Sign In
Injection Molding Service
Get custom plastic molded prototypes and production parts in as few as 10 business days. We provide expert engineering reviews and $500 off your first mold.
All uploads are secure and confidential.
What Is Injection Molding?
Injection molding, also known as injection moulding, is the most cost-effective way to make a plastic part at scale. The process involves injecting molten plastic into a mold tool, then ejecting the solidified part. This process quickly repeats hundreds or thousands of times, amortizing the cost of the mold tool and driving down the cost of each unit to a few dollars or less. Since injection molding uses the same mold tool for each part, the process offers consistent quality across every part. Injection molding also has the highest variety of materials, colors, cosmetics, polishes, and surface textures when compared to CNC machining or even 3D printing.
Xometry injection molding is a highly customized service providing on-demand prototype and production molding. We take a customer-first approach which means we find the right injection molding supplier within our manufacturing supplier network to mold the parts the way you need them—without design compromises—at the right price point. We offer expert consultation on each injection mold quote and project managers on every order to move your parts from design to production. Our team has experience in every industry, especially medical injection molding. First-time buyers receive $500 off their first mold with Xometry. We offer both domestic and China injection molding options, as well as ITAR injection molding.
Xometry Injection Molding Capabilities
| Service | Details |
|---|---|
Lead Time | Starts at 10 business days, including 24-hour quote responses with design-for-manufacturing (DFM) feedback |
Production Options | Domestic and international |
Materials | Most plastics, including custom sourcing and matching; see materials list below |
Machines Available | Single, multi-cavity, and family molds; 50 to 1,100+ press tonnage; side actions including hand-loaded cores |
Inspection and Certification Options | Includes FAI and PPAP. ISO 9001, AS9100, ISO 13485, UL, ITAR, and ISO 7 and 8 Medical Clean Room molding. |
Tool Ownership | Customer-owned with mold maintenance |
Mold Cavity Tolerances | +/- 0.005" when machining the mold and an additional +/- 0.002" per inch when calculating for shrink rate |
Part to Part Repeatability | +/- 0.004" or less |
Critical Feature Tolerances | Tighter tolerances can be requested and may increase the cost of tooling because of additional sampling and grooming. Xometry will mill to a steel-safe condition on critical features. |
Available Mold Types | Steel and aluminum; Production grades range from Class 105, a prototype mold, to Class 101, an extremely high production mold. Xometry typically produces Class 104, 103, and 102 tools. |
This table depicts the general tolerances for Xometry’s injection molding services and accounts for adequate draft, radii, and coring for manufacturability. Learn more about our injection molding manufacturing standards.
Xometry Injection Molding Mold Classes
| Class 105 | Class 104 | Class 103 | Class 102 | Class 101 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Under 500 cycles. Prototype only. This mold will be constructed in the least expensive manner possible to produce a very limited quantity of prototype parts. Also known as a Class V tool. | Under 100,000 cycles. Low production mold. Use only for limited production preferably with non-abrasive materials. Low to moderate price range. Also known as a Class IV tool. | Under 500,000 cycles. Medium production mold. This is a very popular mold for low to medium production needs. Most common price range. Also known as a Class III tool. | Medium to high production, good for abrasive materials and/or parts requiring close tolerance. This is a high-quality, fairly high-priced mold. Also known as a Class II tool. | Over 1,000,000 cycles. Built for extremely high production. This is the highest-priced mold and is made with only the highest quality materials. Also known as a Class I tool. |
Additional Molding Options Available at Xometry
Insert Molding Service
Make Strong, Functional Prototypes and Production Parts With Insert Molding
Overmolding Service
High Quality Process for Pilot Runs, Low-Volume Production, and Bridge Tooling
How Custom Plastic Molding Works at Xometry
The process of plastic injection molding requires an injection molding machine, raw plastic material, and a machined mold. The raw plastic material is first melted in the injection unit and is then injected into the mold—most often machined from steel or aluminum—where it cools and solidifies into the final plastic part.
At Xometry, we first review your injection molding online quote, then consult with you to ensure your specifications, lead time, and price fit your project needs. We then use your 3D part data to CNC machine a high-quality injection mold. Once the mold is created, Xometry sends ten part samples (T1) for approval. Once the mold is refined and approved, Xometry begins production. Xometry molds a variety of products and parts from the smallest medical insert up to large automotive, aerospace, and defense parts.
Plastic Injection Molding Materials
| Rigid And Flexible Resins |
|---|
ABS | Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene |
ASA | Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate |
CA | Cellulose Acetate |
COPO | Copolyester |
HDPE | High-Density Polyethylene |
LCP | Liquid Crystal Polymer |
LDPE | Low-Density Polyethylene |
PA 6 | Polyamide 6, Nylon 6 |
PA 6/6 | Polyamide 6/6, Nylon 6/6 |
PARA | Polyaryl Amide |
PBT | Polybutylene Terephthalate, Valox |
PBT-PET | Polybutylene Terephthalate-Polyethylene Terephthalate |
PC | Polycarbonate |
Learn more about our molding materials.
Elastomers and Synthetic Rubbers for Molding
| Elastomers and Rubber-Like Materials |
|---|
EPDM | Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer Rubber, Viton |
MPR | Melt Processable Rubber |
POE | Polyolefin Elastomer |
PVC | Polyvinyl Chloride (Shore A) |
Check out more information our materials here.
Custom Sourced Materials
If you do not see the material stock you are looking for, please choose "Custom" under the material drop-down on your online quote page and submit it for an expert engineering review once you have specified features, tolerances, inspection needs, and quantities required. Xometry can also use customer-sourced or customer-supplied resin for production projects.
Injection Molding Finishes
Standard Finish
Moldmaker's choice of finish. Typically SPI B-3 to D-3 depending on geometry and drafts. Interior, non-cosmetic faces, are typically as-machined.
SPI Finishes
Range of finishes from Grade 3 diamond / high polish to 320 stone low polish. Finishes include: SPI A-1 , SPI A-2, SPI A-3, SPI B-1, SPI B-2, SPI B-3, SPI C-1, SPI C-2, SPI C-3, SPI D-1, SPI D-2, and SPI D-3
MoldTech Finishes (Mold Texturing)
Range of finishes including matte, swirls, lines, and patterns. Our most common texture finishes include: MoldTech MT11010, MoldTech MT11020, and MoldTech MT11030. Other textured finishes can be added by request.
As Molded
No secondary polishing or grinding. Part will show tooling marks.
Threaded Inserts
We can install most commonly used standard inserts in UNF and metric sizes.
Pad Printing
Transfer a 2D image onto a 3D part. All images are subject to review.
Laser Engraving
Engrave part numbers, logos, and more onto your parts.
Assembly
Xometry has the ability to assemble and label molded parts. Discuss your needs with your salesperson.
Video: 7 Ways to Save on Injection Molding
Learn seven injection molding design best practices to help you get great molded parts made cost-effectively.
Injection Molding Design Guidelines
| Feature | Tip |
|---|---|
Undercuts | Reduce undercuts, which will increase the complexity and cost of the tool ejection mechanisms, by adding in pass-thru coring. |
Wall Thickness | Prevent wall sink and voids by maintaining an even wall thickness. Thinner walls reduce cycle time and reduce costs. |
Drafts | Ensure parts are designed with a minimum draft angle of 0.5°, or up to 5°, for faces with medium textures. |
Ribs/Gussets | Ribs should be 40-60% the thickness of outer walls and should still maintain draft. |
Bosses | Bosses should be designed at a depth of 30% the wall thickness and with a 30% edge groove. Attach them to side walls or ribs for structural integrity. |
To see these design-for-manufacturing recommendations in detail, view our Injection Molding Design Guide.
Ready to Get a Custom Injection Molding Quote?
Applications and Advantages of Injection Molding
Rapid Prototyping
Low-cost tooling allows molded parts to be produced in as fast as 10 business days at affordable prices.
Production Parts
Molding can be the ideal process for low-volume production molding of 250 units to mass production molding of over 1,000,000 units. Molded parts will generally perform better than the same part CNC machined or 3D printed using the same material. Careful selection of the resins allow for a wide range of properties and solvent compatibility. Molds are CNC machined to high precision, high tolerances and are able to produce thousands of identical parts with very small and intricate details.
Range of Industries and Certifications
We offer ISO 9001, AS9100, ISO 13485, UL, ITAR, and ISO 7 and 8 Medical Clean Room molding.
Why Use Xometry Injection Molding Services?
Endless Options
Choose from millions of possible combinations of materials, finishes, tolerances, markings, and certifications for your order.
Easy to Use
Get your parts delivered right to your door without the hassle of sourcing, project management, logistics, or shipping.
Vetted Network
We are ISO 9001:2015 certified and AS9100D compliant. Only the top molders that apply to become Suppliers make it through our qualification process.
Examples of Our Plastic Injection Molding Service
Article
Case Study: Thermaco Uses Xometry Injection Molding to Scale Global Product Line
By Serena Ngoh
4 min read
Article
Case Study: An Archer Aims, Shoots, and Lands His Shot with Xometry Injection Molding
By Serena Ngoh
7 min read
Article
Case Study: Combating COVID-19 with a Contactless, AI-Based Thermal Imaging Device
By Serena Ngoh
4 min read