Tooling is usually the largest single line in a toy development budget, and quotations for what looks like the same part can differ by a factor of three. The difference is almost always in cavity count, steel grade, runner design and finishing. This guide explains each lever and what it costs you elsewhere.
Cavity count
Cavity count is the first-order driver of both tool cost and part price. A 1-cavity tool is cheap to cut but produces one part per cycle, so the part price carries the full cycle time. An 8-cavity tool costs several times more but amortises over eight parts per cycle.
The break-even is arithmetic, not opinion: divide the tooling premium by the per-part saving, and compare against the total quantity you will actually order. For a programme with a firm 50,000-piece order, a 2-cavity tool is usually right. For a programme that will run into the millions, an 8 or 16 cavity tool wins. Factories that quote only 1-cavity tools are quoting the lowest tooling number to win the job, not the lowest total cost.
Steel grade
- P20 pre-hardened. The standard choice for 300k to 500k shots. Cheapest, easiest to repair by welding, and adequate for most toy programmes.
- S136 stainless. For 1M-plus shots, for abrasive or corrosive materials, and where the mould will be stored in a humid plant. Roughly 40 to 60 percent more than P20.
- H13 or specialised grades. For glass-filled materials or high-cavitation tools running continuously. Rarely justified for a first programme.
Steel grade does not change the part price; it changes how many parts you can make before the tool needs refurbishment. For a short-run programme, paying for S136 is buying shots you will never use.
Runner and gate design
- Cold runner, 2 or 3 plate. The default. The runner is reground and reused, and the gate mark is visible on the part.
- Hot runner. No regrind, faster cycles, better for materials that degrade on remelt. Higher tool cost and higher maintenance.
- Gate type. Edge gates leave a visible mark; sub gates and pin-point gates leave a smaller mark but are harder to balance across cavities.
For toys, gate placement is a safety decision as much as a cosmetic one: gates on a stressed area create a knit line that fails the torque test later.
Finishing scope
Texture, polish grade, engraving and any laser-etched detail are cut into the tool, not added later. A tool quoted as moulded only will produce parts that need hand finishing, and that labour will appear in the part price or in the rejection rate. Ask which surfaces are textured, to what standard, and whether the texture is on the drawing.
The quotation questions that reveal the real cost
- How many cavities, and is that the production tool or a prototype tool?
- What steel grade, and what shot life is quoted against it?
- Is the tool designed for a specific press tonnage, and does the factory have that press available?
- What is included in the first article: dimensional report, material certificate, or just the parts?
- Who owns the tool, where is it stored, and what happens if you move production?
Related reading
Our model kit sprue programme is quoted per kit with the cavity count and steel grade stated, and the sourcing guides cover the audit and MOQ side of the same decision.
Related product categories
The materials and part types discussed above are grouped in our sourcing directory:
