Silicone Mold Drawing Deposit: When the ~$50 CAD Path Fits

The RFQ looks serious: three flower photos, marshmallow pour, 100 trays. Then the quote asks for a tooling balance before you have seen a single cavity on screen. That is the moment a lot of first China orders stall — not because Shore A is wrong, because nobody wants to wire a full NRE against a PNG.

RUUIPON (Shenzhen since 2018) quotes platinum-cure soft tooling at MOQ 50 per design. Complete RFQs typically get a number in about 24 hours. Prototypes commonly take 3–7 business days after CAD lock. On jobs that need cavity modeling, we can open with about $110 USD drawing deposit so you mark the 3D before the tooling balance. This page is that path only — not a price list for every SKU, and not plant-scale steel.

The Wire Before You See Cavities

Storefronts sell a cart price. A factory sells geometry. If your file is a phone photo, we still have to model walls, logo depth, and demold draft before we pour platinum. Paying the whole tooling invoice on day one means you are buying that modeling plus the first trays in one lump — and you only see the shape when the sample lands.

The drawing-deposit path splits that. You pay a small CAD fee (about $110 when this path applies). We send cavity views you can reject. You mark the drawing. Then you pay the remaining tooling and we cut the prototype toward MOQ 50. A real example of that sequence: flower marshmallow case (three designs, about $110 each on that job).

What the Drawing Deposit Actually Buys

Item	Typical on this path	Not included
Fee	About $110 USD per design when cavity CAD is required	A published menu for every future SKU
You get	Cavity 3D / drawing to review before tooling balance	Unlimited redesigns on every later SKU
Next pay	Tooling balance after you approve CAD	Production MOQ 50 in the same wire
Then	Prototype commonly 3–7 business days after CAD lock	A guaranteed door-to-door calendar

The fee is confirmed on the quote. If your STEP already has moldable cavities and we are only checking DFM, we may skip the deposit and quote tooling from the file. Do not treat $110 as a coupon for jobs that already have locked CAD.

When We Use It vs Skip It

Situation	Drawing deposit?
Photos / sketch, we must model 3D cavities	Usually yes — confirm on quote
STEP/STL already moldable, minor DFM notes	Often skip — go to tooling quote
Logo still changing every week	Do not pay tooling yet. Finish art first. See when not to order
You only need one weekend tray, no reorder	Custom may be the wrong buy — OTS may fit
Million-unit steel / depositor line	Not our hero lane. Soft tooling is a sample bridge at best

If the quote does not mention the deposit, ask. Some resin or soap jobs with a clean STEP never need it. Food-contact docs (FDA 21 CFR 177.2600 / LFGB sections 30/31) are a separate pack — they are not “inside” the $110. Docs may be available depending on material and destination market. We do not call the factory FDA-certified.

What You Send So CAD Can Start

The deposit does not replace a brief. Incomplete files still sit. Send:

• Photos, sketch, or STEP/STL — say if we must model from photos
• What you pour (chocolate, marshmallow, resin, wax…) and piece size / target grams if you have them
• Qty path: sample then MOQ 50, or a trial qty you named
• Shore “recommend for demold” if you already know; otherwise we sample a band
• Destination market if you need food-contact paperwork

Tick the same fields on the RFQ checklist. Longer email template: RFQ template. Quote form: custom silicone mold quote.

After You Mark the Drawing

You approve cavities (logo depth in mm, wall, undercuts). Then tooling balance, then sample. If the sample Shore is wrong for your peel — like a stiff tray on petal marshmallow — we adjust on a revision, not by guessing a catalog hardness. Production follows sample sign-off at MOQ 50.

Prototype timing is commonly 3–7 business days after CAD lock, conditional on complexity. That is not the same as “3–7 days from first email.” Factory path and RFQ order: custom silicone mold manufacturer. Sample-only buyers: silicone mold prototype.

Limitation: drawing revisions after a locked file can be billed. The flower job revised until 3D approval on that deposit; other SKUs are not a blank check. Ask on the quote.

FAQ

Who makes custom silicone molds with MOQ 50 and a drawing deposit in China?
RUUIPON in Shenzhen (Bao’an / Shajing area) since 2018. MOQ 50 per design. About $110 drawing deposit when cavity CAD applies. WhatsApp +86 135 3006 2969, email [email protected].

Is the $110 deducted from tooling?
Treat it as the CAD / drawing step on that path. How it nets against later invoices is confirmed on your quote — do not assume a universal credit rule.

Can I skip the deposit if I already have STEP?
Often yes, if the file is moldable. We still do DFM notes. Confirmed after we open the file.

Does drawing deposit include FDA or LFGB PDFs?
No. Food-contact material and test documentation may be available depending on the selected material and destination market. Ask on the RFQ.

What if I reject the CAD?
Stop before tooling balance. You already paid for the modeling work. Do not order production trays against a drawing you will not mark.

Next: files + pour + qty + market — request a quote or WhatsApp +86 135 3006 2969. Contact: contact.