Tooling, Moulds & Production Tooling
Connect with specialists in tooling design, manufacture, modification and repair for production and manufacturing environments.
Categories in this group
19 totalTooling design, manufacture, modification and repair
Tooling, Moulds & Production Tooling covers UK toolmakers and tooling engineers who design, build, modify and repair the moulds, press tools, jigs and fixtures that production depends on. Use this category whether you need a new injection mould tool, modifications to an existing press tool, or a fast repair to get a line back into production.
- You need a new injection mould or press tool designed and built
- You need an existing tool modified for a new part or higher volume
- You need urgent tool repair to recover production downtime
- You need jigs, fixtures or production tooling for assembly or inspection
- Experience with your tool type, material and shot volume
- In-house design, manufacture and try-out capability
- Turnaround time for repairs and modifications
- Quality systems and tool validation (T0, T1, T2 sampling)
How to buy tooling, moulds & production tooling
Production tooling is a long-life capital asset. The right toolmaker pays for itself over years of trouble-free production; the wrong one becomes a maintenance bill that never ends.
- 01Define the part and life
Annual volume, expected total life, material, cycle time target and any future variants drive cavitation, steel grade and tool class.
- 02Pick the tool class
Reference SPI or DME mould classes (or equivalent for press tools) so quotes are like-for-like on steel hardness, finish and guaranteed shots.
- 03Specify steel, finish and hot runner
Steel grade (P20, H13, stainless), surface finish (SPI A1 to D3), hot vs cold runner and any side actions are the big cost drivers.
- 04Plan FAT and sample approval
Agree where Tool Trial / FAT happens (vendor or end moulder), how many sample shots, what dimensional report is required.
- 05Award with a maintenance plan
Tool drawings, spares list and a documented service interval should ship with the tool, not be a future request.
Categories in this group
Browse one sub-category at a time - 19 categories across 1 section.
Services offered in Tooling, Moulds & Production Tooling
The service lines suppliers in this category typically deliver.
Standards and accreditations to look for
These are the third-party certifications buyers commonly ask suppliers in this category to hold. Industrial Connected Verification is a separate check of company identity and credentials, and approved certifications uploaded by a supplier also contribute towards their Trust Score.
Baseline quality system for toolrooms.
Required for tooling supplied into automotive production.
Tooling for medical device manufacture.
Documented design and validation process for production tools.
Lead times in Tooling, Moulds & Production Tooling
A realistic starting point for planning. Actual lead times depend on volume, material availability, finishing, inspection requirements and current supplier load. Confirm in writing on every quote.
Urgent repairs often start within 24 to 48 hours for breakdown situations.
How to vet a tooling, moulds & production tooling supplier
Run through this checklist with any candidate supplier before awarding work. If they cannot evidence an item, treat it as a risk to manage, not an assumption to ignore.
- Demonstrable experience in your tool class, size and material.
- Steel sourcing, EDM, polishing and laser welding done in-house or via known partners.
- Toolroom CMM and shot sampling on site for trial parts.
- Tool drawings, BOM and spares list issued as standard deliverables.
- Realistic lead time including trial and rework iterations.
- Quality system certified and audited (ISO 9001 minimum, sector standards where required).
- Two reference customers in your sector willing to take a call.
- Insurance, IP and NDA position confirmed in writing before sharing drawings or data.
- Commercial terms agreed: payment terms, currency, retention, delivery Incoterms.
Common mistakes buyers make in Tooling, Moulds & Production Tooling
The avoidable issues we see most often, with the one-line fix that prevents them.
Kinds of suppliers in this category
The supplier profiles you will typically meet when sourcing in Tooling, Moulds & Production Tooling.
Build single and multi-cavity injection mould tools, typically in P20, H13 or S136.
Design and build progression, blank and form tools for sheet metal.
Fast-response shops for damaged or end-of-life tooling.
Bespoke build for assembly, inspection and welding fixtures.
Example projects in Tooling, Moulds & Production Tooling
Representative briefs and scopes buyers post in this category.
Buyer & supplier guidance
- Provide detailed technical drawings with highlighted areas for repair or modification.
- Specify the resin or material used in production for context.
- Include high resolution photos of any damage or areas requiring polishing.
- State the current shot count and total tool life cycle history.
Urgent repairs often start within 24 to 48 hours for breakdown situations.
- Confirm the original tool material and current hardness level before modification.
- Verify if onsite repair is available or if shipping is required.
- Check that the toolroom has lifting capacity for the specific tool weight.
- Discuss spare parts interchangeability to ensure future production continuity.
- Highlight specific experience with complex multi cavity or high cavitation tools.
- Showcase your range of toolroom machinery and lifting equipment capacity.
- Detail your ability to provide 24 hour emergency breakdown support.
- List specific sectors served such as automotive or medical device manufacturing.
- Specialist TIG and laser welding for mould repair.
- High precision CNC machining for tool modifications.
- Complex assembly and disassembly of hot runner systems.
- Hand and ultrasonic polishing to mirror finishes.
Buyer FAQs for Tooling, Moulds & Production Tooling
Not necessarily. Many UK toolmakers will take on third-party repairs and modifications - particularly when the original supplier is overseas or no longer trading.
Typically 6 to 14 weeks for a single-cavity production mould in the UK, depending on complexity, steel grade and try-out cycles.
Prototype tooling is built for a short run (often soft steel or aluminium) to validate the part. Production tooling is hardened for hundreds of thousands or millions of shots.