Every custom tray, blister or clamshell needs a mould shaped to your part. For vacuum forming, that mould is usually made from MDF or aluminium. The choice changes what you pay at the start, how long the mould lasts and how consistent the parts are. This guide explains both, and how sampling works before production starts.
Aravinth Polymers designs and makes both mould types in its own tool room in Thirumudivakkam, Chennai. Revisions do not wait on an outside toolroom.
What You Pay For
A mould is cut for your part alone, so you pay for it once, as a one-time cost. We quote it separately from the piece price. The mould you have paid for is yours. It stays at our plant, where we store and maintain it so repeat orders can run without delay. Confirm the ownership terms in writing on the quotation.
Repeat orders of the same part carry no new mould charge unless the design changes or the mould wears out.
MDF Moulds
MDF is a dense engineered board that machines easily. An MDF mould costs less and is ready sooner than an aluminium one.
MDF suits:
- Prototypes and first trials
- Seasonal packs
- Short runs
- Products you may still redesign
The trade-off is life. MDF wears faster under repeated heating and forming, so it is meant for trials and short runs, not years of repeat orders. Surface detail is good, though less sharp and consistent than aluminium.
Aluminium Moulds
An aluminium mould costs more and takes longer to make. In return, it forms more consistently and lasts for volume production. Surface detail comes out sharper, and the parts stay closer to each other across a long run.
Our automatic roll formers, which run thin-gauge blisters and clamshells at volume, use aluminium multi-cavity moulds. Our semi-automatic sheet formers, which run thick industrial trays and covers, take aluminium or MDF.
For a part you will reorder for years, the higher upfront cost of aluminium often works out cheaper per piece.
Side by Side
| MDF mould | Aluminium mould | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | Lower | Higher |
| Time to make | Shorter | Longer |
| Life | Trials and short runs | Volume and repeat production |
| Consistency | Good | Higher |
| Surface detail | Good | Sharper |
| Best for | Prototypes, seasonal packs, designs still changing | Steady repeat orders |
What Decides the Choice
Your annual quantity is the main factor. Tell us how many pieces you need per order and per year, and we will recommend the mould type and cavity count to match.
A cavity is one formed part on the mould. More cavities make more parts in each forming cycle and lower the piece price, but they raise the mould cost. A trial order may need one or two cavities. A steady monthly order can carry a multi-cavity aluminium mould.
A common path is to start in MDF, prove the design with samples, then move to aluminium once the design is fixed and volumes are clear. We will tell you whether MDF is enough for your quantity.
How Sampling Works
Sampling happens before you commit to production.
- You send a drawing, a 3D file, a sample part or a photo with dimensions.
- We check formability, draft angles and nesting, then quote the mould and the piece price together.
- We design and cut the mould in-house.
- We prove the mould on the production machine, checking the draw, the corners and the trim.
- First-article samples go to you for fit, stacking and line trials. We adjust the mould until you sign them off.
- The signed first article becomes the reference for every batch. We check production parts against it.
Our minimum order is 500 pieces. Smaller trial batches can be run off a prototype or MDF mould, so you can test a tray on your line before you invest in production tooling.
Changing a Mould Later
Designs change. Our tool room handles deeper pockets, revised ribs, extra cavities and trim changes on existing moulds. We can often run a mould made elsewhere too, if it fits our machines and is in usable condition. Send photographs and dimensions, and we will confirm before you ship it.
More on tooling and our machines is on the services page, and our checks from incoming sheet to final inspection are on the quality page.
Talk to the Sales Desk
Send your drawing, sample or photo along with your yearly quantity, and the sales desk will recommend MDF or aluminium and price the mould and the part. Call or WhatsApp +91 91767 57077, email sales@arvindpolymers.com, or use our contact page.