Small Batch Injection Molding — No Factory Minimums
Real injection-molded plastic parts without factory minimums. We use aluminum molds and desktop injection equipment to run genuine production-grade parts in quantities of 50 to 500 units. Get your online quote within 48 hours.
Starting from $500 per run — aluminum mold included
Traditional injection molding factories require minimum orders of 500 to 1,000 units and expensive steel molds that can cost $5,000 to $50,000. For a product at the validation stage, that is far too much risk before you have confirmed real demand.
Our small batch injection molding service solves this. We use aluminum molds machined in-house and desktop injection equipment to run genuine injection-molded parts in quantities of 50 to 500 units. The parts have real production-grade surface finish, real material properties, and real dimensional accuracy. They are not 3D prints. They are not castings. They are actual injection-molded parts.
This is the step between your DFM prototype and committing to a full steel mold. You validate demand, gather real customer feedback, and prove your manufacturing process before you make the larger tooling investment.
An aluminum mold machines significantly faster than a steel mold because aluminum is softer and easier to cut. That means lower machining cost and shorter lead time — typically 2 to 4 weeks from design approval to first parts, versus 6 to 10 weeks for a steel mold.
The trade-off is longevity. An aluminum mold typically lasts for 1,000 to 10,000 shots before wear starts to affect dimensional accuracy. For a product at the validation stage, that is far more than enough. You can run 50 units, 200 units, even 500 units before the mold needs to be retired.
Once you have confirmed your market and your design, we build you a steel mold for full production. The aluminum mold investment was not wasted — it paid for itself in market validation and design improvements before you committed to the bigger tooling cost.
| Cost | Lower | Higher |
| Lead time | 2 to 4 weeks | 6 to 10 weeks |
| Shot life | 1k to 10k shots | 100k+ shots |
| Best for | 50 to 500 units | 1,000+ units |
| Part quality | Production grade | Production grade |
Both produce genuine injection-molded parts with real material properties.
The aluminum mold we build for your product is your property. Once the final invoice is settled, it belongs to you. We hold it for ongoing production runs, but ownership is yours.
If you move production elsewhere or want to take the mold to a larger factory for volume runs, we will ship it directly. No restrictions, no holdbacks on your own tooling.
Your mold only runs for your orders. It sits in secure storage between production runs. We do not use it for other clients, for testing, or for any internal purpose.
Starting from
$500
per run of 50 units — aluminum mold included
The $500 starting price covers a simple single-cavity aluminum mold plus a 50-unit production run for a small, straightforward plastic part. Here is what affects your final injection mold quote:
Submit your files and get your injection molding online quote within 48 hours. Every line item is visible before you commit to anything.
Your DFM prototype is approved. You want 50 to 200 real units to sell on Amazon, Etsy, or through your own store before committing to a steel mold and a 1,000-unit run. This is exactly the gap we fill.
You have backers or pre-order customers and you need real production-grade units to ship to them. 3D prints and castings will not cut it. Small batch injection-molded parts will.
A small batch run reveals every manufacturing issue before you invest in a steel mold. Wall thickness problems, sink marks, weld lines, and gate locations are all easier and cheaper to fix at this stage.
01
Share your CAD files, 3D drawings, or sample product. Tell us your target material, quantity, surface finish, and timeline. We will tell you if aluminum mold injection is right for your part.
Deliverable: Project brief confirmed within 24 hours
02
We send a clear, itemized injection mold quote covering aluminum mold design, machining, material, and production run. You see exactly what each line costs before committing to anything.
Deliverable: Itemized quote with timeline
03
A 50% deposit locks in your project. We machine the aluminum mold, run first article samples for your approval, then complete the production run. Your mold is your property once paid for.
Deliverable: Injection-molded parts delivered to your door
Send us your design files and we will have your small batch injection mold quote back within 48 hours. Real injection-molded parts. No factory minimums. No 1,000-unit requirement.
“We needed 100 units to fulfill our Kickstarter backers and every other manufacturer wanted a 500-unit minimum. PrototyperLab ran 100 genuine injection-molded parts for us in under 5 weeks. Our backers could not tell the difference from a production part.”
Marcus T.
Kickstarter creator, consumer product
“I needed to validate Amazon demand before committing to a full steel mold. The aluminum mold small batch gave me 150 units to test with. They sold in 3 weeks and we immediately ordered the steel mold for volume. That small batch literally paid for the steel tooling.”
Linda S.
Amazon seller, home products category
Our minimum is 50 units. Most small batch runs fall between 50 and 500 units. If you need fewer than 50 units, urethane casting or SLA resin printing is likely a better fit and we can advise on that.
These are genuine injection-molded parts produced on a desktop injection molding machine using an aluminum mold. The parts have real injection-molded material properties, real surface finish, and real dimensional accuracy. They are not 3D prints, not castings, and not approximations of injection molding. They are the same type of part you would get from a large injection molding factory, just in smaller quantities.
You do. Once the final invoice is settled, the aluminum mold is your property. We hold it in our facility for ongoing production runs, but ownership is entirely yours. We can ship it to you or to another factory at any time, and we will never use your mold for any other purpose.
Yes, and most clients do exactly this. The aluminum mold proves your design and validates demand at low cost. Once you have confirmed the market is there, we design and build a steel mold for full production volume. In many cases we can base the steel mold design on the aluminum mold, reducing the redesign time.
Aluminum mold design and machining typically takes 1 to 2 weeks. First article samples are run and sent for your approval. After approval, the production run of 50 to 500 units typically takes 1 to 2 additional weeks. Total lead time from quote approval to delivered parts is usually 3 to 5 weeks.
ABS, PP, PE, PC, nylon, TPE, TPU, and most other common thermoplastics. Some high-temperature or highly abrasive materials may require a steel mold instead of aluminum. We advise on material suitability as part of the quoting process.
Fill out our questionnaire with your CAD files or drawings, target material, quantity, surface finish requirement, and timeline. We review every injection mold quote request personally and respond with an itemized injection molding online quote within 48 hours. No commitments required to get a quote.
Production grade. The aluminum mold is polished to your specified finish before the run begins. Standard finish is a matte to semi-gloss surface typical of production injection-molded parts. We can also apply textured or smooth finishes depending on your product requirements. Post-molding painting or coating is available for an additional cost.
Have questions about payment terms, refunds, or shipping? Visit our full FAQ page.
Service
Before committing to any mold, validate your design with a DFM prototype. Starting from $2,500.
Service
Ready to scale? We build steel molds for volume production of 1,000 units and above. Starting from $3,000.
Service
Already in production? We review your BOM and manufacturing process to reduce per-unit cost.