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Low Volume Injection Moulding

Injection moulding is often associated with very large production runs. In reality, not every business needs hundreds of thousands of components at a time.

Low volume injection moulding can provide a practical route for businesses that require smaller production batches while still wanting the consistency, material choice and component quality associated with injection moulding.
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What is low volume injection moulding?

There is no universal quantity at which injection moulding becomes "low volume". For one component, a few hundred parts may represent a low production run. For another business accustomed to manufacturing millions of components each year, several thousand parts may still be considered low volume.

It is therefore more useful to think about low volume production in relation to the overall project rather than applying an arbitrary number.

The main question is whether injection moulding provides an economical and technically suitable way of producing the quantity required.
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When does low volume injection moulding make sense?

There are many reasons a business may deliberately choose smaller production runs.

These can include:

  • Launching a new product
  • Testing demand before committing to larger volumes
  • Manufacturing specialist or niche components
  • Producing spare or replacement parts
  • Supporting products with variable demand
  • Reducing the amount of finished stock held
  • Manufacturing seasonal products
  • Producing several different product variations
  • Bridging the gap between prototype and full production

Low volume manufacture can also be useful where a component has already been injection moulded successfully but the business no longer requires the quantities it once did.
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UK Manufacturing

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ISO 9001 Certified

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End-to-End Manufacturing

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Assembly, Packing & Fulfilment

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Is injection moulding economical at low volumes?

Not every plastic component project starts from scratch.

If you already own an injection mould tool, it may be possible to transfer that tool to another manufacturing partner rather than investing in replacement tooling.

Before production begins, the existing mould should be assessed for condition, compatibility and any maintenance or modifications that may be required. Previous samples, drawings, material specifications and production information can all make this process considerably easier.

Read our Injection Mould Tool Transfer Guide for more information.

Have an existing mould tool?

Businesses sometimes have perfectly usable injection mould tools but struggle to find a manufacturer willing or able to run smaller production quantities.

Transferring an existing tool can provide an alternative to manufacturing an entirely new mould.

The tool will normally need to be assessed before production to confirm its condition, machine compatibility and any maintenance requirements.

Hillbrush can work with existing mould tools as well as supporting new product development and manufacturing projects.

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Choosing materials for smaller production runs

Low production volume does not automatically mean compromising on material.

Common injection moulding materials include polypropylene, nylon and a wide range of other thermoplastics. Material selection should still be based on the performance required from the finished component.

Considerations may include:

  • Strength
  • Rigidity
  • Flexibility
  • Impact resistance
  • Chemical resistance
  • Temperature
  • Appearance
  • Colour
  • Weight
  • Food contact or other regulatory requirements

Read our Injection Moulding Materials Guide for more information.
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Moving from low volume to larger production

One advantage of injection moulding is that a successful component can often move into larger scale production without changing the fundamental manufacturing process.

As demand increases, production planning, tooling configuration, automation and packaging can be reviewed to improve efficiency.

This means low volume manufacturing can form part of a longer term production strategy rather than simply being a temporary solution.

Talk to Hillbrush about low volume production

Every project is different, so rather than imposing a standard minimum quantity across every component, we prefer to understand the product, tooling and production requirement first. If you already own a mould tool or would like to discuss a new injection moulded component, our manufacturing team can review the project and help you understand the options available.