How much does it cost · injection moulding
Short answer: the price of a moulded part comes down to three items: material, press time and the mould spread over the run. A prototype mould costs $2,000 to $10,000, a high-volume mould $50,000 to $200,000 and more; a 100 to 300 t press runs at $60 to $100 per hour (source: MakerStage). On small runs, the mould sets the price.
By the RFQdecoder team · updated 27 September 2026
More cavities make the mould more expensive but cut press time per part. The right number of cavities therefore depends on the total quantity ordered.
| Item | Published benchmark |
|---|---|
| Prototype mould, aluminium or P20 (500 to 5,000 shots) | $2,000 to $10,000 |
| Low-volume mould, P20 (10,000 to 100,000 shots) | $8,000 to $30,000 |
| Mid-volume mould, H13 or S7 (100,000 to 500,000) | $25,000 to $75,000 |
| High-volume mould, chromed H13 (500,000 and more) | $50,000 to $200,000 and more |
| 50 to 100 t press | $40 to $60 per hour |
| 100 to 300 t press | $60 to $100 per hour |
| 300 to 500 t press | $100 to $150 per hour |
| 500 to 1,000 t press | $150 to $250 per hour |
Source: MakerStage. The same guide gives ABS at $1.00 to $1.50 per pound and polypropylene at $0.60 to $1.00 per pound.
MakerStage prices a 30 g ABS housing from 100 to 1 million parts, changing the mould with the quantity.
| Quantity | Mould | Mould price | Part | Mould per part | Total per part |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | Aluminium | $5,000 | $2.50 | $50.00 | $52.50 |
| 1,000 | Aluminium | $5,000 | $1.80 | $5.00 | $6.80 |
| 10,000 | P20 steel | $18,000 | $0.95 | $1.80 | $2.75 |
| 50,000 | H13 steel | $35,000 | $0.70 | $0.70 | $1.40 |
| 250,000 | H13 steel, 4 cavities | $85,000 | $0.45 | $0.34 | $0.79 |
| 1,000,000 | H13 steel, 8 cavities | $150,000 | $0.30 | $0.15 | $0.45 |
Figures published by MakerStage, totals checked. From 100 to 1,000 parts, the price per part is divided by almost eight without changing the mould.
MakerStage publishes $2,000 to $10,000 for a prototype mould, $8,000 to $30,000 for low volume, $25,000 to $75,000 for mid volume and $50,000 to $200,000 and more for high volume.
According to MakerStage, a 50 to 100 tonne press costs $40 to $60 per hour, a 100 to 300 tonne press $60 to $100, and a 500 to 1,000 tonne press $150 to $250.
In the example published by MakerStage, a 30 gram ABS housing costs $52.50 at 100 parts, $6.80 at 1,000 parts and $0.45 at one million parts, mould included.
Because the mould is paid once and spread over the run. At 100 parts, a $5,000 mould adds $50 to each part.
Add the material, the press time divided by the number of cavities multiplied by the hourly rate, and the mould price divided by the total quantity.
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