Tooling, Fixtures, Dies & Mold Economics worked example

Mold Cost Per Part at 98% usable share of rated tool life: a worked example

This scenario runs the mold cost per part calculation on the strong side: 98% usable share of rated tool life, with every other input held at its documented default. a tooling estimator needs to spread injection mold cost across projected part volume for a quote.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Molded parts over tool life: 250,000 parts (unchanged)
  • Mold cost per cavity-shot: 0.18 $ / part (unchanged)
  • Usable share of rated tool life: 98 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 85)
  • Mold maintenance reserve: 6,000 $ (unchanged)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Total mold cost over life = molded parts × mold cost per part × tool life realization + mold maintenance reserve) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 50,100 $ for total mold cost per part cost, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 0.2 $ / piece for mold cost per part cost per unit.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 44,100 $ for variable mold cost per part cost.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 6,000 $ for fixed mold cost per part adder.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where usable share of rated tool life sits at 85% and the headline result is 44,250 $, this scenario comes in 13.22% above the baseline at 50,100 $.
  • Use it when quoting a molded part, comparing candidate molds, or checking when a mold has recovered its cost. Treat this as a target state: the delta against the baseline quantifies what the improvement is worth before you commit to chasing it.

Results at a glance

  • Total mold cost per part cost: 50,100 $ (headline result)
  • Mold cost per part cost per unit: 0.2 $ / piece
  • Variable mold cost per part cost: 44,100 $
  • Fixed mold cost per part adder: 6,000 $

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Mold Cost Per Part calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.