Answers to your questions, before you invest

Plastic injection molding is a production process in which molten plastic is injected under high pressure into a steel mold, cools, and comes out of the mold as a precise final product. It is the standard method to manufacture accurate plastic products in series at a low unit price. At QDP, this covers everything from design and mold to series production under one roof.

The price consists of a one-time mold cost and the unit price. The unit price is determined by material, product weight, cycle time, and quantity; with larger series the price per piece drops. A smart design lowers both. With QDP’s online calculator you can directly calculate an indication of your unit and mold price.

The series production itself typically takes 3 to 4 weeks. Before that is mold manufacturing, which strongly depends on complexity, and afterwards, for production in our own factory, around 10 weeks for sea freight. Lead times are indicative and project-dependent; QDP confirms the real schedule per project based on the drawing.

Not on the unit price itself: the injection molding process is constant, so the machine runs exactly the same cycle for 500 as for 20,000 pieces. An artificial discount tier would be robbing Peter to pay Paul. Your effective price per product does drop significantly with larger series, because the fixed costs are spread over more products: the set-up costs per production run, transport, and especially the one-time mold investment.

Injection molding pays off as soon as the mold investment is spread over enough units. The sweet spot is between 500 and 20,000 pieces per run; smaller series are possible and we also run millions series. QDP helps you consider the quantity that fits your business case.

Yes. Small series injection molding is possible, with the sweet spot between 500 and 20,000 pieces per run, and smaller quantities where it makes sense. The key is making the one-time mold investment pay off over the series: with a simpler mold and a manufacturable design, we lower the entry, and the same mold can scale up later to larger quantities.

Almost all technical plastics: ABS, PP, PA, PC, POM and glass fiber reinforced variants, plus biobased grades such as PHA and PLA and recycled plastics. The material is part of the design consideration, as it determines shrinkage, strength and cycle time. QDP chooses the material based on function and practical tests.

Yes. Rush deliveries within a week are possible because the machines, mold changes and planning are managed in-house. This is rarely possible with traditional suppliers. QDP confirms feasibility per situation.

Product development is the process in which an idea grows into a production-ready product: from concept and industrial design, through engineering and material selection, to a manufacturable design. The goal is a product that works, fits the market, and can be made at a good cost price. At QDP, this continues through to series production under one roof.

Design for Manufacturing (DfM) is designing a product with the production method already as the foundation. For injection molding, this means wall thickness, draft angles, ribs, gating, and material selection are incorporated from the first sketch, so the product can be made in the mold without costly modifications.

A lower unit price, fewer design iterations and a higher, more stable quality. DfM iterations typically save 10 to 30 percent on the unit price through smarter wall thickness, fewer parts and simpler assembly.

As early as possible. The majority of your cost price and manufacturability are determined in the design phase. A DfM choice costing nothing in the sketch phase can, after milling the mold, cost thousands of euros in steelwork.

Industrial design is about form, use, and experience of a product, engineering is about technical elaboration: strength, material, and construction. In practice, they overlap, because a beautiful design must also be manufacturable. At QDP, design and engineering are in one team, so the two reinforce each other rather than clash.

Yes. If you have a product and a market but no in-house design team, QDP can take care of product development for you and deliver a production-ready design. You are not obliged to also have it produced with QDP, although the real strength is design, mold, and production under one roof.

Yes. We analyze an existing product for material selection, wall thickness, and components, and redesign for function, ergonomics, and manufacturability. Cost-down projects and enhancements typically deliver 10 to 30 percent lower unit price.

Because every transfer between a design agency, mold maker, and injection molder costs time, money and leads to errors. Under one roof, manufacturability challenges are solved in the drawing instead of on the production line. This yields predictable quality, shorter lead times, and lower failure costs.

DDP stands for Delivered Duty Paid. It means QDP delivers the goods to your address with all freight, import duties, and customs clearance arranged and paid. You receive your products without having to arrange anything at the border and without unexpected costs afterward.

Yes. We take care of the entire clearance, shipping documents and import duties as part of our logistics service. You don’t have to do anything at customs; we handle it so your shipment arrives at your door smoothly.

The transport costs are shown as a separate, transparent line item on your invoice, separate from the unit price. We find the cheapest reliable route and pass on the actual freight costs, without hidden markups, so you see exactly what the delivery costs.

Both, and often combined. Sea freight is the most economical per unit and the standard for series, air freight is faster and suitable for rush or first series. In a combined route, part goes by air and the rest by sea, tailored to your deadline and budget.

The freight price depends on the volume and weight of your shipment, the type of freight chosen (sea, air or combined), the destination and the timing. A scheduled order is cheaper than a rush. We pass on the actual costs and help think with you about how to keep them low.

Yes. Because we ship from our own factory, we deliver not only to the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, but also directly to destinations such as Australia, Thailand, Vietnam and the United States. Your product does not need to go to the Netherlands first and then back.

That depends on the mode of freight and the destination. Sea freight takes longer but is cheaper, air freight is considerably faster. We schedule the transport together with your production and confirm the expected delivery time per order, so you can rely on it.

Calculate your mold and unit price in two minutes with the online calculator, or schedule a non-binding brainstorm right away. If you don’t have drawings or dimensions yet, we’ll just think along in that first conversation.

Yes. With the online calculator you’ll get an immediate indication of your unit and mold price. If you want a substantiated quote, send your CAD file or drawing. QDP then provides a price and advice about manufacturability.

Yes. Many customers come with a functional prototype. Our role starts with production-ready preparation for injection molding: draft angles, wall thickness, material behavior, and manufacturability, so the prototype becomes a reliable series.

Yes, because QDP does it itself. The factory in Shengzhou was set up in 2010 and has been 100 percent owned by QDP since 2012. No middleman, no broker, no black box. Material selection, production parameters, and quality assurance are controlled internally, with QC reports and logging of injection parameters, while design, engineering and QC are in the Netherlands with a dedicated point of contact. That is one of the reasons customers stay for more than ten years.

A valid question that QDP takes seriously. The Chinese factory is 100 percent owned by QDP, so nothing is outsourced to third parties who could run off with your drawings. CAD files and revisions are on protected environments with access for those involved only, and we routinely use NDAs. If you bring your own design, the contract establishes that intellectual property remains yours. In almost twenty years of Chinese production, QDP has established clear processes for this.

To a message via the form or by e-mail, we usually reply within one working day. For a quote or technical question, the answer comes from an engineer or project leader, not a general helpdesk. At QDP you have a dedicated contact familiar with your project.

Yes. We’re happy to do an introduction or brainstorm on site in Duiven or online, whichever suits you best. Bring your drawing or idea, and we’ll immediately think along about manufacturability.

Dutch, English, German, and Spanish. We work for product companies and OEMs in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Spain, and switch to whichever language suits you. For Spanish-speaking markets, QDP has a fixed point of contact.

Among others Mobility, Consumer, Public, Industrial, Medical, Garden, Sustainability and Kids, with customers such as Philips, AkzoNobel, BAM, Pon and Van Raam. QDP explicitly does not work for tobacco, adult industry, recreational drugs, or Single Use Plastic productions.