Overseas moulding can look cheaper on a unit price, but the headline figure rarely tells the whole story. Here's how to compare fairly.
Look at Total Landed Cost
A low overseas unit price often hides shipping, import duties, longer payment terms and the cost of tying up cash in large minimum orders and stock. Compare the total landed cost, not just the per-part price.
Lead Times and Reliability
UK moulding means shorter, more predictable lead times and no long sea-freight waits. When a design changes or a problem arises, a UK moulder can react in days, not weeks.
Communication and Time Zones
Working with a UK moulder you can phone, or visit, removes the friction of time zones, language and slow email chains. Misunderstandings get resolved quickly. See how to choose a UK moulder.
Quality, IP and Flexibility
A nearby UK partner makes quality oversight, sampling and small or frequent orders far easier, and keeps your tooling and intellectual property close to home. For low and medium volumes especially, UK moulding is often the better total-value choice.
Already Manufacturing Overseas?
Moving production back does not necessarily mean paying for a new mould tool. Existing tooling is often suitable for transfer, subject to condition and machine compatibility. Learn about transferring existing injection mould tooling to our UK facility, or read the full guide to transferring a mould tool to a new supplier.
Sources & Further Reading
For independent background on the process, see the British Plastics Federation's guide to injection moulding and the overview on Wikipedia.