Key takeaways
- Before any decision about a new mold, we evaluate your current one.
- The evaluation tells you whether the mold can be reused, whether it needs modifications, and how much that reduces the upfront investment.
- Your current tray and the part are the starting point of the review, along with photos and data on the mold.
- When reuse doesn't pay off, the current tray serves as a reference for the new design.
You may be able to reuse your existing mold. If you already have a thermoforming mold with another supplier, we evaluate whether it can be reused to reduce the upfront investment. The answer depends on the mold's condition, its compatibility with our process, and whether the tray it produces still works for the part and the operation. To get started, send photos and data on your current mold, along with details on the tray in use and the part. Below, we cover what the evaluation tells you and when it's worth starting a new project.
Why does a mold you've already paid for hold up a supplier change?
If you buy trays, you know how it goes. The current supplier runs late, the tray comes from abroad and depends on imports, or the part has changed and the adjustment takes too long. Even so, the switch gets put off, because the mold and development have already been paid for, and changing suppliers feels like starting over.
That concern is well founded. The mold is usually a significant share of the upfront investment, and the current tray has already been validated on your line, by your customer, and in your logistics. So before you decide to switch, it's worth knowing how much of the existing work can be reused.
What a thermoforming mold evaluation tells you
The evaluation is there to give you a straight answer before you invest anything. It looks at the mold and at the tray it produces, because a mold in good condition can still produce a tray that no longer works for the part.
By the end, you'll know what's possible in your case and how it affects the upfront investment, with enough information to compare the options and make the case to whoever approves the purchase. Typically, the review answers these questions:
- Can the mold still produce the tray with the same fit it has today?
- Is it compatible with our process, or does it need to be adapted?
- Does the tray you use today still work for the part's current revision, the volume, and the workflow?
- Will the planned material and electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection work with this mold?
- Which path makes the most sense: reuse it as is, modify it, or build a new mold?
Does the current tray still work for the part?
Sometimes a supplier change coincides with a change in the part or the process. Maybe the board has a new revision, the customer now requires a different box, or the line has added a robot. In those cases, reusing the mold only makes sense if the tray it produces still fits the new situation.
The same goes for material. If you plan to switch to an ESD-grade sheet, or to change ESD classes, check with our engineering team whether the current mold will work, because different materials behave differently during forming. The tray material and the ESD class are chosen for the tray's function, and the mold has to support that choice.
What to send for the evaluation
The more complete the information, the faster and more accurate the answer. In many cases, the tray in use and the part are enough for an initial review. Our engineering team will contact you if more information is needed or if they need to see the mold in person.
- Photos and data on the current mold, such as overall dimensions and the part number of the tray it produces.
- A few samples of the tray you use today.
- The part: a physical sample, drawing, or 3D CAD file at the current revision.
- The volume, the workflow, and the requirements, such as ESD protection, the standard box or rack, and anything your customer specifies.
- What works and what doesn't in today's tray, from the point of view of the people who run the line.
Before you send anything, also confirm the mold's status under your contract with the current supplier, such as who owns the tooling and the terms for a tooling transfer. That part is up to you, but having the answer in hand keeps the technical evaluation from moving ahead on a mold that can't leave the current supplier.
When is it worth starting a new project?
Not every mold is worth reusing. If the part has changed significantly, if the current tray already causes part damage or rework, or if the cost of the modifications comes close to the cost of a new mold, starting over may be the better path. The evaluation lays out this comparison clearly, so you can take it to whoever approves the decision.
Even with a new project, the work already done has value. The current tray and its usage history serve as a reference, and development follows the five stages described in our article on custom tray development and lead times, with a pilot run before the production mold. To get started, send your information through the quote request form, or see how the process works on our engineering and development page.
Frequently asked questions
Not always. Whether the current mold can be reused depends on its condition, its compatibility with our process, and whether the tray it produces still works for the part and the operation. The evaluation answers these questions before any investment, and you decide with the comparison in hand.
If the mold can't be reused, our engineering team presents an initial tray proposal for a new project, using the current tray and the part as a reference. Development goes through the concept, prototype, and pilot run stages, and the production mold is built only after approval in your operation.
Reusing the mold reduces the upfront investment when the mold is in usable condition and the tray still works for the part. If extensive modifications are needed, the savings may be small. That's why the evaluation compares the possible paths instead of assuming that reuse is always the best choice.
In some cases, yes, you can change the tray material and keep the same mold. Different materials behave differently during forming, and changing the material or the ESD class may require adjustments. When you request the evaluation, tell us which material you plan to use, so our engineering team can factor it into the answer.
