Simcone
世弘Custom silicone rubber keypads since 2008
Shenzhen · GuangmingMakes in-houseMass production
Silicone & LSR moldingSurface finishingFactoryMold / tool maker
English-speaking salesSource ↗
Station 04 / 10
DFM & tooling 开模
Getting a mold made: steel grades, T1 samples, and making sure the tool is legally yours.
Lead3–6 weeksWhat happens at this stage
You commission tooling: the custom molds and dies that mass-produce your parts. For plastic parts that's an injection mold (开模, "opening a mold"). For metal it can be a die-casting die or a stamping tool. Before steel is cut, the toolmaker reviews your design (DFM) and suggests changes so the part can be made reliably.
Why it matters
Tooling is usually the biggest single up-front cost, and the point where design changes become expensive. Getting ownership, steel choice and payment terms right protects you for years.
What it costs and how long
From a few thousand to tens of thousands of dollars per mold, depending on part size and complexity. Typically 3–6 weeks to first samples (called T1), then one or more rounds of fixes.
Common mistakes
- Opening a mold before the design is really final
- Not writing down that you own the mold (a private mold, 私模)
- Choosing on price alone, where cheap quotes often mean softer steel or fewer cavities
Read next
Our guide How to get an injection mold made in China walks through every step for first-timers.
Companies at this station
Chinese
Kaierwo
凯尔沃New-energy prototypes: battery packs, charger housings, inverters, cooling modules
Shenzhen · GuangmingMakes in-housePrototypesLow volumeMass production
Rapid prototyping (multi-process)CNC machiningUrethane / vacuum casting3D printing
English-speaking salesSource ↗
Chinese
Automotive stamping dies since 2004 (chassis, body, door, seat, sunroof)
Shenzhen · Bao'anMakes in-houseMass production
Metal stampingSurface finishingMold / tool makerFactory
English-speaking salesSource ↗
Yize Mould
宜泽模具Multi-cavity connector molds with up to 64 cavities
Dongguan · Chang'anMakes in-houseMass production
Injection moldingCNC machiningSilicone & LSR moldingMetal injection molding (MIM)
English-speaking salesSource ↗
Chinese
Automotive white-body stamping prototypes and full-size show-car models
Shenzhen · Bao'anMakes in-housePrototypesLow volume
Rapid prototyping (multi-process)CNC machiningSheet metal fabricationMetal stamping
English-speaking salesSource ↗
Tuowei Precision
拓维模型130+ CNC centres, SLA printers, vacuum casting and molding on a 10,000 m² site
Shenzhen · Bao'anMakes in-housePrototypesLow volume
Rapid prototyping (multi-process)CNC machiningUrethane / vacuum casting3D printing
English-speaking salesSource ↗
Siking
深凯硅胶Founded in 1990 by China Aerospace Industry Corporation
Shenzhen · LonghuaMakes in-houseMass production
Silicone & LSR moldingSurface finishingFactoryMold / tool maker
Chinese onlySource ↗
Fanstar Mold
范仕达Multi-cavity pen molds and two-shot keycap molds
Dongguan · Chang'anMakes in-houseMass production
Injection moldingSurface finishingMold / tool makerFactory
English-speaking salesSource ↗
Chinese
Molds in about 7 days and short molded runs in 7–15 days
Dongguan · Chang'anMakes in-houseLow volumeMass production
Injection moldingSurface finishingProduct design & engineeringMold / tool maker
Chinese onlySource ↗
Chinese
In-house tool shop next to the casting floor
Dongguan · Dongguan (other town)Makes in-houseMass production
Die castingCNC machiningSurface finishingFactory
English-speaking salesSource ↗
Medical-device contract design and manufacturing since 2002
Hong KongMakes in-houseLow volumeMass production
Contract manufacturing / box buildInjection moldingSilicone & LSR moldingProduct design & engineering
English-speaking salesSource ↗
Chinese
Silver contacts and electrical contact assemblies, riveted or welded in the mold
Dongguan · FenggangMakes in-housePrototypesLow volumeMass production
Metal stampingCNC machiningSheet metal fabricationInjection molding
English-speaking salesSource ↗
Guides
01Basics · 10 minSilicone keypads and seals: a beginner's guide
How custom silicone parts like keypads, buttons, gaskets and seals are made, what hardness and key feel mean, compression molding vs LSR, and how to order them in Shenzhen and Dongguan.
02Design · 9 minWhat is DFM? Design for manufacturing explained
What design for manufacturing (DFM) means, why it decides most of your product's cost, the core rules, when to do a DFM review, and how DFM feedback from Shenzhen suppliers works.
03Basics · 10 minWhat is die casting? A plain-English guide
How die casting works, which metals it uses, what it's good and bad at, what drives the cost, and how to get die-cast parts made in Shenzhen and Dongguan. Written for first-timers.
04Basics · 10 minWhat is injection molding? A plain-English guide
How injection molding works, why it makes plastic parts so cheap at volume, what the catch is, and when your product is ready for it.
05Choosing · 7 minAluminum vs steel molds (rapid tooling explained)
The difference between aluminum "rapid" tooling and hardened steel production molds, with cost, speed and lifetime compared in plain English, and how to choose for your first run.
06Choosing · 7 minDie casting vs CNC machining
When should a metal part be CNC machined, and when is it worth paying for a die-casting tool? A plain-English comparison of cost, quantity, quality and finish, with a simple break-even method.
07Design · 9 minEngineering change orders (ECOs) and design freeze, explained
What design freeze means, why late changes are so expensive in hardware, and how engineering change requests, orders and notices (ECR, ECO, ECN) keep you and your factory on the same version.
08Cost · 10 minHow much does it cost to develop a hardware product?
The cost buckets of developing and manufacturing a hardware product, explained for first-timers. Design, prototypes, tooling, certification and the first production order, with typical ranges where they're widely published, plus the costs people forget.
09Basics · 9 minHow long does it take to develop a hardware product?
A realistic timeline for bringing a hardware product to market, stage by stage, for first-time founders. Where the time actually goes, what slows projects down in Shenzhen, and how to save weeks.
10Working in China · 18 minHow to get an injection mold made in China
A plain-English walkthrough for first-timers. What an injection mold is, when you need one, what it costs, how long it takes, and how to make sure the mold belongs to you.
11Choosing · 8 minHow to write an RFQ
What a request for quotation (RFQ) is, what to put in it, and how to write one that gets clear, comparable quotes from Shenzhen suppliers. With a checklist you can copy.
12Cost · 9 minHow much does injection molding cost?
The two costs of injection molding (the mold and each part) explained for first-timers, with a simple way to work out when molding becomes cheaper than prototyping methods.
13Design · 10 minDesign rules for injection-molded parts
The handful of design rules that make plastic parts moldable and cheap. Draft, wall thickness, ribs, bosses and undercuts, explained simply with the reason behind each.
14Working in China · 8 minNNN agreements explained
What an NNN agreement is, how it differs from a standard NDA, why it's commonly recommended when working with Chinese manufacturers, and what it can and can't do. Plain-English background, not legal advice.
15Basics · 6 minOvermolding and insert molding explained
How products get soft-touch grips, rubber seals and molded-in metal parts. Overmolding, two-shot molding and insert molding explained simply.
16Basics · 11 minProduct development stages: how to make a physical product from idea to finished product
The stages of making a physical product, from first sketch to boxes on a ship, explained for first-timers. What happens at each stage, why it matters, what you get out of it, and who in Shenzhen helps.
17Basics · 10 minPrototype to production: what changes when you scale from 10 units to 1,000
Why a product that works as 10 prototypes can fail at 1,000 units, what changes in parts, people, testing, documents and cash as you scale, and the steps between a working prototype and your first production run in Shenzhen.
18Choosing · 7 minZinc vs aluminum die casting
Should your die-cast part be zinc or aluminum? Weight, detail, finish, tooling life and cost compared in plain words, with a simple way to decide.