Compare these two ways to make injection‑moulded parts
Content in this Article
- Low‑Volume Production with Aluminium Tooling
- Production with Steel Tooling
- Aluminium vs. Steel Tooling: Quick Glance
- Design Must‑Haves
- Which Tooling Material Should You Choose?
Introduction
Making a commitment to specific moulds for parts is an important decision – but as we reveal here, it is not a hugely difficult one. Your decision will affect pricing of your mould and parts, how long it takes to get those parts, and what materials you can use.
Steel tooling is the way to go if you need quantities of 1 million or more. Aluminium is your best bet for lower quantities. Here are additional details to help you make the decision.
🔗 Related content: Injection Moulding services
Low‑Volume Production with Aluminium Tooling
Aluminium moulds cost much less than steel tooling – often tens of thousands of pounds less. They take less time to machine and are usable for 10,000 cycles or more (depending on material type and geometry). Because aluminium makes sense for lower volumes, it is also a great choice for bridge production – producing parts while waiting for steel production tooling.
Aluminium – as a softer metal – is more easily machined than steel. When that block of metal is milled, it takes days instead of months to create your tooling, and you will save significantly on machining costs. If you are iterating your part, fine adjustments can be made more rapidly.
Key benefits of aluminium tooling:
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Lower upfront cost | Tens of thousands less than steel |
| Faster lead time | Days instead of months |
| Iteration‑friendly | Rapid design changes |
| No maintenance fees | Included with Konlida aluminium moulds |
| Lifetime replacement | If the mould is damaged (with Konlida) |
| Trade‑in value | Aluminium mould value applies as discount on production quantity orders |
🔗 Related content: Prototyping services
Production with Steel Tooling
Conventional steel tooling paved the way for how injection moulding was once done. In those days, companies expected to wait months for their first parts, making fast iteration impossible. In today's accelerated product development cycles, long lead times for some parts can be prohibitive to innovation goals.
Why consider steel tooling?
| Factor | Description |
|---|---|
| Longevity | Millions of cycles |
| Lower per‑part cost | Based on high volume |
| Abrasive materials | Can handle glass‑filled and high‑temperature resins |
| High‑temperature materials | Suitable for PEEK, Ultem, and similar resins |
| Finishing options | More options with steel tooling |
If timing is not a showstopper, steel tooling certainly lasts much longer than aluminium at higher quantities, and you will get a lower price per part based on volume. It is the way to go if you know you will need millions of copies of your parts, or have chosen high‑temperature materials such as PEEK or Ultem.
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🔗 Related content: High‑performance materials → /materials/plastics/peek-ultem/
Aluminium vs. Steel Tooling: Quick Glance
| Aluminium Tooling | Steel Tooling | |
|---|---|---|
| Lead time to receive parts | Days | Months |
| Longevity | 10,000+ cycles | Millions of cycles |
| Materials | 100+ resins | 100+ resins, including abrasive grades |
| Properties | Wicks away heat more quickly – eliminates cooling lines and associated cost | Stronger – maintains quality with abrasive resins, high volumes, high‑temperature materials, complex geometries |
| Quality | Production grade | Production grade |
| Tooling types available | Single or multi‑cavity (1, 2, 4, and 8) | Multi‑cavity (greater than 8 cavities) |
| Upfront tooling investment | From £1,500 minimum | £40,000 or more |
Design Must‑Haves
Both aluminium and steel moulds require certain design elements to ensure clean ejection from the mould. Always remember to:
| Element | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Draft | Include draft to prevent scraping and warping during ejection |
| Wall thickness | Design wall thickness of at least 1.02 mm to 3.56 mm |
| Radii | Add radii to all corners to improve ejection outcomes |
Our quoting software will flag many design for manufacturability (DFM) issues in your moulds so you can adjust your CAD model to meet the necessary standards.
🔗 Related content: Design for Manufacturing guidelines → /resources/design-for-machining-toolkit/
Which Tooling Material Should You Choose?
| Consideration | Aluminium Tooling | Steel Tooling |
|---|---|---|
| Production volume | < 1 million parts | > 1 million parts |
| Development stage | Prototyping, pilot runs, bridge production | Full‑scale production |
| Material choice | Standard resins (ABS, PC, PP, etc.) | Abrasive, glass‑filled, high‑temp materials |
| Lead time | Critical – need parts quickly | Lead time less critical |
| Budget | Limited upfront investment | Can invest £40,000+ in tooling |
| Design iteration | Likely to change | Design is finalised |
🔗 Related content: Material selection guide
Summary
Both aluminium and steel tooling have their place in injection moulding. The right choice depends on your production volume, material requirements, budget, and timeline.
| Tooling Type | Best For |
|---|---|
| Aluminium | Prototypes, low‑volume production, bridge tooling, fast iteration, limited budget |
| Steel | High‑volume production, abrasive materials, high‑temperature resins, millions of cycles |