Tool 04 / Make-or-mold
Know the quantity that justifies a mold.
3D printing keeps fixed cost low. Injection molding lowers unit cost but requires tooling. Find the volume where those two cost curves cross.
Compare production economics
Find when per-unit savings finally repay the mold.
Decision context
Break-even is a threshold, not an automatic decision.
The calculator divides total tooling cost by the savings per molded unit. If a mold costs $5,000 and saves $2.50 per unit, the simple break-even point is 2,000 units.
Reasons to keep printing beyond break-even
Design changes, uncertain demand, multiple variants, low inventory, and short product life can make flexibility more valuable than the theoretical unit saving.
Costs to add before signing a tooling order
Include design-for-manufacturing revisions, samples, shipping, customs, storage, minimum order quantities, rejected batches, and future mold maintenance. Compare cash timing as well as total cost.
Calculation contract · reviewed 2026-08-26
See the source of each input, the formula, and the limit of the result.
Your slicer, invoices, energy tariff, and job records are the preferred inputs. Manufacturer documents support settings and specifications. Example defaults are editable assumptions that demonstrate the model—not measured results.
- Preferred input
- Your job records
- Verification
- Visible formula + unit checks
- Defaults
- Editable example assumptions
- Output use
- Planning comparison