Custom Silicone Mold Samples vs a Working Prototype
If you're asking for custom silicone mold samples, say which object you need: a working prototype cavity in the real dump, a Shore chip, or a leftover production tray from a different SKU. Those are not the same shipment. RUUIPON's useful sample is the 3-7 day prototype after CAD lock - a poured RTV tool (photos, sketch, or CAD, then a 3D-printed pattern, often a temporary silicone flip, a resin production mother, then batch RTV; DFM is free) you can dump pectin, chocolate, resin, wax, soap, plaster, or concrete into and write a pass/fail against. A mailed catalog swatch does not prove peel, grams, or logo depth.
Production after approval is MOQ 20 pieces per design. Custom/simple 3D modeling is USD $50 when that scope applies. Bao'an since 2018. Sibling pages: prototype, prototype validation, test-cast QC. Catalog: process catalog. We don't mail LSR part FAIs from this URL - send an HTV product RFQ here.
Three things people call a "sample"
| What they meant | What we should send | What it does not prove |
|---|---|---|
| Working prototype mold | First cavity/tray in production intent (split, jacket if required) | Nothing if you dump water |
| Material chip / color plaque | Shore/color plaque of the RTV grade | Peel, grams, logo |
| "Just send a mold you have" | Usually nothing - that's someone else's IP | Your SKU |
Don't approve production from a chip. Don't ask us to ship another brand's tray as your sample.
Common mix-up: free sample = free custom mold
A custom pattern / resin production mother costs NRE. The prototype is that first tool, timed 3-7 days after CAD lock. It is not a complimentary Amazon-style swatch. If you only need to feel Shore 15A platinum, say so - that's a chip, not a cavity program. If you need to prove a 12-up pectin tray, that's a prototype PO.
What a sample pack should include
- Revision letter of the CAD / pattern.
- Same structure as the intended production tool.
- Real-material dump notes (or a plan for you to dump on arrival).
- Written CTQs and measurement condition.
- Food-contact path named if the dump is eaten - docs on this recast, not a sister LSR PDF.
Typical shop values
Reference values only. Confirm material-specific limits against the supplier’s technical data and agree project acceptance criteria before production.
| Item | Typical shop value |
|---|---|
| Working prototype | 3-7 business days after CAD lock |
| Production after sample approval | MOQ 20 pieces per design |
| Custom/simple 3D | USD $50 when that scope applies |
| Cavity Shore | 10A-20A typical; jacket if loaded |
| Mix / shrink | Platinum 1:1 or 10:1; ~0.1-0.3% |
| Chip vs prototype | Chip ≠ cavity; say which you want |
Failure: production built from a different sample than the dump
Symptom: Buyer signed a beauty shot; factory multiplied a tray without jacket; Shore chip "approved" then letters tore; a borrowed mold was copied as the new nominal.
Confirm: Is there a written pass/fail on *this* revision? Was the dump the real chemistry? Was the sample yours to copy?
Fix: Run a named prototype. Don't copy a worn or third-party tool. See replacement.
Worked example: one-cavity resin hook, then 6-up sheet
A craft brand asked for "samples of the mascot mold." We poured one registered two-part prototype (the hook cannot one-piece peel), dumped their epoxy at the stated peak °C, wrote tear/pass on the bail, then multiplied to MOQ 20 of the 6-up production skin after lock. A Shore chip in an envelope would have approved nothing. Custom 3D was USD $50 because they had photos plus a caliper length, not STEP.
What to ask when you're buying samples
- Is this a working prototype mold or a material chip?
- Same split / support shell / cavity count as production?
- Who dumps the real material, and what is the pass/fail sentence?
- Is the sample fee credited, and does it include the resin production mother?
- May we copy this, or is it another customer's IP?
When this page is the wrong route
If you already have a locked golden sample and only need recasts, open archive and reorder. If you want 20 production trays without a functional test, that's the expensive save. LSR *part* samples are an HTV product or mold RFQ here, or ask us if you need a high-volume LSR cold-runner tool. Geometry can override quantity: one prototype of a two-sided logo still needs a registered split.
Related: RFQ checklist, contact.
RFQ: sample / prototype pack
Copy this.
Object: working prototype mold / Shore-color chip (pick one) Dump material + peak °C: Pass/fail sentence: STEP or sample you own (not a purchased third-party mold): Same structure as production? yes/no 3D at $50 in scope? Then MOQ 20 after written approval Who keeps the prototype and resin production mother:
Send that to contact - [email protected] · +86 135 3006 2969. Name the sample object. Don't ask for a generic free sample.
We would not recommend approving MOQ 20 from a chip
Do not mail another customer's tray as your sample. A water dump is not sign-off. A catalog swatch is not a prototype. Do not copy a purchased retail mold.
RUUIPON Mold Structure Decision:
- What sample? - working cavity -> DFM then CAD lock
- DFM then CAD lock -> 3-7 day prototype in real dump
- 3-7 day prototype in real dump -> Written pass?
- Written pass? - no -> Revise
- Revise -> DFM then CAD lock
- Written pass? - yes -> MOQ 20
FAQ
Do you send free custom molds? No. A custom prototype is a paid first tool after CAD lock. A Shore chip can be discussed as a chip, not as the SKU.
Can I order one mold instead of 20? Production MOQ is 20 per design. A one-off paid prototype/test is a separate line - low MOQ.
Is the prototype one of the 20? Ask us to write it on the PI. Don't assume.
How fast? 3-7 business days after CAD lock for a working prototype.
Can you sample LSR parts here? No. That's an HTV product or mold RFQ here, or ask us if you need a high-volume LSR cold-runner tool.