error rate and change frequency.
V.Analysis of Actual Customer CasesThe customer in this project is a well - known intelligent door lock manufacturer planning to develop a fingerprint lock shell with a complex structure and strict performance requirements. The product uses flame - retardant ABS with 30% glass fiber, requires a wall thickness of only 0.8mm, and has 12 hidden buckles and an IP54 - grade waterproof structure. The customer has a clear plan for the product launch and has put forward an urgent requirement to complete the mold delivery within 45 days, while the industry's average delivery time for similar projects is usually 70 days, posing a great delivery - time pressure.
At the beginning of the project, we quickly completed the technical connection with the customer, clarifying all - round requirements such as product appearance, structure, fitting parts, tolerances, and usage environment. A "Technical Confirmation Letter" containing 23 key technical parameters was signed within 3 days. The structural engineer quickly completed the design of the parting surface and the slider mechanism and simultaneously carried out 3D interference analysis and mechanism rationality evaluation to eliminate the risk of large - scale mold modification caused by unreasonable structural design from the source. The entire design process used internal standardized structural modules, greatly improving the efficiency of modeling and drawing output. At the same time, the DFM review process was initiated to ensure the manufacturability of the drawings.
After the design was confirmed, the strategic material pre - response mechanism was immediately activated. 300 kilograms of flame - retardant ABS was taken from Alpine Mold's raw - material inventory to prioritize the supply for mold testing, eliminating the waiting time for raw materials. For the procurement of the mold base and standard parts, a dual - channel procurement system was simultaneously activated: the main supplier completed the delivery of the main materials within 7 days, and the backup supplier mechanism in the Dongguan area was activated to achieve the ability of emergency replenishment within 72 hours. Meanwhile, the mold base was prioritized for production by the cooperation partner LKM and was delivered before Day 9, realizing parallel progress of design, procurement, and processing.
In the manufacturing stage, we organized production according to a two - shift system. The day shift was responsible for standard processes such as rough machining of the mold base and electrode production, while the night shift focused on high - precision CNC machining of complex structural parts such as sliders and angle lifters to maximize equipment utilization. To speed up the progress and improve quality controllability, a CMM coordinate measuring machine was deployed at the front line of the processing workshop to conduct on - site dimension inspection, replacing the traditional laboratory - sending inspection process and shortening the dimension confirmation cycle of key parts by about 70%. During the manufacturing process, we simultaneously implemented a process - path control and programming - warning mechanism to prevent repeated processing and unplanned downtime, ensuring the stability and efficiency of the overall manufacturing rhythm.
After the mold was completed, the mold - testing stage began immediately. In the first T1 mold test, the quality - inspection team found a slight shrinkage mark on the product. That night, we organized an on - site joint analysis meeting of the technology, quality, and process departments, quickly identified the root cause of the problem, and optimized the cooling - system wiring and the glue - inlet position overnight. In the second mold test, we implemented a "dual - position confirmation system", with the process engineer and the quality engineer working on - site together, conducting sample inspections every 2 hours and providing synchronous feedback on the mold - testing performance to ensure stable and closed - loop mold - testing quality. Finally, the product yield reached 93%, and the customer successfully completed the functional and structural verification tests.
The project took a total of 43 days from design start to mold delivery, not only being delivered 2 days ahead of the customer's requirement but also shortening the delivery time by more than 40% compared with the industry average. Throughout the process, we successfully solved key technical problems such as wall - thickness deformation, precise buckle fitting, and waterproof - structure sealing, ensuring the mold precision and product performance. The customer highly recognized Alpine Mold's professional capabilities in project response, design quality, and manufacturing efficiency and immediately confirmed the development cooperation for the mold of the new - model intelligent door lock.
VI.In ConclusionThe delivery time of injection - molding molds directly affects the product launch speed and market competitiveness. Understanding the key influencing factors and implementing effective optimization measures are important for both mold manufacturers and customers. Through scientific management, advanced technology, and efficient collaboration, the mold delivery time can be precisely controlled and significantly shortened.
As a professional mold - manufacturing enterprise with 23 years of rich experience, Alpine Mold is always committed to providing customers with high - quality, on - time - delivered injection - molding mold solutions. Whether it is a conventional mold, a complex multi - cavity mold, or an urgent - order rapid mold, we have mature technology and perfect services to help customers seize market opportunities. If you have a new plastic injection - molding mold project, please feel free to contact us.
