Why is it so expensive to make a mold for a custom tin box shape?
Tin boxes are the first choice for many brands because of their beautiful, durable and recyclable features. However, when brands decide to customize tin boxes, they are often surprised by the high cost of molds. Why is it so expensive to open a set of molds for tin boxes? This article will reveal the reasons.
Precision Design and Engineering: The mold is the core tool for producing tin boxes, and its design and production require extremely high precision. Every detail of the tin box, including shape, size, pattern and surface treatment, needs to be achieved through the mold. In order to ensure the quality and consistency of the final product, mold designers must carefully plan and calculate, a process that usually involves complex CAD (computer-aided design) software and sophisticated engineering knowledge.
Use of high-quality materials: Molds are usually made of high-quality metal materials, such as steel. These materials not only need to be durable and able to withstand the huge pressure during high-pressure forming, but also must have extremely high wear resistance to ensure the stability of the mold in long-term use. The relatively high cost of selecting and purchasing such materials also leads to an increase in the cost of mold making.
Advanced Manufacturing Process: The production of molds is not just a simple material cutting and assembly. Modern mold manufacturing requires high-precision CNC machines, which can cut and engrave with extremely high precision. These processes require professional technicians to operate and monitor to ensure the accuracy of each mold part. Complex molds may also require electrospark machining (EDM) and other advanced processes, which further increase costs.
Time and labor costs: It usually takes weeks or even months from mold design to final production. There are multiple steps involved during this period, including design, testing, adjustment and final production. Each step requires the participation of highly skilled professionals such as designers, engineers and skilled workers. The labor costs of these people are also part of the mold cost.
Unique needs of customization: The design of each brand's tin box is usually unique, which means that each new custom order requires a brand new set of molds. Unlike standardized production, customized molds cannot be mass-produced, which makes the cost of each set of molds very high. In addition, customized molds also need to be repeatedly tested and adjusted to ensure that they meet the customer's special requirements, which further increases time and expenses.
Maintenance and update of molds: Molds will gradually wear out during use, so they need to be maintained and repaired regularly. Sometimes it is even necessary to remake some mold components to ensure product quality. These subsequent maintenance costs also need to be taken into account, further increasing the total cost of the mold.
The high cost of tin box molds is not accidental, but the result of a combination of factors. From design, materials, manufacturing processes to manpower and time costs, each link requires a lot of resources. Although these investments seem expensive in the early stage, they will eventually be reflected in the high quality and unique design of the tin box, bringing long-term value and competitive advantages to the brand.