Injection services and contract molding - guide 2025

Introduction to injection services

Injection services and contract injection are key solutions for companies needing plastic production without investing in own machines and tools. Injection molding plants offering contract injection services enable quick market entry and flexible production scaling.

The injection molding services market in Poland is worth hundreds of millions of zlotys annually. Plastic injection companies serve all sectors - from medical, through automotive, to household articles.

In this comprehensive guide, we will present everything about contract plastic injection services - types of services, industries, partner selection and cooperation management.

What are contract injection services?

Contract injection services (contract injection molding) are outsourcing of plastic component production to specialized injection molding plants. The client provides the design or orders comprehensive implementation, and the contractor produces molded parts.

Cooperation models:

1. Full-service

• Injection plant provides everything: design, molds, production
• Client provides only product specification
• Most expensive model, but least engaging

2. Toll molding

• Client provides mold and material
• Plant provides only machine and labor
• Cheapest model

3. Hybrid model

• Plant provides molds, client material (or vice versa)
• Flexible solution

Types of injection services

Injection services can be classified according to many criteria. The most common division is by target industry.

Medical injection

Medical injection is the most demanding segment of injection services. Requires highest standards of quality, sterility and certification.

Medical injection products:

• Disposable syringes
• Diagnostic device elements
• Medical equipment housings
• Inhaler parts
• Infusion system components
• Implants (specialist biocompatible plastics)

Medical injection requirements:

• ISO 13485 certification - mandatory
• Cleanroom - production in clean rooms (ISO 7-8)
• Process validation - IQ/OQ/PQ documentation
• Medical materials - USP Class VI, biocompatible
• 100% inspection - vision systems, automatic inspection
• Traceability - full identification

Leading medical injection plants in Poland:

• Often specialist companies only for medical
• Cleanroom investments 500k-2M PLN
• Higher margins (15-30%) due to requirements

Cosmetic and packaging injection

Cosmetic injection and packaging injection is the largest market segment. Includes bottles, jars, closures, pumps, applicators.

Products:

• Cosmetic packaging (jars, bottles, tubes)
• Closures and pumps
• Applicators (brushes, applicators)
• Food packaging (containers, lids)
• PET bottles (blow + preform injection)

Requirements:

• Aesthetics - perfect surface, no defects
• Certifications - food contact (EU 10/2011, FDA)
• High efficiency - multi-cavity molds (8-64 cavities)
• Decoration - IML, pad printing, hot stamping

Typical volumes:

• Series 100k - 10M pieces annually
• Short cycle times (5-15 seconds)
• 24/7 automation

Automotive parts injection

Automotive parts injection is a prestigious segment requiring highest quality and IATF 16949 certification.

Automotive products:

• Interior - dashboards, door panels, consoles, handles
• Exterior - bumpers, lights, moldings
• Under-the-hood - engine covers, tanks, ducts
• Electrical - connectors, sensor housings, switches

Automotive injection requirements:

• IATF 16949 - mandatory certification
• PPAP - part approval process
• APQP - advanced quality planning
• FMEA - failure mode and effects analysis
• MSA/SPC - statistical process control
• Zero defect tolerance - PPM < 10

Materials:

• PP, ABS, PC/ABS for interior
• PP+GF, PA+GF for technical parts
• PC+ASA, PC+PBT for exterior
• Flame retardant plastics (UL94 V-0)

Electronic component injection

Electronic component injection requires precision, cleanliness and ESD (electrostatic) properties.

Products:

• Consumer electronics housings (smartphones, tablets)
• Connectors
• Network device housings (routers, switches)
• Electronic RTV/AGD elements
• LED components

Requirements:

• Dimensional precision - tolerances ±0.05mm
• ESD properties - conductive/dissipative plastics
• Temperature resistance - often up to 120-150°C
• Flame retardancy - UL94 V-0, 5VA
• Cleanliness - no contamination

Household appliance parts injection

Household appliance parts injection includes household device components.

Products:

• Household appliance housings (washing machines, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners)
• Containers and chambers
• Handles and knobs
• Refrigerator drawers and shelves
• Filters and grilles

Materials:

• PP, ABS - standard parts
• PS-HI (HIPS) - refrigerator liners
• PC, PMMA - transparent parts
• PP+GF, PA+GF - strength parts

Toy injection

Toy injection is a specific segment with rigorous safety standards.

Requirements:

• EN 71 - European toy safety standard
• ASTM F963 - American standard
• No sharp edges
• Non-toxic plastics - no phthalates, BPA
• Color resistance - UV stability
• Mechanical strength - drop, torsion tests

Popular products:

• Blocks (LEGO-type)
• Figurines
• Toy vehicles
• Board game elements

Small series injection production

Small series injection production (100-10,000 pieces) is a growing market segment of injection services.

Solutions for small series:

1. Aluminum molds

• Cost 30-50% lower vs. steel
• Production time 2-4 weeks (vs. 8-12 for steel)
• Lifetime 5,000 - 50,000 cycles
• Excellent thermal conductivity - shorter cycle times

2. Modular molds

• Interchangeable forming inserts
• Standard mold base
• Quick product change

3. Rapid tooling

• 3D printed molds (metal AM)
• Prototype resin molds
• Delivery time 1-2 weeks

Small series applications:

• Prototyping before mass production
• Niche products, limited editions
• Spare parts
• Start-ups testing market

How to choose an injection plant?

Choosing the right plastic injection company is a key decision. Here are selection criteria:

1. Industry experience

• Does the plant have experience in your industry?
• Reference portfolio
• Case studies of similar projects

2. Certifications and standards

• ISO 9001 - minimum required
• IATF 16949 - for automotive
• ISO 13485 - for medical
• ISO 14001 - environmental management
• BRC/IFS - food packaging

3. Machine park

• What injection molding machines? (hydraulic/electric/hybrid)
• Tonnage range (does it fit your product?)
• Machine age (park modernity)
• Automation (robots, vision systems)

4. Technical capabilities

• 2K/3K injection (multi-component)
• Insert molding
• IML (in-mold labeling)
• Gas-assisted molding
• Micro molding

5. Additional services

• DFM design (Design for Manufacturing)
• Mold production (in-house or outsourcing?)
• Secondary processing (assembly, pad printing, welding)
• Packaging and logistics

6. Quality control

• What lab equipment? (CMM, microscopes, tensometers)
• SPC systems (Statistical Process Control)
• Automatic inspection (vision systems)
• Documentation (reports, certificates)

7. Financial stability and references

• How many years on the market?
• Reference clients (contact possibility)
• Financial condition (KRS, financial data)

Cooperation management with injection plant

Effective cooperation with injection plant requires good relationship management:

Stage 1: Request for Quote (RFQ)

• Technical documentation (3D, 2D drawings)
• Material specification
• Series size (annual, monthly)
• Quality requirements and tolerances
• Delivery schedule

Stage 2: Partner selection

• Quote comparison (not just price!)
• Plant visit (audit)
• Terms negotiation
• Framework agreement

Stage 3: Development phase

• DFM analysis (Design for Manufacturing)
• Design optimization for injection
• Mold production (8-16 weeks)
• Trial runs
• Process validation
• PPAP/FAI (first article inspection)

Stage 4: Series production

• Delivery schedules (weekly/monthly)
• Quality control (AQL sampling)
• Change management (ECN - Engineering Change Notice)
• KPI monitoring (OTD, quality, costs)

Communication:

• Dedicated project manager
• Regular status (weekly calls)
• Customer portal (order tracking)
• Problem response (8D reports)

Pricing models in injection services

The cost structure of contract injection consists of several elements:

1. Injection mold cost

• Aluminum molds (small series): 5,000 - 30,000 PLN
• Steel single-cavity molds: 20,000 - 80,000 PLN
• Steel multi-cavity molds: 80,000 - 500,000+ PLN
• Hot runner system: +30-50% to mold cost

Mold ownership:

• Tooling owned by client - client owner, can transfer
• Tooling owned by molder - plant owner, lower initial price
• Amortization - spread over series (e.g. 0.10 PLN/pc through 100k pieces)

2. Unit molded part cost

• Material - 40-60% of cost (granulate price + % regrind)
• Machine work - 20-30% (cycle time x machine hourly rate)
• Labor - 10-20% (operator, inspection)
• Margin - 10-30% (depending on industry and volume)

Typical machine hourly rates:

• Small injection molding machine (50-150T): 150-250 PLN/h
• Medium (200-500T): 250-400 PLN/h
• Large (600T+): 400-800 PLN/h
• Electric +20-40% vs. hydraulic

3. Additional costs

• Setup fee (production preparation): 500-2000 PLN
• Engineering (DFM, optimization): 100-200 PLN/h
• Trial runs: 2000-10,000 PLN
• Quality control (reports, certificates): 500-2000 PLN
• Special packaging, logistics

Price negotiations:

• Volume - larger series = lower unit price
• Long-term cooperation - better terms with annual contracts
• Product simplification - DFM optimization can reduce cost by 20-40%
• Flexibility - flexible schedules give better prices

Certifications and quality standards

In injection services certifications are crucial, especially for regulated industries:

ISO 9001 - base

• Quality management system
• Minimum for every plant
• Basis for other certificates

IATF 16949 - automotive

• Highest quality requirements
• PPAP, APQP, FMEA, MSA, SPC
• Customer audits (customer specific requirements)
• Zero defect tolerance

ISO 13485 - medical devices

• Specific for medical devices
• Process validation
• Risk management (ISO 14971)
• Biocompatibility (ISO 10993)

BRC/IFS - food packaging

• British Retail Consortium / International Featured Standards
• HACCP
• Migration testing (food contact)

ISO 14001 - environment

• Environmental management
• Recycling, energy recovery
• Carbon footprint

Summary

Injection services and contract injection are an excellent solution for companies needing plastic production without machine investments. The key to success is choosing the right injection plant and good cooperation.

Key conclusions from the guide:

• Service models - full-service, toll molding, hybrid - choose according to needs
• Demanding industries - medical and automotive require specialist certifications
• Small series - possible thanks to aluminum molds and rapid tooling
• Partner selection - certifications, machine park, industry experience
• Costs - mold + unit cost (material + labor + margin)
• Cooperation - communication and relationship management crucial for success

If you are looking for a partner for contract injection, contact TEDESolutions. We will help find the optimal injection plant or provide Tederic injection molding machines for your own production.

Also see our articles about injection molding machines, plastics processing and injection molding machine brand comparison.