What to Send for an Accurate Custom Silicone Mold Quote

If a mold supplier has to guess the size, casting material, undercuts, cavity count and order quantity, the price is also a guess.

You do not need a perfect engineering package to request a custom RTV silicone mold quotation. You do need enough information for the supplier to identify the mold structure and the major cost/risk drivers.

This page is designed to be copied into an email or RFQ form.

The minimum six items

If you are in a hurry, send these first:

1. Design - STEP/STL/OBJ, physical sample, sketch or clear photos.
2. Finished part size - overall L × W × H or diameter × height.
3. Casting material - resin, wax, soap, plaster, concrete, chocolate, gummy, etc.
4. Mold quantity - prototype quantity and expected production quantity.
5. Cavity count - one cavity or multi-cavity target.
6. Destination - country/postcode, especially if you want DDP shipping.

With those six items, a manufacturer can usually identify what is still missing.

If you already have CAD

Send the native/export file plus a short note explaining what matters.

Preferred package

• STEP where dimensional edits may be required;
• STL/OBJ for sculptural/mesh geometry;
• 2D drawing for critical dimensions/tolerances;
• logo vector or high-resolution artwork;
• screenshot showing intended orientation;
• revision number.

Do not send a 3D file with no scale information if the format/software may interpret units differently.

Mark critical surfaces

Tell the supplier where a seam cannot appear.

For example:

"Front face and logo are cosmetic. Parting line may run along the rear edge."

That one sentence can change the mold split and price.

If you only have photos

Photos can start the quotation, but make them measurable.

Send:

• front;
• back;
• both sides;
• top;
• bottom;
• close-up of texture/logo;
• one ruler or known dimension in frame;
• desired final size.

If the backside is unknown, say whether the factory may simplify it.

For a sculptural object, include enough angles to see undercuts and openings. One attractive marketing photo is not enough for mold engineering.

Define what will be poured into the mold

This is one of the most frequently missing RFQ fields.

Do not write only "silicone mold."

Write the casting material, for example:

• epoxy resin;
• polyurethane resin;
• UV resin;
• soy wax;
• paraffin wax;
• cold-process soap;
• melt-and-pour soap;
• plaster/gypsum;
• concrete;
• chocolate;
• pectin gummy mass;
• gelatin gummy mass.

Where relevant, also provide:

• pour/deposit temperature;
• viscosity;
• pot life;
• cure time;
• casting weight;
• whether vacuum/pressure casting is used.

The same geometry may need different venting and demolding strategy with different materials.

Dimensions: separate overall size from CTQs

Overall dimensions help estimate material and packaging. Critical-to-quality dimensions control whether the product works.

For example:

Overall: 300 × 200 × 35 mm tray CTQs: cavity volume 4.0 mL, nozzle pitch 25.4 mm, first cavity datum 18 mm, tray width ≤ 205 mm.

For a planter:

Overall: Ø280 × 260 mm CTQs: finished wall 12 mm, centered inner core, base thickness 18 mm, drainage hole Ø12 mm.

Marking the CTQs prevents both sides from spending time on dimensions that are not functionally important.

Cavity count should be connected to production output

Instead of only saying "50 cavities," tell the factory why.

Useful production information includes:

• target pieces per day;
• number of operators;
• cycle/cure time;
• maximum tray size;
• depositor machine dimensions if applicable;
• preferred tray weight/handling limit.

A 50-cavity mold may not be the best answer if it becomes too heavy or too flexible in use.

Describe the difficult geometry explicitly

Highlight:

• deep undercuts;
• through-holes;
• handles;
• hollow sections;
• thin arms/fingers;
• internal cores;
• sharp lettering;
• deep texture;
• features that broke or tore in a previous mold.

If you already know the old mold fails at one location, send a close-up. The new DFM should solve that problem rather than simply reproduce it.

Food-contact projects need intended-use information

If the mold will contact food, add:

• food type;
• maximum temperature;
• contact time;
• repeated-use conditions;
• cleaning method;
• target market/country;
• requested FDA/LFGB/EU documentation;
• whether third-party testing of the finished mold is required;
• silicone color.

"Food grade required" is too broad to define the compliance path.

Quantity: separate prototype from production

Write both numbers.

Example:

Prototype: 1 mold First production order after approval: 20 molds Forecast: 100 molds/year

This allows the factory to separate one-time development from repeat-mold unit price.

Deadline: specify the arrival date

Avoid:

"Urgent."

Use:

"Molds must arrive in Dallas, Texas by October 1, 2026."

That lets the supplier work backward through CAD approval, prototype, production and shipping.

If the date is tied to a gala, trade show or product launch, say so. There may be no value in producing a technically perfect tool that arrives after the event.

Destination and shipping term

For freight, provide:

• country;
• city/postcode;
• business/residential address type if relevant;
• preferred DDP/FOB/EXW;
• courier account if you want to use your own carrier.

Final freight can only be confirmed when packed weight/carton size is known, but early destination data helps choose the right route.

# Copy-and-send RFQ template

PROJECT NAME:

1. PRODUCT / APPLICATION
Finished product:
Casting material:
Use condition / temperature:

2. DESIGN INPUT
[ ] STEP
[ ] STL
[ ] OBJ
[ ] 2D drawing
[ ] Physical sample
[ ] Photos / sketch
Revision:

3. FINISHED PART SIZE
Overall L × W × H / diameter:
Target weight or cavity volume:
Critical dimensions:

4. MOLD STRUCTURE / GEOMETRY
Preferred cavity count:
Known undercuts / holes / handles:
Acceptable parting-line location:
Logo / text requirement:
Solid or hollow casting:

5. PRODUCTION
Prototype quantity:
First production mold quantity:
Expected annual mold quantity:
Target pieces/day (if relevant):

6. MATERIAL / PROCESS DETAILS
Casting temperature:
Viscosity / pot life (if relevant):
Demolding or current failure issue:

7. FOOD CONTACT (IF APPLICABLE)
Food type:
Contact temperature:
Contact time:
Target market:
Required documentation/testing:
Silicone color:

8. DELIVERY
Required arrival date:
Ship-to country:
Postcode:
Preferred shipping term: DDP / FOB / EXW

9. OTHER REQUIREMENTS
Packaging:
NDA/IP requirements:
CAD/master ownership requirements:
Special inspection/report:

What a good supplier should return

After receiving a complete RFQ, the supplier should be able to respond with more than a price.

Look for:

• proposed mold structure;
• material/hardness recommendation or range;
• DFM questions;
• development/tooling cost;
• prototype cost;
• repeat mold unit price;
• MOQ;
• lead time assumptions;
• documentation scope;
• shipping estimate/term;
• exclusions or open assumptions.

If important information is missing, a good response should ask for it instead of pretending the design is fully defined.

A complete RFQ produces a more useful quote

The best RFQ makes the supplier price the actual manufacturing problem, not a generic silicone object.

A complete first email can remove days of back-and-forth and expose whether the supplier understands the application before you pay a deposit.

Copy the RFQ template above and send it with your best available file to RUUIPON for DFM and quotation.