How to Source Injection Molds Overseas to Save Money

Figuring out how to source quality injection molds overseas with an injection mold maker in China can be a daunting task.  This endeavor can end up costing you more than it would be saving if not implemented correctly.  How do you know the quality of steel and craftsmanship that this foreign company will put into making your molds?

When providing a competitive foreign quote depends upon landing that big contract or losing it, don’t leave this huge business endeavor to chance.  Work with a domestic mold making company who can provide overseas sourcing, and overseas pricing, with the same domestic quality and service your project demands.

Offshore Mold Sourcing from Domestic Provider

Michiana Global Mold is a mold making company located in the Midwest, USA, with a business partner in China to provide the same quality in complex injection molds as our domestic locations.  Both facilities are ISO registered, following a strict quality policy in mold design and construction.  With our offshore mold making partnership, we take care of all overseas communication and quality inspections for a hassle-free transition for you.  With one domestic customer service contact, you will have tool status updates and assurances of quality with on-time delivery.  

Our Chinese mold making partner, Modular Molds, uses only North American and German Steel to construct molds built to customer KPC’s.  We supply Initial Sample Inspection Reports (ISIR), with final inspection conducted at our domestic location for complete assurances to full print specification.  

Michiana Global Mold has more than 50 years of experience designing and constructing complex, precision tools.  We tackle the challenging molds that other mold builders shy away from.   WE are a full-service mold making facility providing prototypes, insert cavities, cold-runner and hot-runner tools,  three-plate tools and shuttle molds.   Download our FREE Guide to Sourcing Your Tools in China, and let Michiana Global Mold assist with your offshore mold sourcing project.

Michiana Global Mold is a leader in plastic injection mold making, serving the Automotive and various industries since 1964.  We offer high-quality, precision tooling from our domestic or overseas location, on time and to your specifications.  Contact us today to learn more about our offshore mold making capabilities.  

Overseas Injection Molds with Domestic Support

It can be challenging finding an injection mold supplier that can provide overseas injection molds with competitive pricing, and full-service domestic support.  Michiana Global Mold is located in the Mid-West USA, with a partner company in China, offering the best of global sourcing with superior service.  

Modular Mold in China offers full service injection mold designs and manufacturing, for a variety of mold types including semi-finished or fully finished molds constructed with the same technical expertise and attention to detail that you will find from our location in the United States.  We employ only highly skilled journeyman mold makers and design engineers experienced in constructing custom, precision injection molds.  

Michiana Global Mold has been supplying various industries, including the demanding Automotive industry since 1952, providing high quality precision tools to customer specifications for decades.   We are an ISO Registered injection mold making facility, in both our US and China locations.  Our Quality Policy is practiced throughout the organization, providing you with the same level of high precision accuracy from either our US or overseas location.  All molds are inspected for conformance from our US location, and all service is from our Indiana location with one main point of contact providing tool status updates throughout the entire scope of the project.  

Modular Mold’s capabilities include equipment to produce molds accommodating presses up to 3,000 tons, in our more than 40,000 square foot facility.  We focus on precision, lead times and high quality by following our processes according to our quality policy adhering to ISO9001:2008 standards.  

When you need a high quality constructed tool with precision geometric tolerances, you need to call on Michiana Global Mold!  We are your one stop shop for precision injection molds whether you need overseas or domestic suppliers, or overseas pricing with domestic support.  There is never a problem due to a language barrier, as we manage all communication from our US location, and make regular visits to Modular Mold in China.

Let Michiana Global Mold show you how you can have overseas injection molds with domestic service.  Download our FREE book on sourcing injection molds from China.  

Michiana Global Mold is a supplier of superior quality plastic injection molds for various industries including automotive, medical, consumer electronics, and defense for over 50 years.   We maintain high customer satisfaction through continual product and process improvement at both our United States and China locations.   

Offshore Injection Molding Source with Domestic Support

Looking for an offshore injection mold supplier can be a daunting task, without the right domestic guidance and support.   There are several aspects of sourcing your injection molds overseas that require a mold supplier with an overseas presence.  

Michiana Global Mold is an experienced mold making facility with an offshore presence, offering complete assistance with sourcing your injection molds overseas, taking the guesswork out of all of the typical roadblocks to successful outsourcing.  Michiana Global Mold has been manufacturing precision complex injection molds since 1952, we are experienced and knowledgeable about all necessary factors in mold making.  We apply this extensive knowledge to all mold building projects, including any offshore molding.  

No Language Barrier

Since Michiana Global Mold has a partner company in China, Modular Molds, we completely alleviate any potential miscommunication due to a language barrier.  When we source your tool builds to our China location, you will receive the same service as our domestic tool builds with one local point of contact providing all local support.  

ISO Registered Offshore Mold Maker

Modular Molds in China is registered to ISO9001:2008, following the same strict quality standards as our US location.   We use only qualified German and North American Steel, manufacturing quality high performance injection molds.  

Full Service Offshore Mold Making

Our mold making facility in China is a full-service injection mold making facility, offering partial and full-size mold design and construction.   Our capabilities provide you with fully finished or semi-finished molds, manufactured with precision and the same attention to detail provided from our domestic location.  

If you need offshore mold making with domestic service and support, contact your one stop mold shop, Michiana Global Mold.   All molds are inspected and tested for complete conformance to customer specification from our domestic location in Indiana prior to shipment.  

Modular Mold in China is a modern, large capacity mold making facility of more than 40,000 square feet with capacity to accommodate presses up to 3,000 tons.   Let Michiana Global Mold save you 40% on your injection molded products with our superior offshore molding facility.  

Michiana Global Mold is a superior quality plastic injection mold supplier for various industries including automotive, medical, consumer electronics, and defense.  We maintain high customer satisfaction through continual product and process improvement at both our United States and China locations.   

Industry Leading Innovative Mold Makers

It takes an in-depth knowledge of the mold making industry, along with experience and resources to provide top quality high performing injection molds that meet demanding customer expectations.  Michiana Global Mold excels at manufacturing complex, precision tooling required of demanding industries such as the Automotive industry.  We have the knowledge, the experience and the expertise in constructing high quality injection molds meeting tight tolerances within +/- .001”.

Michiana Global Mold is one of the leading injection mold makers in the industry, employing a highly skilled staff of journeyman mold makers and top mold designers with vast experience constructing high performing complex tooling.  We excel at the precision components that other mold makers might shy away from, leading the industry with high-tech mold making equipment combined with vast experience and knowledge.  Recently featured on the “World’s Greatest” television show for our innovative mold making services, we are a valued supplier to the Automotive industry, meeting and exceeding our customer requirements.  

With locations in the Midwest, USA, and an offshore molding facility in China, we can offer high quality tooling at the best available cost to you.  Both of our locations are registered to ISO9001, adhering to our strict quality policy while performing continual improvement activities.  Total customer satisfaction is our number one goal.  

When you are searching for a new supplier for your injection molded needs, let Michiana Global Mold show you how we can assist with your procured mold making costs.  We more than 50 years of experience satisfying the stringent requirements of demanding industries with even the most challenging of injection mold designs.  

We are experienced with specialized CAM action, complicated ejector system and lifters, and will accommodate tooling to your molding environment and custom mounting systems for your presses.   Established in 1964, we have the expertise, the knowledge and resources to provide the best value with high quality and high performance tooling, at the lowest available cost to you.  

Contact Michiana Global Mold today to speak with one of our expert design engineers about a FREE design consultation, discounts and rebates on multi-tool projects.  We are one of the leading injection mold makers in the industry, providing complex precision tooling within your specifications, and on time.    

Offshore Injection Molds with Domestic Service

Michiana Global Mold, located in Mishawaka, Indiana, is a world class superior injection mold supplier with locations in the USA and China.  Our partnership with Modular Molds in China allows us to offer our customers offshore tooling with competitive prices, while still providing the same level of excellence they are accustomed to from our location in the United States.

Modular Molds is a large capacity, more than 40,000 square foot facility, with the capacity and resources to handle large and multi-tool programs.  This location has a primary focus on new tool builds, although any type of mold is available whether constructing inserts and cavities, or a partially completed full size mold to be finished in our Indiana location.   Our China location has the resources to provide full service injection mold making with additional resources to assure the highest of quality standards.

Modular Molds is also registered to ISO9001, just like our Indiana location, with both facilities following a strict quality policy with focus on continual improvement and total customer satisfaction.  Our China location offers use of the latest technology, such as:

• Mold-Flow Analysis
• Solid Works CAD software
• Unigraphics (NX7.5)
• AutoCAD
• Reverse Engineering
• PPAP Certifications

Both our Indiana location and our China location utilize the latest in technological advancements, with expertise in constructing complex, precision tooling.  Michiana Global Mold excels at custom mold making for tight tolerance, complex molds.  

The key to a quality part, begins with a quality tool.  At Michiana Global Mold, we offer the best in quality meeting our customer’s most demanding specifications, with quality tools delivered on time.  We offer offshore mold pricing with full domestic support.  All tools constructed in China undergo full inspection at our Indiana location prior to shipping.  We offer offshore molds with the same quality as our USA location, and discounts on multi-tool programs.  

Michiana Global Mold is your full service one stop shop for quality tooling and mold making services.  We have been manufacturing custom, precision injection molds for over 50 years, meeting and exceeding our customer expectations with quality tools delivered on time.  Contact us today for a FREE design consultation, and learn how Michiana Global Mold will add value to your supply chain.

Finding a Chinese Injection Mold Provider Consideration List

Searching for a China injection mold provider can be incredibly difficult and time consuming. There are plenty of blogs and articles that cover different aspects of what you need to consider, but you"ll need a list. This ensures that you look at all of your potential China injection mold source options and the range of questions you need to ask.

Remember, the cost is not your only consideration. Things like shipping time, communication, and QA process play very important roles in determining if a particular China injection mold provider is cost effective.

Your Sourcing Options

You have three options for finding a provider in China:

• Direct Chinese source
• Broker who recommend and negotiates with a Chinese source on your behalf
• Domestic provider with a Chinese partner

Initially, this list appears to reflect the cost in ascending order. A direct source will often appear to be the most cost effective source and a domestic partner will appear to be the least cost effective.

However, when you take the following considerations into account, you will see the initial cost for the domestic provider has some distinct advantages, including easier negotiations, design time, and predictable delivery times.

Considerations and Questions

When you talk to each of your potential sourcing options, the following considerations and questions will help you determine if the source is likely to meet your needs.

Communication

This is one of the biggest potential issues, particularly during the design phase. You need to be able to talk to the people who are responsible for the designs. There are several potential communication issues to consider:

• Time zones can pose a problem if you work directly with someone in China
• Designs can be more difficult to finalize when you cannot speak directly to one of the professionals working on the design
• Shipping times may be off because of holidays, so you need to know the production schedule for the entire time your product is being processed

Planning

Planning is one of the most important aspects as it sets the tone for the entire project. Here are the things to consider for the planning phase:

• Materials
• Design time
• Production time frame

Quality Assurance and Shipping

Make sure that you discuss your QA needs and shipping expectations. If you are working on a tight deadline, you need to make sure that the product is high quality and can be turned around quickly.

The Right Choice for Chinese Injection Mold Makers - Domestic Versus Offshore

Finding the right China plastic injection molding provider is a difficult decision. With a number of different considerations to make, you want to get it right the first time. You will also need to be prepared to negotiate.

Research

Research is essential to avoid making the wrong decision, which can cost you not only money but a lot of time, and potentially customers. There are three sourcing options:

• Direct sourcing
• Broker sourcing
• Domestic sourcing

Each of these options has their own appeal. To help you determine which is right for you, consider the following three points:

• The material the China plastic injection molding uses
• The kind of quality sampling provided
• The lead and shipping times

Finding the Right Material

The material used for the China plastic injection molding is one of the most important aspects because it determines the durability of your final product. If you do not specify what materials you want used at the beginning, you may end up with a product that does not meet your expectations.

Materials Originating in China

Many Chinese mold makers have their own material providers. This means without specifying the type of material, you are almost guaranteed to have a final product made that uses steel produced in China.

The Chinese regulations and standards are typically lower than steels made in Europe and North America. As a result, your final product may wear down faster, be more fragile, and require more frequent replacements.

Materials Originating in Europe

This is easily the most cost effective material. European standards are comparable to the standards of North America, but the product has a much shorter distance to travel.

Testing

Mold testing often requires the use of a representative to conduct a review at the facility to check the functionality and quality of the product. If you have tune-ins built into the contract, you will have a better product by the time you send your representative to conduct the review.

Lead Times

The shipping lead times are important because the different sourcing options handle shipping differently. Having excessively long lead times could end up negating cost savings. The following are important to know before you sign anything:

• Time zone difference for communicating and shipping
• Chinese holidays
• The receipt of sample shots from T-0
• Import duties

You need to know how each of these are handled so that you can plan accordingly.

Choose the Right China Injection Mold Supplier

Finding the right China injection molding supplier can be a very time consuming endeavor. You have three different channels to consider:

• Find a direct Chinese mold maker
• Hire a broker
• Work with a domestic provider

Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Direct Chinese Mold Maker

Initially, this will seem like the most cost effective method of getting a reliable China injection molding supplier. You won’t have to pay for a middleman, substantially reducing the initial cost.

However, it can end up being the most costly. The biggest issues are the language barrier and additional QA efforts. It will be much more difficult to negotiate if you do not have a native speaker who can work with the supplier. While they will surely have an English speaker, you will need someone who speaks their language as well. This can be very costly. You will also need to manage more of the QA to ensure the product meets your needs.

China Injection Molding Broker

The issues you could encounter with a direct provider can be largely avoided by using a broker. It will also look a bit more expensive up front. This is because they have established connections to help you find the right provider, as well as managing the monetary conversions.

Do keep in mind that they are only brokers. You will not be able to discuss specifics with them, only the people at the companies they recommend. This can also create lag time in getting your questions answered.

Domestic Providers

Domestic providers will appear to be the least cost effective China injection molding provider, but ultimately, they can save you a lot of time. Not only will you avoid having to research companies, they have the necessary experts to answer your questions. This substantially speeds up the design and development process, reducing the amount of time required to complete the project. They also manage the QA aspects, so that you can focus on other projects.

Initially, they are the most expensive option. However, cost is the only major drawback, and it usually ends up being far less costly than it appears at first. Because you save time and have the necessary experts to answer your questions, the final cost for domestic providers is a lot more competitive than you may initially believe.