Injection Molding worked example
Mold First Article Cost with sample production cost of 6,300 $: a worked example
Push sample production cost up to 6,300 $ and the picture changes. This example computes every intermediate figure at that operating point. Use this when budgeting for new mold qualifications, quoting PPAP or FAI costs to customers, or planning resources for mold trial activities.
The inputs for this scenario
- Sample production cost (material + press + setup): 6,300 $ (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 2,500)
- Measurement and inspection labor cost: 1,800 $ (unchanged)
- Documentation and reporting cost: 900 $ (unchanged)
Working through the calculation
- Applying the documented formula (Total FAI cost = Production cost + Measurement cost + Documentation cost) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
- At this operating point the engine returns 9,000 $ for total, the number this scenario is built around.
- At this operating point the engine returns 6,300 $ for element 1.
- At this operating point the engine returns 1,800 $ for element 2.
- At this operating point the engine returns 900 $ for element 3 + 4.
How this compares with the baseline
- Against the tool's baseline example, where sample production cost sits at 2,500 $ and the headline result is 5,200 $, this scenario comes in 73.08% above the baseline at 9,000 $.
- It sums the three real cost buckets of a First Article Inspection — sample press production, dimensional inspection labor, and documentation — into one total FAI charge. The value of this scenario is the size of the gap it exposes: that gap, priced out over a year, is the budget you can justify spending to close it.
Results at a glance
- Total: 9,000 $ (headline result)
- Element 1: 6,300 $
- Element 2: 1,800 $
- Element 3 + 4: 900 $
Run it with your numbers
- Every input above is editable in the live Mold First Article Cost calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.
Last reviewed 2026-05-12.