We don't publish a price list — and here's why that protects you. This page explains the 12 variables that actually move your tooling investment and unit price, then gives you the exact checklist to send us for a 24-hour engineered quote.
Two silicone parts that look identical in a photograph can differ by several times in tooling investment. A simple O-ring and a medical-grade LSR valve with a relocated parting line may weigh the same, but one is moulded in a two-plate tool and the other needs mirror-EDM cavities, an automated cold runner system and cryogenic deflashing.
Any price list broad enough to cover both cases would be either misleading or padded with risk margin. We would rather spend 24 hours reading your drawing and return a quotation with a line-by-line breakdown, so you can see exactly which specification drives which cost — and decide where to relax it.
What you get instead of a price list: an engineering DFM review within 24 hours, covering mouldability, gate and parting-line placement, tolerance feasibility and a recommended process route — before you commit to anything. See our DFM guide for what the review covers.
Tooling is the fixed cost of a moulded silicone project. These six variables decide most of it.
A single-cavity prototype tool costs a fraction of an 8- or 16-cavity production tool, but produces parts far more slowly. We build multi-cavity tooling by CNC high-speed milling and mirror EDM, and usually quote both routes so you can match investment to launch volume.
Impact: highestNAK80, S136 stainless steel and H13 hardened tool steel (HRC 48–54) sit at very different price points, and they determine tool life: 100,000 cycles versus 500,000+ cycles. Specifying steel beyond your lifetime volume is the most common way buyers overspend.
Impact: highestAny feature that cannot release from a straight two-plate tool needs a side action. Each slider or lifter adds design, machining, fitting and maintenance cost — and a maintenance item for the life of the tool. Small geometry changes here often remove an entire mechanism.
Impact: highCavity tolerances held within ±0.005mm require more machining passes, mirror EDM and verification. Optical or cosmetic surfaces (SPI finish, matte medical coatings) add texturing and polishing steps. Most parts only need tight tolerance on sealing faces.
Impact: highDirect sprue, pin-point, submerged and edge gates are selected by cosmetic standard and degating method. Automated cold runner systems for LSR reduce material waste and labour per shot but add up-front tooling complexity — usually worth it at volume, rarely at prototype stage.
Impact: mediumTell us your annual volume and expected product lifetime. It decides steel grade, cavity count and whether a staged path — prototype tool first, production tool later — saves you money overall.
Impact: mediumOnce the tool exists, these variables set the recurring cost of every part.
Solid silicone, liquid silicone rubber (LSR) and custom compounded elastomers differ significantly in raw material cost. We stock a hardness range of Shore 20A to 80A across 10 incremental grades; a standard grade is cheaper than a custom formulation developed for a specific oil, temperature or wear requirement.
Impact: highMaterial is priced by weight, so wall thickness drives unit cost directly. Our dynamic micro-injection holds shot weight variance within ±0.1%, which both controls material consumption and stabilises dimensional consistency across the run.
Impact: highLSR injection, compression moulding and plastic overmolding each carry different cycle times, labour content and scrap rates. Choosing the wrong route for your volume is a recurring cost that compounds across every production batch.
Impact: highCryogenic deflashing, laser etching, multi-colour silk-screen and pad printing, spray coating, ultrasonic welding, custom packaging and box-build assembly are all value-adding — and all add unit cost. Consolidating them with the moulder removes freight, handling and a second supplier margin.
Impact: medium–highWe formulate to Pantone references with a tolerance of ΔE ≤ 1.5. Custom colour development adds a compounding step and an approval loop; standard stock colours skip both. Brand-critical parts justify it, internal components usually do not.
Impact: low–mediumFDA 21 CFR 177.2600, LFGB, RoHS and REACH compliant materials, plus partner-facility ISO Class 7 cleanroom moulding for medical and food-contact parts, add material cost and process control. Required for regulated markets, avoidable everywhere else.
Impact: mediumThe same part can often be made three ways. This is the trade-off we walk you through during DFM review.
| Route | Cost structure | Best fit | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSR injection | Highest tooling investment, lowest labour per part, minimal material waste with an automated cold runner. | High volume, tight tolerance, complex geometry, medical and food-contact parts. | Flash control in high-cavity tools; needs careful gate and venting design. |
| Compression moulding | Lowest tooling investment, higher labour content per part, more material waste from flash. | Low to mid volume, large or thick sections, cost-sensitive launches. | Dimensional consistency is harder to hold than with injection. |
| Plastic overmolding / multi-material | Two tooling sets, but removes a separate assembly step and often a whole supplier. | Rigid-to-flexible bonds, seals integral to a housing, ergonomic grips. | Substrate and silicone must be chemically matched or the bond fails in the field. |
Process route is recommended per project during DFM review — see Tooling & Manufacturing Engineering.
Is the cheaper route actually cheaper? Tooling investment is only half the comparison — see where the LSR and compression cost lines cross before you commit to a cavity count.
None of these require compromising the part's function. They come up in almost every DFM review.
Tight tolerance everywhere means expensive tooling and slower verification for no functional gain. Label the sealing and mating surfaces, leave the rest at general tolerance.
A slight change to a rib, hole direction or undercut can remove a slider entirely — cutting tooling cost and eliminating a wear item for the life of the tool.
With Shore 20A–80A across 10 standard grades in stock, most applications fit an existing compound. Custom formulation is worth it when a specific temperature, oil or wear requirement genuinely demands it.
Handling deflashing, printing, coating, assembly and packaging in one facility removes inter-plant freight, duplicated QC and a second supplier's margin.
A 100,000-cycle tool is the right choice for a two-year product. A 500,000+ cycle tool only pays back if the programme actually runs that long. Tell us your forecast and we will match the steel.
About MOQ: we quote minimum order quantity per project rather than publishing a single number, because it depends on process route, part weight and secondary operations. Share your estimated annual volume and we will propose the most economical route — including a staged plan from prototype tooling to production tooling.
Planning a small first batch? What actually sets the minimum order quantity for custom silicone — and how to lower the first-run investment without weakening the part.
The more of this you provide, the closer the first quote lands — and the fewer rounds of clarification. Items marked optional we can work out with you.
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Two parts that look identical in a photo can differ by several times in tooling investment, depending on cavity count, steel grade, undercuts, tolerance and surface finish. A published price list would either be misleading or padded with risk margin. Instead we return an engineered quotation within 24 hours, with a line-by-line breakdown so you can see which specification drives which cost.
MOQ is quoted per project, not published as a fixed number, because it depends on process route, part weight and secondary operations. Liquid silicone rubber injection and automated cold runner tooling suit higher annual volumes, while compression moulding and single-cavity prototype tooling suit smaller launches. Send us your estimated annual volume and we will propose the most economical route — including a staged plan from prototype tooling to production tooling.
Tooling investment scales mainly with cavity count, steel grade and geometric complexity. We build in NAK80, S136 stainless and H13 hardened tool steel (HRC 48–54) rated from 100,000 to 500,000+ cycles, so the tool can be matched to your expected lifetime volume rather than over- or under-specified. Send the drawing and target volume and we will quote both a prototype tool and a production tool so you can compare.
Engineering DFM analysis is returned within 24 hours, covering mouldability, gate and parting-line placement, and tolerance feasibility. Rapid prototypes are delivered within 3–7 business days. Custom mould development typically takes 15–25 days depending on tooling complexity and cavity count. See our process.
Tooling ownership, amortisation and payment terms are commercial terms agreed per project and written into the quotation. Ask for these explicitly when you request a quote — mould ownership, exclusivity, and what happens to the tool if the project pauses are all worth confirming in writing before you place an order.
Usually yes. Holding cavity tolerances within ±0.005mm is achievable but requires more machining and verification time. Most parts only need tight tolerance on sealing or mating surfaces. Marking critical dimensions on the drawing and leaving the rest at general tolerance is one of the fastest ways to reduce both tooling and unit cost.
Yes. We formulate to Pantone references with a tolerance of ΔE ≤ 1.5, but custom colour development adds a compounding step and a colour approval loop. If the application does not require brand-exact colour, choosing from our in-stock standard grades shortens lead time and lowers unit cost.
Yes. We can reverse-engineer a physical sample or develop from 2D drawings and sketches. Providing 3D files in STEP or IGES format is faster and cheaper because it removes a modelling step, but it is not required to start — see developing without CAD.
In-stock standard samples are dispatched worldwide via DHL or FedEx within 1–2 days, free of charge with freight collected. Custom prototypes in your actual material and tooling route are quoted as a project step. Browse 1,000+ in-stock samples.