How much does it cost · injection mould
Short answer: a plastic injection mould costs €2,500 to €8,000 for a prototype, €8,000 to €35,000 for small and medium runs, and €40,000 to more than €150,000 for high-volume production (source: Sagaert Plasturgie (in French), updated 15 September 2026). In the part price, it counts through its amortisation: the mould price divided by the number of parts produced.
By the RFQdecoder team · updated 26 September 2026
| Mould type | Published price | Lifetime | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prototype mould | €2,500 to €8,000 | under 10,000 cycles | Sagaert Plasturgie (in French) |
| Small and medium runs | €8,000 to €35,000 | about 100,000 cycles | Sagaert Plasturgie (in French) |
| High volume, high precision | €40,000 to more than €150,000 | up to 3 million cycles | Sagaert Plasturgie (in French) |
| Simple, small mould | about €3,000 | Hellopro Conseils (in French) | |
| Large mould (parts up to 2 m²) | up to €80,000 | Hellopro Conseils (in French) | |
| Two-shot mould | €6,000 to €310,000 | Hellopro Conseils (in French) |
Ranges read on 26 September 2026 on the pages cited, for the French market. They give an order of magnitude, not a price: only a quote on a drawing commits a mould maker.
The mould is paid once and spread over every part it will make. With a €20,000 mould (example value, within the small and medium runs range):
| Total quantity | Mould share per part |
|---|---|
| 1,000 parts | €20.00 |
| 5,000 parts | €4.00 |
| 20,000 parts | €1.00 |
| 100,000 parts | €0.20 |
Over 1,000 parts the mould adds €20 per part; over 100,000 parts, €0.20. That is why the choice of mould depends first on the real volume over the life of the project.
A prototype mould is used to validate the part and produce a few thousand pieces. Beyond that, its limited life means rebuilding it or moving to a production mould: the calculation is made on the total volume. The right question is not “which mould is cheapest?” but “how many parts over the whole life of the product?”.
Published ranges go from about €3,000 for a simple, small mould to more than €150,000 for a high-volume production mould, and up to €310,000 for some two-shot moulds. The price depends mainly on size, number of cavities, steel and complexity.
It is often made of aluminium or soft steel, with a single cavity and few moving parts. It is quicker to make but lasts fewer cycles: under 10,000 according to Sagaert Plasturgie.
Through amortisation: the mould price divided by the total number of parts it will produce. A €20,000 mould adds €20 per part over 1,000 parts and €0.20 over 100,000 parts.
It must be stated in the quote. A mould paid for by the customer usually belongs to the customer, but ownership, maintenance and return conditions should be written down.
Remove undercuts that require slides, keep wall thickness even, keep tight tolerances for functional features, and match the number of cavities to the real volume.
Upload your PDF, DXF or STEP drawing: the routing and the cost of each step, assumptions shown.