Injection mold making
Your own mold, built to run for years
Have your injection mold made in our own mold shop: design, steel and first shots under one roof. The mold is yours, with a certificate of ownership.
What is an injection mold
The steel form in which your product is made
An injection mold, also called a tool, is the steel form into which molten plastic is injected under high pressure to make precise plastic parts in volume. The mold determines the dimensions, the surface and the cycle time of your product, which makes it the core of every injection molding project. QDP (Duiven, the Netherlands, founded 1998) designs and builds molds in house, with more than 25 years of experience in mold making.
Because we think in molds from the first sketch, we tackle challenges on the drawing board, not only once the steel has been cut. That saves costly mold corrections afterwards, and it makes the mold suitable right away for the volume and cycle time that fit your business case.
How we build your mold
From design to first shots in six steps
Design and DfM
We check your product for manufacturability: wall thickness, draft angles, ribs and radii, so the design is ready for the mold.
Mold strategy
We set the number of cavities, the runner system, the cooling and the cycle time based on your volume. Single-cavity for lower quantities, multi-cavity for large runs.
Mold flow analysis
We simulate how the plastic fills the mold before any steel is cut, so weld lines and air traps are designed out.
Steel and machining
Machining in our own mold shop with CNC milling, sinker EDM and wire EDM. No outside mold maker in between, which keeps time and cost down.
First shots and mold trial
We run the first shots and check dimensions, surface, shrinkage and mechanical properties, and fine-tune where needed.
Production and maintenance
After approval, production runs. A well-maintained steel mold lasts hundreds of thousands to millions of shots.
In the mold shop
Spark erosion to hundredths of a millimeter
Sinker EDM and wire EDM cut the shape out of hardened steel where milling can no longer reach: sharp inside corners, deep ribs and fine details. That way the cavity is cut into the steel exactly to size, ready for the first shots.
Single-cavity or multi-cavity
How many parts per shot
One part per shot
A single-cavity mold makes one part per cycle. Lower mold cost, ideal for smaller runs, larger parts and for validating a new product before you scale up.
Several parts per shot
A multi-cavity mold makes several parts at once per cycle. A higher mold investment, but a much lower unit price on large runs. We calculate where the break-even point is.
The right number of cavities follows from your volume and cycle time. We do not choose the maximum by default, but the mold that makes your product the cheapest over its entire lifetime.
Mold flow analysis
Know how the plastic flows, before the steel is cut
A mold flow analysis is a simulation of how molten plastic fills the mold. We see in advance where weld lines, air traps or uneven shrinkage will occur, and adjust the runner system, wall thickness or cooling before a single gram of steel is milled. That makes the chance of a miss on the first shot virtually zero.
Costs
What it costs to have a mold made
A mold is a one-time investment. At QDP a mold starts at 3,000 euros, with most between 3,000 and 5,000 euros and outliers up to 60,000 euros for large, complex parts. The price depends on the complexity, the number of cavities, the geometry and the choice of steel.
- Complexity and geometry
Undercuts, slides and fine details require more machining. A manufacturable design keeps the mold affordable.
- Number of cavities
More cavities per mold raise the investment, but lower the unit price on large runs.
- Choice of steel
Hardened tool steel for large runs, softer (pre-hardened) steel grades or aluminum for lower quantities.
- Volume
The sweet spot is 500 to 20,000 parts per run, and scaling up to runs in the millions is possible.
Your property, your peace of mind
The mold is yours, with a certificate of ownership
If you buy the mold, it is truly yours: you receive a certificate of ownership and are free to do with it as you wish. And because we do the mold flow analysis and DfM up front, the chance of a miss is small. Should a product still not be made as designed, you get your investment back.
What customers say
"They engage with you on everything and know how to turn ideas into reality. A very reliable partner that thinks in solutions."
Gijs Raaijmakers
GIZMO Design, iF Design Award 2025
"We wanted covers that were stronger, quieter and more premium without the cost going up. QDP solved that with one universal injection-molded housing."
Dennis Vroegindeweij
Owner, DeVi-Group
"QDP is one of the few suppliers that can say “yes” to parts this size. Communication is very direct, which we appreciate."
Carmen Smink
Van Geloven (McCain)
Frequently asked questions
Injection mold making at a glance
What is an injection mold?+
An injection mold, also called a tool, is the steel form into which molten plastic is injected under high pressure to make precise plastic parts in volume. The mold determines the dimensions, the surface and the cycle time of your product. At QDP the mold is designed and built in house.
What does it cost to have a mold made?+
A mold is a one-time investment and starts at 3,000 euros, with most between 3,000 and 5,000 euros and outliers up to 60,000 euros for large, complex parts. The price depends on complexity, the number of cavities, geometry and the choice of steel. With the QDP online calculator you get an indication right away.
Who owns the mold?+
If you buy the mold, it is truly yours. You receive a certificate of ownership and are free to do with it as you wish. That keeps control over your product with you, not with the supplier. This is how QDP works as standard, so you are never tied to one party.
How long does an injection mold last?+
A well-maintained steel mold lasts hundreds of thousands to millions of shots, depending on the steel, the material and the load. That is why the choice of steel is matched to the expected volume. QDP chooses the steel and the number of cavities to fit the lifetime of your product.
What is the difference between a single-cavity and a multi-cavity mold?+
A single-cavity mold makes one part per shot, a multi-cavity mold several at once. Single-cavity means a lower mold cost, multi-cavity a higher investment but a lower unit price on large runs. The break-even point depends on your volume; QDP calculates which choice works out cheapest.
What is a mold flow analysis?+
A mold flow analysis is a simulation of how molten plastic fills the mold. You see in advance where weld lines, air traps or uneven shrinkage will occur, and adjust the runner system, wall thickness or cooling before any steel is cut. QDP does this as standard, so the chance of a miss on the first shot is virtually zero.
How long does it take to build a mold?+
The build time of a mold depends heavily on the complexity, the number of cavities and the geometry, so there is no fixed figure. Where possible we work in parallel: while the mold is being built, we are already prototyping. QDP confirms the actual lead time in the first conversation, based on your drawing.
Is a tool the same as a mold?+
Yes. Tool and mold are two words for the same steel form into which molten plastic is injected to make a part. In practice, mold is the more common word, while tool or tooling is often used in engineering and purchasing. At QDP, either way you get the same injection mold, built in house.