Aluminum tooling.
Production plastic.
14 days.

Rapid tooling uses aluminum 7075 tool steel alternatives (vs hardened P20 or H13 steel used for production tooling). Aluminum machines 5× faster than steel, so tool-build time drops from 4–6 weeks to 10–14 days. Tool life is 5,000–10,000 shots vs 500,000+ for steel. Ideal for bridge production, market validation and pilot runs.

Typical timeline: Day 1–2 CAD review and DFM feedback. Day 3–5 tool design and electrode design for any EDM features. Day 5–12 CNC rough and finish machining. Day 13 assembly, trial shot. Day 14 first parts in customer hands. Complex tools or multi-cavity family molds extend to 18–21 days.

Nearly all thermoplastics: ABS, PC, PP, PE, PA6, PA66, PA66-GF30, POM (Delrin), PBT, PET, PMMA, TPU, TPE. Glass-filled materials wear aluminum tools faster — tool life drops from 10,000 shots to 3,000–5,000 shots. For glass-filled production, upgrade to hardened steel tooling.

Simple single-cavity aluminum tools: USD 1,500–3,500. Medium complexity with side actions: USD 3,500–6,000. Multi-cavity family molds: USD 5,000–12,000. Compare to production steel tooling at USD 6,000–25,000 for the same complexity. Rapid tooling typically saves 50–70% on tool cost.

Yes, on larger aluminum tools. For small tools (<300 mm plate size), cold runner is standard — simpler, cheaper, easier to maintain. For parts needing cosmetic gate location, internal gating via hot runner or 3-plate cold runner is available on rapid tooling. Hot runner upgrades add ~USD 1,500 to tool cost.

Part tolerance ±0.1 mm typical, ±0.05 mm achievable with careful DFM. Slightly looser than production steel tooling (±0.03 mm) due to aluminum thermal expansion and possible slight dimensional drift over tool life. For precision fits, specify critical dimensions and we'll inspect first article against drawing.

Three triggers: (1) volume exceeds ~10,000 parts where tool wear becomes visible on parts; (2) material is abrasive (glass-filled, mineral-filled) and tool wears faster than expected; (3) cycle time needs to drop — steel tools run faster cycles due to better thermal conductivity. If your program looks like it will scale, we can help you plan the steel tool while rapid tool services bridge production.