Tooling from China
China, without the gloss.
The cost advantage is real, and so are the risks. This page lays out both, with sources instead of opinions, so your decision rests on numbers.
The facts
Basis: the Fraunhofer IPT/WZL study on Chinese injection mould making, reported in “Beschaffung aktuell”.
at a comparable quality standard versus German production.
The Chinese machine fleet is on average half as old as the German one.
Good, but no sure thing. We therefore manage deadlines with milestone reports instead of hope.
Source: Fraunhofer IPT / WZL, “Tooling in China”. The study's core finding: successful mould purchasing in China requires market knowledge and a presence on site.
The counterarguments, taken seriously
German suppliers with domestic production raise four points against China. All four hold a grain of truth, and all four have a structural answer.
“Tool life is shorter.”
True for cheap moulds built from no-name steel. A-KITA therefore builds with European steel grades including mill certificates and sizes the tool life in the mould concept; the guarantee is written into the contract.
Steel: Assab, Daido, Gröditz, certified per batch“Repairs take months.”
Only if every spare part has to come from overseas. DME/HASCO standard components and the design data supplied with the mould keep it maintainable in Germany.
Standard components available from German stock“Know-how leaks away.”
The risk grows with every supplier who sees your data. TG-TP works with exactly one plant, under NDA, with secured data exchange and a contractual penalty under German law.
One plant instead of tender rounds across many“Requalification eats the savings.”
German mould shops sell the qualification of imported moulds as a service of its own, because cheap imports often need it. Our moulds arrive accepted, measured, with a first article inspection report (ISIR). If rework is needed after all, it is our warranty case, not your budget item.
Acceptance with dimensional report before dispatchThree routes to a China mould
| Direct import | Broker with pool | TG-TP with partner plant | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase price | lowest | low | low |
| Supplier selection and audit | your job | new for every project | done, one plant |
| Contract partner and law | Chinese supplier | German trader | German GmbH, German law |
| Quality assurance on site | your trips | depends on the project | constant, at the exclusive plant |
| Knowledge built across projects | with you | spreads thin | accumulates in one plant |
| Warranty handling | across distance and language | via the trader | via TG-TP, in Germany |
The maths hardly anyone does
According to studies by WBA Aachen, only about half of a mould's life cycle costs arise at purchase. Comparing purchase prices alone optimises the smaller lever.
Design, build, sampling. This is where the China price advantage of up to 40 % applies.
Cycle time, scrap, maintenance, downtime. Here mould quality decides, not the purchase price.
Storage, transfer, scrapping.
The consequence: a mould must first be cheap in use. It has to run dependably, hold its cycle time and stay maintainable. That is what European standard components, brand-name hot runners, mill certificates and the acceptance with full dimensional survey are for. The lower purchase price is the bonus, not the bet.
Cost distribution: WBA Aachener Werkzeugbau Akademie
Customs, settled in one sentence
Injection moulds fall under customs tariff number 8480.71 with 1.7 % third-country duty; import VAT is deductible as input tax. Customs does not eat the price advantage, it barely scratches it.
We include freight in the quotation: sea 6–8 weeks, rail 3–4 weeks, air 1–2 weeks door to door. On request we deliver DAP or DDP, customs-cleared and insured to your factory gate.
HS 8480.71 · China → EU
Let us run your numbers.
With your quantities, your material and your target machine, the statistics turn into a concrete guide price.