Last updated: 2026-09-04 · 5 min read

China Mold Sourcing Timeline — What Happens Week by Week From RFQ to First Samples, and Where Do Delays Usually Occur?

Sourcing an injection mold from China takes 10–16 weeks from RFQ to T1 samples. Nine phases: RFQ (2 weeks), quotation review (1 week), deposit + DFM (1 week), mold flow (1 week), steel procurement (1–2 weeks), machining (4–5 weeks), finishing (2 weeks), T1 trial (1 week), T2 if needed (2–3 weeks). Two delay points cause 80% of overruns: slow DFM approval and specialty steel procurement.

Key Facts

<>

  • Nine phases, 10–16 weeks total. Critical path: RFQ → DFM → mold flow → steel → machining → finishing → T1. Each phase has a specific customer action gate; missing the gate delays the next phase by 1–2 weeks.
  • Two delay points cause 80% of schedule overruns: (1) DFM approval taking more than 5 working days (adds 1–2 weeks per week of delay), (2) specialty steel not in stock (S136, NAK80 add 2–3 weeks mill lead time).
  • Four holiday blackout periods: Chinese New Year (3–4 weeks, Jan–Feb), National Day (1 week, Oct 1–7), Labor Day (3 days, May 1), Mid-Autumn (1 day). If machining overlaps CNY, add 3–4 weeks to the timeline.

    • Shrinkage — The dimensional reduction from mold cavity to cooled part. Amorphous resins: 0.4–0.7% (uniform). Semi-crystalline: 1.0–2.5% (directional). Mold makers apply shrinkage factor when machining cavity. Actual shrinkage varies with wall thickness, gate location and packing pressure. The related guide covers adjacent topics.

    What Does the Week-by-Week Timeline Look Like From RFQ to T1?

    Nine phases with duration, activity and required customer action:

    Week Phase Activity Customer Action
    1–2 RFQ Send drawing + specs to 2–3 mold makers. Receive line-item quotes with cost breakdown, lead time, payment terms. Provide complete drawing (3D STEP + 2D PDF with GD&T), resin, finish, annual volume
    2–3 Quote review Compare quotes line by line: steel grade, mold base, side actions, hot runner, delivery terms. Ask clarifying questions; confirm included vs. extra items
    3–4 Deposit + DFM Pay 30–50% deposit. Mold maker runs DFM: draft, wall, gate, ejectors, side actions. Sends DFM report. Review DFM within 3–5 working days; approve or request changes
    4–5 Mold flow Run mold flow (fill, pack, cool, warp). Send report with fill pattern, weld lines, air traps, cooling layout. Confirm gate location and weld line positions acceptable
    5–7 Steel procurement Order mold base (LKM/FUTABA) and steel. P20/718H in stock; S136/NAK80 may need 2–3 weeks. No action unless special-order steel
    6–11 Machining Rough CNC, electrode EDM, wire cut, deep-hole drilling, heat treat, stress relieve. Optional: mid-build inspection at week 8
    11–13 Finishing Fit inserts, assemble side actions, polish cavities, texture/etch, install cooling + ejectors. No action needed
    13–14 T1 trial Run 50–100 shots. Measure on CMM. Prepare T1 package: CMM report, process sheet, samples, video. Receive T1 package within 5 working days; review and feedback
    14–16 T2 (if needed) Modify mold if dimensions out of spec. Run T2 to confirm fix. Ship approved samples. Approve T2 samples or request further changes

    The critical path is 10–13 weeks for a standard mold. The most common delay is the DFM review: if the customer takes more than 5 working days to respond, the mold maker’s schedule may be pushed by the next project in queue. The second most common delay is steel procurement for specialty grades not in stock.

    Where Do Delays Usually Occur — and How Do You Prevent Each One?

    1. Incomplete RFQ package (adds 3–7 days to quotation). If the drawing is missing dimensions, tolerance callouts or surface finish, the mold maker sends clarification questions.
      Fix: provide a complete drawing package (3D STEP file + 2D PDF with GD&T, resin grade, surface finish spec, annual volume) before sending the RFQ.
    2. Slow DFM approval (adds 1–2 weeks per week of delay). The DFM report is the most important document — it identifies draft issues, wall problems, gate conflicts and ejector positions. If the customer takes more than 5 working days, the mold maker’s queue pushes the start date.
      Fix: assign a dedicated engineer to review the DFM within 3 working days of receipt.
    3. Design changes after mold cutting begins (adds 1–2 weeks per change). A small dimension change (0.1 mm) adds 1–2 days; a large change (moving a parting line or adding a side action) adds 1–2 weeks. Fix: freeze the design before the deposit is paid.
      Any change after steel is ordered is a change order with separate cost and timeline.
    4. Chinese New Year and national holidays (adds 1–4 weeks). Chinese mold factories close for 3–4 weeks during CNY (late Jan to mid-Feb) and 1 week during National Day (Oct 1–7). If machining overlaps CNY, add 3–4 weeks. Fix: plan the RFQ so the critical machining phase does not fall during a holiday period.

    Each delay is preventable.
    The total schedule impact of all four delays combined is 5–9 weeks — turning a 12-week project into a 17–21 week project. The single most effective action is to provide a complete, frozen design package before the RFQ is sent.

    Gate vestige — The visible mark left on the part surface where the gate was trimmed. Edge gate: 0.5–2.0mm vestige. Pin-point gate: 0.2–0.5mm. Valve gate: 0.05–0.1mm (flush). Vestige size affects cosmetic appearance and may require secondary trimming. The related guide covers adjacent topics.

    80% of schedule overruns come from two sources: slow DFM approval and specialty steel procurement. Freeze the design before the deposit, approve the DFM within 5 working days, and confirm steel availability before ordering — these three actions keep 90% of projects on schedule.

  • Key parameter identified — critical variable confirmed against spec.
  • Tolerance within achievable range — commercial ±0.15mm or tighter as needed.
  • Material matched to application — resin grade selected for end-use environment.
  • Process window validated at T1 — parameters locked after first trial.
  • Inspection method defined — CMM, visual, or functional test specified.

    • Frequently Asked Questions

    Can you get a mold from China in less than 10 weeks?

    Yes — for a simple single-cavity mold with no side actions and P20 steel (in stock), the timeline can be compressed to 6–8 weeks by: paying an express fee (10–20% surcharge), starting machining before DFM is fully approved (risky), and using air freight for samples. The trade-off: compressed timelines increase error risk — the DFM review is shortened, mold flow may be skipped, and T1 may reveal issues a thorough review would have caught.

    For production molds, the 10–13 week standard timeline is safer and costs less in rework.

    How do you track progress during the 4–5 week machining phase?

    The mold maker should send a weekly progress report with photos: cavity block roughed, electrode machining, EDM progress, wire cutting, fitting and polishing. The report should include a Gantt chart showing planned vs. actual progress. If the mold maker cannot provide weekly photo updates, it signals poor project management — choose a supplier with a dedicated project manager and structured reporting.

    Some mold makers also provide a shared cloud folder with real-time photos and inspection data.

    What is the shipping time from China to the US or Europe?

    Sea freight from Shenzhen/Shanghai to Los Angeles: 18–25 days; to Hamburg/Rotterdam: 28–35 days. Air freight: 5–7 days at 4–6× the sea freight cost. T1 samples ship by air (small, urgent); production molds ship by sea (heavy, not time-critical). Shipping does not affect the mold-making timeline — the mold is complete when T2 samples are approved — but it affects when you receive the physical mold.

    Sea freight costs $500–2,000 for a mold; air freight costs $2,000–8,000 for the same shipment.

    Key Takeaways

    <>

  • Standard timeline: 10–16 weeks from RFQ to T1 samples (9 phases).
  • Two delay points cause 80% of overruns: slow DFM approval + specialty steel procurement.
  • Design changes after cutting begins add 1–2 weeks per change — freeze design before deposit.
  • Chinese New Year adds 3–4 weeks — plan RFQ to avoid holiday overlap.

    • If you are planning to source a mold from China and need a timeline estimate, send the drawing and your target delivery date.
    The review identifies whether the timeline is achievable, flags risk factors (specialty steel, holiday overlap, design complexity), and provides a week-by-week schedule with the critical path highlighted.

    Sources: Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) — Mold Making Lead Time Data · ASTM International — Mold Manufacturing Standards · LKM Mold Base — Steel Availability and Lead Times · HASCO Standard Parts — Delivery Schedules · DME Mold Components — Lead Time Guidelines

    — Arthur, Tooling Engineer at aCatMould