Injection Moulding Cost Per Part: Small-Batch Budget Examples
Updated: 2026-10-19
Injection moulding cost per part combines material, machine time, tooling allocation and the agreed batch costs. For a small production run, the tool can dominate the first-order budget even when recurring production is inexpensive. Nordmould’s calculator lets you compare explicit assumptions; a written quotation confirms the actual grade, tool, quantity and inspection scope.
How should you estimate a small-batch injection moulding budget?
Start with the parts you need now and the parts you can realistically use before the design changes. These are different quantities. A first order of 100 units may be followed by repeat batches, but an unconfirmed sales forecast is a weak basis for committing to an expensive tool. Keep a first-order cash budget alongside the lifetime cost comparison.
Nordmould publishes 100 pieces and €3,000 tooling as planning starting points. They do not establish the price or minimum quantity for every drawing. Geometry, grade, finish, inspection, tool construction and capacity must be assessed together. Prototype routes have their own economics and should be compared on the function the parts must deliver.
Use the part-cost calculator for the unit-cost model and the tooling cost guide for the initial investment. Both are budgeting resources. A useful comparison uses the same drawing revision, accepted quantity and delivery scope for each alternative; otherwise a lower headline price can simply reflect omitted work.
Which inputs determine cost per part?
| Input | Unit | What to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Part mass | g per part | Actual grade and finished geometry |
| Runner mass | g per shot | Runner design, cavity count and agreed material policy |
| Resin price | €/kg | Exact grade, colour and purchase assumptions |
| Cycle time | seconds per shot | Complete cycle, including packing and mould movements |
| Cavities | usable parts per shot | Balanced filling and acceptance of each cavity |
| Machine rate | €/hour | Quoted press and what the rate includes |
| Tooling | € | Tool specification, trials and agreed corrections |
| Allocation quantity | usable parts | Demand before revision or retirement |
| Additional scope | € or % | Setup, inspection, finishing, packaging and delivery |
The calculator offers machine-rate assumptions of €32, €45, €58 and €75/hour. These are not a measured regional price survey. Select the appropriate quoted input when it becomes available. A machine that meets clamp force alone may not fit the shot, tool dimensions or tie-bar spacing; the calculator does not confirm machine availability.
What formula does the calculator use?
Material cost per part is (part mass + runner mass ÷ cavities) ÷ 1,000 × resin price. Machine cost per part is cycle seconds ÷ 3,600 ÷ cavities × hourly rate. Tooling allocation is tool cost ÷ allocation quantity. The calculator adds its allowance to the sum of these three components.
The allowance is a modelling choice applied to the entire subtotal, including tooling. It is not an observed reject percentage or a confirmed commercial margin. If you have separate quoted values for setup or packaging, calculate those explicitly and avoid counting the same charge again inside a broad allowance. A budget model should make uncertainty visible rather than hide it in a precise-looking unit price.
What do 100, 1,000 and 10,000 parts cost in a worked example?
This example deliberately fixes the part and process to show the effect of tooling allocation. Every price and process input is an assumption, not a completed customer project or supplier offer. Zero runner mass isolates the calculation; it does not establish that your project will use a hot runner or have no material waste.
| Assumption | Value |
|---|---|
| Part / runner mass | 40 g per part / 0 g per shot |
| Resin price | €1.50/kg |
| Complete cycle | 28 seconds |
| Cavities | 4 |
| Machine rate | €32/hour |
| Tooling | €3,000 |
| Allowance | 10% of the complete subtotal |
Material is 0.040 × 1.50 = €0.0600/part. Machine time is 28 ÷ 3,600 ÷ 4 × 32 = €0.0622/part. At 1,000 allocated parts, tooling adds €3.0000/part. The resulting budget is (0.0600 + 0.062222… + 3.0000) × 1.10 = €3.4344/part, rounded to four decimal places after calculation.
| Allocation quantity | Tooling €/part | Total €/part, including allowance | Model total € |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 | 30.00 | 33.1344 | 3,313.44 |
| 1,000 | 3.00 | 3.4344 | 3,434.44 |
| 10,000 | 0.30 | 0.4644 | 4,644.44 |
| 100,000 | 0.03 | 0.1674 | 16,744.44 |
Open these inputs in the calculator to reproduce the example. The table excludes VAT, batch setup, delivery and separately specified work. The model total is allocation quantity multiplied by the unrounded model unit cost; it is not a quotation or a payment schedule.
How does an initial order differ from lifetime tooling allocation?
Suppose the first order is 100 parts and the planning allocation is 10,000. Dividing the tool by 10,000 is useful when comparing eventual economics. It does not reduce the amount payable for the tool on the first order. Payment milestones, deposits and any tool-finance arrangement must come from the supplier’s written terms.
Record both quantities in the RFQ: the first batch and the expected demand before a design revision. Ask for recurring production pricing separately from tooling, then compare repeat batches at their actual order size. This makes it easier to see whether setup or packaging, rather than moulding time, dominates a small repeat order.
How should setup, rejects and inspection be handled?
A fixed batch charge should be divided by the accepted parts in that batch. As an arithmetic illustration, a €200 setup assumption adds €2.00/part to 100 parts or €0.20/part to 1,000 parts. That is not a Nordmould setup tariff. Separate entries are preferable when the quote identifies actual setup, testing or packing costs.
Clarify whether quoted quantities mean accepted pieces, shots or gross production including rejects. Ask how runner material, startup losses and rejected pieces are treated. Avoid automatically adding a reject percentage if the quoted unit price already includes it. Inspection depth and finishing can change the work content, so define the required report and cosmetic criteria before comparing suppliers.
Which design changes are worth comparing?
Test one assumption at a time. With the example’s €32/hour and four cavities, moving the complete cycle from 28 to 40 seconds increases machine time from €0.0622 to €0.0889/part. Changing to one cavity at 28 seconds makes that component €0.2489/part. These are arithmetic sensitivities, not approved process changes.
Increasing cavities can raise tool investment and require a different machine or cycle. Thinning a wall can affect filling, stiffness and cooling. Evaluate the part’s function and tooling implications together instead of treating each slider as a free saving. The moulding versus 3D printing guide helps compare an alternative route when geometry or demand is still changing.
What should you send for a comparable quotation?
Send a STEP model, a dimensioned drawing, material requirements, marked cosmetic faces, first-batch quantity and expected repeat demand. Identify critical features and intended use. Include target dates as requirements to assess, then ask what is included in tooling, trials, inspection, packing and delivery. Use the RFQ checklist or downloadable preparation checklist.
Keep a comparison sheet showing assumptions, exclusions and drawing revision beside each supplier’s price. A useful next decision might be a design change or prototype test rather than immediate tooling approval. Nordmould’s free DFM review can identify questions to resolve before requesting a project-specific written quotation.
Use the RFQ brief builder to record the first batch, repeat demand and requirements in one draft. Once quotations arrive, use the quote comparison tool to compare tooling, batch charges, included work and exclusions on the same basis.
Which resources explain the assumptions?
Download all worked-example inputs and calculations (JSON). The dataset contains illustrative arithmetic, not market observations. Protolabs’ tooling-cost guidance explains geometry, finish and quantity as cost drivers; it does not verify our euro assumptions. For sourcing, see small-batch injection moulding in Estonia.
Frequently asked questions
What does injection moulding cost per part for 100 pieces?
There is no universal price. In Nordmould’s illustrative example, €3,000 tooling, €0.1222 recurring material/machine cost and a 10% allowance on the complete subtotal produce €33.1344/part at 100 allocated parts. VAT, setup, delivery and separately specified work are excluded.
Does the part-cost calculator include tooling?
Yes. Nordmould’s calculator divides the tooling input by the allocation quantity. Its allowance applies to the full subtotal, including that tooling allocation. This is a budget model; actual tooling payments and recurring production prices come from the written quotation.
Is allocation quantity the quantity I must order?
No. It is the number of parts over which you spread tooling for planning. Tell Nordmould both your first-batch quantity and realistic lifetime demand. The first-order cash requirement depends on the tool payment terms and actual batch.
Are the published machine rates market averages?
No. Nordmould uses €32, €45, €58 and €75/hour as explicit calculator assumptions. Substitute quoted process and rate data when available. These figures do not establish machine availability, market averages or a selling price.
How can I reproduce the cost example?
Open the linked Nordmould calculator example: 40 g part, no runner, €1.50/kg resin, 28 seconds, four cavities, €32/hour, €3,000 tooling, 1,000 allocated parts and 10% allowance. The unrounded calculation gives €3.4344/part to four decimal places.
Injection Moulding Calculators & Selectors
Last reviewed: 2026-08