The question "how much is the mould?" is the moment a buyer stops browsing and starts committing capital. It is also the question most quotes answer with a single number that hides four different costs. A bottle is not one tool — it is a steel shell, sometimes a full steel assembly, a plastic lid or collar, and the surface finish on top. Below is how those costs actually break down, what STWADD quotes for each, what the wider market looks like, and the ownership clause you should put in the purchase order before anyone cuts steel.
A "bottle mould" quote usually bundles several separate tools. Knowing which one you are paying for changes both the price and what you own afterwards:
These are the figures we quote. They are our numbers, not a market average — use them as a concrete reference point when you compare other suppliers:
| Tooling item | STWADD setup (one-time) | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| Stainless steel outer-shell mould | USD 1,000 | Outside body shape of one model |
| Complete stainless steel tooling | USD 2,000 | Shell + inner wall + base + lid ring as a set |
| Plastic component mould (lid / cap / collar / straw) | USD 2,000 | One plastic part, single cavity family |
| Spray-coating setup, one colour | USD 30 | Per production run, per colour |
| Colour / printing setup (silk screen, per colour on plastic) | USD 50 | Per production run, per colour |
| New-tooling minimum order quantity | 3,000 pcs / SKU | Below this the tooling cannot be amortised |
The surface setups (USD 30 and USD 50) are per order, not one-time — they reappear every time you reorder that colour. The steel and plastic moulds are one-time engineering costs that do not repeat on re-orders.
For context, quotes seen across Yongkang and the broader Zhejiang cluster in 2026 typically land in these bands. Treat them as a sanity check, not a promise — cavitation, steel grade and finish drive the real number:
| Tooling item | Typical market range (2026) | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Steel outer-shell mould | USD 800 – 3,000 | Cavitation, drawing depth, necking complexity |
| Full stainless steel tooling | USD 1,500 – 5,000 | Whether the inner wall is also custom |
| Plastic component mould | USD 1,500 – 4,000 | Part size, sliders, number of cavities |
| Spray / print setup | USD 20 – 80 | Colour count, mask complexity |
A quote far below these bands usually means a shared or borrowed cavity, slower lead time, or a setup fee hidden in the unit price. A quote far above usually means multi-cavity production tooling built for very high volume — only worth it if your annual run justifies it.
Tooling is not instant, and the calendar is where most first orders slip. The realistic sequence:
Plan all three. A buyer who budgets only the "25–30 days production" and forgets the tooling and sampling windows is the buyer whose goods miss the trade-show or the season.
A new mould only makes sense when the volume covers the tool. At a 3,000-piece new-tooling minimum, the maths is straightforward: the per-unit price has to recover the tooling spread across the run. The mould starts paying for itself on the second order, because re-orders drop the one-time tooling cost entirely. Two rules of thumb:
Copy this and fill the brackets. The point is to state, in writing, who owns the tool and what happens to it:
Tooling: The buyer pays a one-time tooling fee of [amount] for [describe mould: shell / full steel / plastic lid]. The mould is the buyer's property. The supplier stores and maintains it free of charge while the buyer places orders, and shall not use it to produce goods for any third party without the buyer's prior written consent. On termination of the relationship, at the buyer's request the supplier shall return the mould to the buyer's nominated address or destroy it and certify destruction in writing. The tooling fee is not refunded but is not charged again on re-orders of the same item. [Optional: the tooling fee is waived once cumulative orders reach [quantity] pieces.]
Without this clause, "you paid for the mould" and "the mould is yours" are two different things, and the gap is where disputes start.
Send us your drawing or a physical sample and we will return, in writing:
Free sample policy: we send a sample free of charge — you pay only the freight, no deposit. The mould-ownership clause above is included in every custom order we quote.
We are a factory-backed supply company in Yongkang, Zhejiang: production runs to your specification at audited partner factories we qualify and work with directly, and tooling is cut and maintained under our own QC before the container is sealed. Our OEM and ODM page covers sampling, lead times and inspection, and the 2026 catalogue lists every in-stock model if a stock mould with your finish is the faster route.
Does the mould cost get refunded or absorbed into the unit price? It is a one-time engineering cost for cutting the tool, not a deposit. It is not refunded, but it is also not repeated on re-orders: once the mould exists, later orders pay only the per-unit production price. Some suppliers absorb it above a volume threshold; agree that threshold in writing before tooling starts.
Who owns the mould once I have paid for it? If you pay the tooling fee, the mould is your asset. The supplier stores and maintains it while you place orders, but may not use it to produce for a third party without your written consent, and must return or destroy it on request. Put this in the purchase order; do not assume it from a verbal agreement.
What is the MOQ when I open a new mould? A new bottle mould normally carries a higher minimum than a stock mould because the tool has to be amortised across the run. At STWADD a new-tooling order starts at 3,000 pieces per SKU; below that the per-unit price does not cover the tooling spread.
How long does a new steel bottle mould take before I see samples? Fabricating the steel tooling typically takes three to five weeks, then the first custom samples are cut and finished in about 7 to 10 days. Mass production runs 25 to 30 days after you approve the sample. Build all three into your calendar, not just the production window.
Can STWADD run a mould I already own? Yes, where the tool is compatible with our partner lines we can run a buyer-owned mould and apply your spec, colour and printing. Send the mould drawing or the physical sample and we will confirm fit, the per-unit price at your quantity, and the lead time before any commitment.