Rapid tooling gets you to real, moulded plastic parts in the shortest practical time. It bridges the gap between prototype and production, giving you parts in the right material while your design is still moving.
What is Rapid and Prototype Tooling?
Rapid tooling, sometimes called prototype tooling, is a faster and more flexible route to injection moulded parts. Instead of committing straight to a full hardened production tool, we build a tool quickly so you can prove out the design, test in the real material and move forward with confidence.
We work in two broad ways. Soft tooling uses 3D printing, additive manufacturing or CNC machining, often in aluminium, to produce parts quickly for prototyping and lower volumes. Hard tooling uses tool steels that stand up to repeated production cycles when you are ready to scale. Many projects start soft and graduate to hard as the design settles.
Everything is designed and made in our Haverhill toolroom, with Design for Manufacture (DFM), EDM, machining, polishing and fitting all in-house. Where you need it, we support handover with first-off sampling, validation and PPAP-style documentation. See also mould tool design and design for manufacture.
Who This Service Is For
- Teams developing a new product who need parts fast, in the right material.
- Engineers validating fit, function and tolerances before committing to production tooling.
- Customers needing a bridge between prototype and full-volume production.
- Regulated projects that need samples plus validation and documentation.
Common Problems We Solve
- “We need real moulded parts, not 3D prints, and fast.” We build rapid tooling to get you moulding quickly.
- “Our design is still changing.” Soft tooling lets us adapt without scrapping an expensive production tool.
- “We will scale up later.” We plan a clear path from prototype tooling to hardened production tooling.
- “We need samples plus documentation.” We support sampling, validation and PPAP-style submissions.
Our Process
Capabilities, Materials & Tolerances
Indicative capability. Every project is reviewed individually, so talk to us about your specific tolerances and materials.
| Soft tooling | 3D printing, additive manufacturing and CNC machining, often in aluminium, for fast prototype and low-volume parts |
|---|---|
| Hard tooling | Fully hardened tool steels such as H13 and Stavax for repeatable production volumes; Stavax suits medical work |
| Tool materials | Aluminium injection mould grades, P20 with hand-loaded inserts, H13 and Stavax tool steels |
| In-house processes | DFM, EDM, CNC machining, polishing and fitting |
| Validation | First-off sampling, dimensional inspection and PPAP-style submission on request |
Industries This Service Supports
Why Choose Us
- A genuinely fast route to moulded parts in your real production material.
- Soft and hard tooling under one roof, with a clear path to production.
- Designed and made in-house at our Haverhill toolroom: DFM, EDM, machining, polishing and fitting.
- Fully hardened production tools carry a lifetime guarantee when run and maintained by us.
- Established in 1978 and ISO 9001:2015 certified by Lloyd's Register.