Los Angeles & 
Foshan
Glossary · Manufacturing
What is Tooling and molds?
The custom molds, dies, jigs and fixtures a factory makes to produce your parts, usually paid for by the buyer as a one-time cost.
Many custom products need tooling: injection molds for plastic parts, die-casting molds, stamping dies, extrusion dies, or jigs and fixtures for assembly. Tooling is a one-time cost, often quoted separately and paid up front, sometimes partly refunded against future orders.
The contract should state that you own the tooling, that it is used only for your orders, how many cycles or units it should last, who maintains it, and that you can move it to another factory. Without this, a factory can hold the molds as leverage or use them for other customers.
Ask for photos of the tooling marked with your part number, and approve first samples from the new tool before mass production starts.
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