A book of “Mold Standards” is a detailed description of what is required to match the mold with the molding factory, their equipment, machines, clamping systems, water hook ups, hydraulics for cylinders, air hook ups and cylinders, brand and type of steels/materials that are required, Hot Runner brand, electrical hook up and wiring requirements, brand and type of components (DME, Hasco), etc. This should never come from the mold maker, he’ll build you what is cheapest for him.

Mold Specification should always come from the client: what materials for each plate and component, gated where and how, ejected where and how, cooling where and how, for each specific mold or once again, you’ll get what is the easiest and cheapest for the mold maker.

Guaranteed somewhere along the line you are getting a 3D model of the part, no one is building molds from simple 2D drawings these days.

But no one needs or expects a detailed mold design for an RFQ. Mold Standards and Specs is all that’s necessary. But the customer must certainly require basic layout and material list before approving the mold maker to buy materials. As well, depending on your confidence in the mold supplier, there needs to be sufficient detail of the mold design before an approval to cut steel is authorized.

But for those who have only basic knowledge of molded parts or molds, they are probably better off partnering with a molder and contracting the molder to provide XXX number of parts by month for the next xx years, for a minimum volume of XXX—– Mr. Supplier, you buy the mold and amortize the mold cost in the piece price. That puts your chosen supplier on the hook to deliver. If they are not willing to that, then that should be a red flag right away.