Production molds (commonly known as “production molds” or “mass production molds”) and prototype molds (often referred to as “prototype molds,” “test molds,” or “soft molds”) serve as tools at different stages of the product development process. Their positioning and objectives are entirely distinct.
| Characteristic | Production Mold | Prototype Mold |
|---|---|---|
| Design Goal | Long-term, stable, and efficient production of hundreds of thousands to millions of parts. | Rapid, low-cost verification of design, functionality, and process feasibility. |
| Mold Lifespan | Very high (500,000+ cycles, up to millions). | Very low (dozens to a few hundred cycles). |
| Manufacturing Material | High-quality mold steel. | Aluminum alloy, mild steel, resin. |
| Lead Time | Long (several weeks to months). | Short (a few days to a couple of weeks). |
| Manufacturing Cost | Very high. | Relatively low. |
| Mold Structure | Complete, complex. | Simplified, may omit certain features. |
| Production Efficiency | High (short cycle times, often multi-cavity, hot runner systems). | Low (longer cycle times, typically single or double-cavity). |
| Part Quality | High and consistent, meeting final product standards. | Suitable for verification, but may be close to, not fully equal to, production standards. |
Production Molds
These molds are built for large-scale manufacturing over a product’s entire life cycle or a specific production run.
Advantages:
- Extremely Low Per-Unit Cost: Although the mold itself is very expensive, its cost is amortized over a vast number of parts, making the production cost per piece very low.
- High Efficiency and Consistency: Utilizing multi-cavity and hot runner systems with full automation, they can produce large volumes of highly consistent parts per hour.
- Excellent Part Quality: Made from premium steel with precision machining and polishing, they produce parts with stable dimensions, high surface finish, and good mechanical properties, fully meeting end-product requirements.
- Long Lifespan and Durability: Constructed from high-strength mold steel, they withstand long-term cyclic impact under high pressure and temperature, with minimal wear and a long service life.
- High Automation Integration: Designed with automation in mind (e.g., robotic part removal), they integrate seamlessly into production lines.
Disadvantages:
- Very High Initial Investment: The mold cost is exceptionally high.
- Long Lead Time: The process from design, machining, heat treatment to polishing and assembly requires a long delivery time, typically 8-16 weeks or even longer.
- Difficult and Costly Design Modifications: Once the mold is built, any changes to the product design likely require costly mold modifications or even result in scrapping the entire mold.
Prototype Molds
The primary purpose of these molds is not to produce saleable products but to validate designs before committing to a production mold.
Advantages:
- Low Initial Cost and Risk: The investment in the mold is small, limiting financial loss even if the product design is flawed or market feedback is poor.
- Very Fast Delivery: Using easily machined materials and simplified processes, samples can be provided within one to two weeks, significantly accelerating the product development cycle.
- Ideal Tool for Design and Functional Verification:
- Verify Design: Check part dimensions, assembly, and appearance.
- Verify Function: Test part performance in real-world conditions.
- Verify Process: Determine optimal injection parameters (e.g., temperature, pressure, cooling time) for the production mold.
- Supports Small-Market Testing: Can produce hundreds to thousands of parts for marketing, crowdfunding, or early sales to gather user feedback.
Disadvantages:
- Very High Per-Unit Cost: The mold cost is amortized over very few parts, making the cost per prototype part very high.
- Very Short Mold Lifespan: Aluminum or resin molds cannot endure long-term production; they wear out, deform, or damage quickly and are unsuitable for formal production.
- Limited Part Quality: Parts produced may have slightly inferior dimensional stability, surface finish, and material properties compared to those from production molds.
- Low Production Efficiency: Typically single-cavity, often requiring manual operation and having long cycle times, they cannot meet mass supply demands.
How to Choose? A Collaborative Workflow
An intelligent product development process doesn’t force a choice between the two but uses them collaboratively, forming a low-risk, high-efficiency closed loop
- Concept Validation Stage: Use 3D printing to create initial concept models.
- Design Validation Stage: Manufacture a prototype mold to produce functional prototypes that closely mimic the final material properties for rigorous testing and modification. If issues are found, designs can be modified quickly and cost-effectively, and a new prototype mold can be made.
- Production & Market Validation Stage:
- Path A (Conservative): Use the prototype mold for small-batch production to test the market.
- Path B (Direct): Once the design and process are fully validated via the prototype mold, invest in manufacturing the production mold.
- Mass Production Stage: Use the production mold for efficient, low-cost, high-volume manufacturing to meet market demand.
Prototype molds act as the “scouts” in product development, responsible for reconnaissance and risk reduction. Production molds are the “main force,” responsible for capturing the market and generating profits. Correctly understanding and utilizing these two tools is key to successful product development.
ATC-Mould specializes in high-precision plastic injection molding and low-volume prototype services. Contact us for a free project analysis today!