[catherd]

Not sure who you were talking to or how big your widget is, but if it's a single piece that fits in a 15cm cube and doesn't use expensive tolerances or shapes you're probably looking at somewhere between $4-$15k for a Chinese injection mold. My company makes a few of these each month.

[doodah]

It would fit into that size cube and the part doesn't have crazy tolerances. The shape complicates the mold significantly. Even after redesigning for moldability, there would be pretty complicated parting lines and shut offs.

Your situation was pretty different... Your company buys them, I was buying as an individual. You likely have a proven source, I didn't. It just wasn't a risk I was willing to take at that point in my life.

[catherd]

Actually, we're a contract manufacturer based in Shenzhen and that's what we sell them for.

You probably made the right call, though, even if you had found a perfect supplier. Hardware projects funded by individuals almost always end in heartache if they try to go big.

[doodah]

Cool! I'll keep you and your company in mind in the future.

At the time, I think I made the right call. Now with this machine being available I'm reconsidering. The mold bases are pretty inexpensive too. I could make the same investment I was going to make several years ago, but have a machine if it doesn't work out rather than a hunk of precisely machined, rather useless, steel on the other side of the world.

[d-sc]

Send an email to the address in your profile.

[HeyLaughingBoy]

Not to mention that you could be looking at multiple iterations of the mold. If you're selling a low-volume product, 4 molds @ 15k each could be your entire expected lifetime revenue.