Two different buys
Prototype (原型 / 样品 / 打样) is a sample used to check whether the design works: size, feel, function, appearance.
Tooling (模具 / 工装) is the production mold. You pay for it after the design is locked, then you mold or cast against it.
On a silicone project those two objects are easy to mash together in one email. They are not the same purchase. A printed pick that fits a child's hand is not a steel cavity. A one-up RTV sample tray is not the 20-piece production set.
Prototype and tooling side by side
| Item | Prototype | Tooling |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 原型, 样品, 打样 | 模具, 工装 |
| Job | Check whether size, feel or function is wrong | Run repeat production |
| Final production use | Usually no | Yes |
| Common form | 3D print, CNC sample, soft mold, hand sample | Steel or aluminum production mold, or approved production RTV |
| Cost | Usually lower | Usually higher |
| Changes | Cheap to revise | Expensive after the production mold is cut |
| Quantity | One or a few pieces | Built for tens, hundreds or thousands of shots |
| Stage | Before the production mold | After the design is locked |
Worked example: a kids silicone article
Say you need a small children's silicone pick or utensil. The finished object is silicone. That is not an RTV cavity you fill with gummy or chocolate.
Prototype path:
- build or clean up the 3D;
- print a functional sample;
- you check size, hand feel and appearance;
- one to three revisions if the first print is wrong.
The only job of that step is: confirm this design can be used before anyone cuts a production mold.
Then tooling:
- production steel or aluminum mold;
- parting line;
- runners;
- vents;
- gates;
- cavity count;
- expected mold life for the quoted volume.
After that lock you mold the silicone part. Manufacturing capabilities and RTV vs HTV keep the article route and the casting-mold route apart.
How the quote should read
Ask for two named lines. They are not the same fee charged twice.
| Line | Example | Pays for |
|---|---|---|
| Prototype | USD 150 | 3D-printed or functional sample to verify the design |
| Tooling | USD 1,500 | Production mold after the design is locked |
| CAD / 3D | USD 50 when that scope applies | RUUIPON builds or revises the 3D. Confirmed shop fee, not an estimate. |
USD 150 and USD 1,500 are a worked example for a molded-article RFQ. They are not a catalog. A larger tool, more cavities or a different route will move the tooling line. Send the RFQ with the object, files and quantity so both lines can be written for your job.
For applicable custom RTV production, the production MOQ is 20 pieces per design after sample approval. That MOQ is not a steel or LSR minimum.
An RTV casting mold is a different object
If you are buying a flexible mold to pour gummy, chocolate, resin, wax or soap, the words still mean the same thing: the sample proves the cavity; the production tool is what you repeat.
On that route the production tool is usually the approved resin master plus the batch RTV molds, not a steel chocolate book-mold. Prototype timing for a suitable RTV job is commonly 3-7 business days after CAD lock. See custom silicone mold manufacturer and the buyer checklist.
What we would not recommend
We would not recommend:
- treating a 3D-printed sample as the production mold because the launch date moved;
- folding prototype and tooling into one number so you cannot see which object you paid for;
- cutting steel before the printed sample has answered the size / feel / function question;
- comparing an RTV sample-tray quote to a steel article-tool quote as if they were the same line.
FAQ
Is a prototype the same as tooling?
No. A prototype is a sample used to check size, feel, function or appearance before you lock the design. Tooling is the production mold used after that lock. They should appear as separate lines on the quotation.
Why is prototype listed as USD 150 and tooling as USD 1,500?
Those figures are a worked example for a molded silicone article RFQ, not a sitewide price list. The prototype line pays for a 3D-printed or functional sample. The tooling line pays for the production mold. Geometry and route change both numbers.
Do I pay both fees every time I reorder?
No. Prototype and tooling are development charges. A reorder of the same approved design should not charge those two lines again unless you change the design or need a new tool.
Is CAD / 3D modeling part of the prototype fee?
Not automatically. When RUUIPON builds or revises 3D, that CAD line is USD 50 for the applicable simple scope. It is a third line, not hidden inside prototype or tooling.
Does this page cover RTV gummy or chocolate molds?
The definitions are the same: a sample mold is not the production tray. For a flexible casting mold, production tooling is usually the approved master plus the repeat RTV molds, not a steel book-mold. Send the object you need to receive.