Question 1

What counts as low volume?

Accepted Answer

Low volume generally means roughly tens to a few thousand parts, above a one-off prototype but below the volume where a hardened production tool pays for itself. The exact line depends on the part: a small simple part might make sense to mold at a few hundred pieces, while a large or complex part might stay on CNC or casting well into the thousands.

Question 2

What is the cheapest way to make 100 parts?

Accepted Answer

For 100 parts, a no-tooling process such as CNC machining or SLS 3D printing is usually cheapest overall, since there is no tool to pay off. If the part needs to look and feel like an injection-molded plastic part, urethane casting from a low-cost silicone tool is often the next cheapest option. The right answer still depends on material, geometry, and finish, so it helps to get quotes across a couple of processes.

Question 3

What is bridge production?

Accepted Answer

Bridge production uses a faster, cheaper tool, typically an aluminum injection mold, to run real parts while a hardened steel production tool is being machined. It lets you sell or field-test actual molded parts during the weeks or months a final tool takes to build, instead of waiting on the production tool before shipping anything.

Question 4

When is it worth investing in tooling?

Accepted Answer

Tooling is worth it once the volume is high enough that the per-part savings from a molded or stamped process outweigh the fixed tool cost. Below that break-even point, no-tooling processes like CNC or 3D printing usually cost less overall. Ask shops to quote your part both ways, at your current volume and at your expected volume a year out, to see where that crossover lands.

Question 5

Can I reorder the same parts later?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Parts you have made are saved to your OpenSpindle parts library, so a reorder is a couple of clicks rather than a fresh request, and it can be routed back to the same shop for consistency. For molded or cast parts, the tool stays with the shop that made it, so repeat runs skip the tooling cost and pick up where the last run left off.

Process	Typical lead time	Volume	Why it fits
Urethane Casting	1-3 weeks	10-200	Molded feel from a cheap silicone tool cast off a master pattern, no steel or aluminum mold needed.
Prototype/Bridge Molding	3-5 weeks	100-10,000	An aluminum tool bridges the gap to production while a hardened steel mold is being cut.
CNC Machining	1-2 weeks	1-1,000	No tooling at all, holds tight tolerances, and runs in nearly any metal or plastic.
SLS	3-7 days	1-500	Durable nylon parts with no tooling and no supports, good for complex geometry and nested batches.
Sheet Metal	1-2 weeks	1-1,000	Brackets, panels, and enclosures cut and formed with no hard tooling required at this volume.

Approach	Best for	Lead time	Cost
Urethane casting	Molded-feel parts at low volume	1-3 weeks	$$
Bridge tooling	Ramping to real injection molding	3-5 weeks	$$$
CNC	Precision parts in any material	1-2 weeks	$$$
SLS	No tooling, complex geometry	3-7 days	$$

Low-volume manufacturing from independent shops

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Which process for low volume

Which route for 10 to 500 parts

Choosing a low-volume route

Tooling pays off only past a break-even volume

Bridge tooling buys time while a steel tool is cut

Mixing methods across a BOM is normal and fine

Order what you need, when you need it

Frequently asked questions

Other ways to make your part

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