Online Injection Moulding Service for Custom Parts

Injection moulding is plastic manufacturing process that can produce high quality parts at scale. It's typically used for low- to high-volume production but our aluminium tooling can also make prototyping runs economical.

• Low cost at higher volumes
• Exceptional part cosmetics and surface finish
• Repeatable
• Complex parts
• Low scrap rate
• Large selection of thermoplastic and thermoset materials

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Injection moulding is widely used for plastic part production in medical, consumer, and automotive industries. Typical parts include:

• Housings
• Brackets
• Gears
• Single-use medical parts
• Electrical connectors
• Syringes
• Containers

Our moulds start from £995, however, because of the initial capital investment in tooling, injection moulding makes sense for higher volumes of parts. Our mould costs will vary depending on part geometry and complexity. Other factors that will impact injection moulding cost are lead times and material.
To find out how much your part will cost, upload your CAD model to get a free quote.

Yes, we offer a production tooling option called on-demand manufacturing. This tooling option provides several benefits: lower piece part price, multi-cavity capabilities, guaranteed tooling for the life of the project (we will cut a new tool if it wears out), and first article inspections.

In most cases, we can maintain a machining tolerance of +/- 0.08mm with an included resin tolerance that can be greater than but no less than +/- 0.002mm/mm.

Injection Moulding:

• Involves injecting plastic into a mould, making it ideal for high-volume production due to low costs per part.
• Has a longer setup time for the mould but fast production afterward.
• Offers a wide range of plastic materials with high-quality finish and precise tolerances.

3D Printing (Additive Manufacturing):

• Builds parts layer by layer from a digital model, without the need for moulds.
• Best for low-volume, custom, or prototype parts as costs are higher per part.
• Faster initial production but slower for large quantities, with diverse materials and varying finish quality.

Prototype Moulds:

• For testing and small runs
• Made from aluminum
• Cheaper and quicker to produce
• Easily modified

Production Moulds:

• For large-scale manufacturing
• Made from hardened steel
• Very durable and precise
• Higher cost and longer lead time

If you use Protolabs for On Demand Manufacturing, we give you a lifetime guarantee for the moulds so you can use them for mass-volume production.  There are high-volume applications where it is better to choose our ODM offer using aerospace-grade aluminium tooling and others where it makes more sense to opt for steel moulds – speak to our application engineers for advice.

If you use Protolabs for On Demand Manufacturing, we give you a lifetime guarantee for the moulds so you can use them for mass-volume production.  There are high-volume applications where it is better to choose our ODM offer using aerospace-grade aluminium tooling and others where it makes more sense to opt for steel moulds – speak to our application engineers for advice.

Injection Molding Materials

We have wide selection of more than 100 thermoplastic and thermoset materials. And if you're looking for alternative material options, check out our guide to resin substitutes for ABS, PC, PP, and other commonly moulded plastics.

Thermoplastics

Thermosets

• Standard Silicone (30,50,60 and 70 durometers)
• Dow Corning MS-1002 Clear
• Dow Corning MS-4002 Optical Clear

Plastic Injection Moulding:

• Uses thermoplastics that melt and cool to set.
• Suitable for diverse products like automotive parts and consumer goods.
• Offers various plastics like ABS and nylon.

LSR (Liquid Silicone Rubber) Moulding:

• Uses liquid silicone that cures with heat.
• Ideal for medical devices and flexible products.
• Provides flexibility and high temperature resistance.