5 Steps to Transfer Your Mold

Switching suppliers? Here are 5 steps to move molds from one foundry to another.

Why Transfer Tooling?

Are you seeking value that your current supplier isn’t providing? Common reasons for transferring tools include:

Sharing your reasons for transferring with the new supplier helps them prepare to take on your tool and better serve you. For example, if you are transferring a tool from overseas due to quality issues and long lead times, inform your new supplier. This allows them to analyze the cause of defects, understand the overseas mold design, and create a plan to meet your lead time expectations.

5 Steps to Transfer Your Mold

Step 1: Research

Research and visit potential foundries. Here are 6 questions to ask a new supplier.

Step 2: Describe

Describe your mold and casting to the new supplier. Sharing details about the mold and casting helps the new supplier prepare to get it running at their facility.

The more information you share, the more accurate your quote and timeline will be.

Step 3: Quote

Get a quote with piece price, tooling cost, and lead time.

Piece price depends on size, material, design complexity, and operations.

Tooling cost involves the cost for mold repairs, accessories, cores, and fixtures. The foundry may also perform a Finite Element Analysis and casting simulation to verify the mold’s ability to produce quality parts and highlight areas for improvement.

Step 4: Retrofit

In this step, you’ll send the mold to the new supplier for retrofitting. This includes all the repairs, adding and removing features, and fitting the mold to the foundry’s presses and equipment.

Step 5: Approve & Launch

The final step is getting your mold up and running. The foundry will cast samples and perform a First Article Inspection (FAI). Once approved, you’re ready to launch full production.