Mold Transfer: Your Mold in Expert Hands

Molds are often transferred to RKT due to strategic, economic, and technical reasons:

• Engaging a more competitive supplier to reduce production costs
• Addressing quality or delivery issues with current suppliers
• Combined factors of economic, quality, and delivery issues:

Economic and quality-related factors often go hand in hand. Complaints, rework, and warranty claims indicate process instability that increases total cost. A move to RKT can provide process stabilization, improved repeatability, and enhanced machine capability, resulting in higher product quality and a measurable reduction in complaint-related and other costs.

• Financial issues of the current supplier
• Modern technology for increased efficiency and cost-effective production

With our hybrid injection molding machines, we are positioned to manufacture a broad spectrum of products with maximum flexibility and process reliability. We leverage the advantages of electrically driven injection units for material metering. Our machines offer highly dynamic injection control with exceptional repeatability, ensuring precise shot-to-shot consistency and outstanding machine capability. The result is stable processing, reproducible part quality, and reliable compliance to tight tolerances. Through optimization of mold sequences, synchronized motion control, and efficient demolding strategies, we achieve incremental cycle time reductions measured in tenths of a second, which can provide measurable cost savings in high-volume production programs.

This is how a mold transfer to RKT works

When a customer transfers their mold to RKT for production, we utilize a detailed, thorough transfer process:

• Review of the RFQ, which should provide production and tooling data, such as part drawings (with revision status), specified material, target cycle time, annual volumes, number of cavities, mold dimensions, and required peripherals. Information on special design features, such as core pulls, slides, unscrewing units, hydraulic or mechanical movements, hot runner systems, and temperature control requirements, is also important to enable an accurate technical and commercial evaluation.

It is ideal to receive photos of the mold to better assess its current condition. Visual inspection of inserts, cavity surfaces, parting lines, and functional components allows evaluation of maintenance status and wear patterns. Signs such as corrosion, surface damage, dents, nicks, or insufficiently maintained inserts provide early indications of potential refurbishment requirements. This enables a realistic appraisal of the mold’s technical condition and supports accurate planning of transfer, qualification, and production start-up activities.

• Selection of technically suitable injection molding machine and conduct a comprehensive capacity review in close coordination with Sales, Supply Chain Management, Product Management, Quality Assurance, Design Engineering, and the Technical Department to ensure technical feasibility, resource availability, and reliable production planning.
• Verification that required production equipment and peripheral systems are available, such as specific barrel modules, screw geometries, hot runner control units, temperature control systems, automation interfaces, or special auxiliary equipment required for the respective product.
• A visit to the previous supplier and inspection of current production is also preferred if possible.
• Review of defined criteria and mold status via a detailed RKT checklist:
  • Mounting the mold on the designated machine and partial disassembly if required
  • Inspection of inserts, cavities, ejectors, guide elements, and plates for wear, damage, or corrosion
  • Verification of proper installation and condition of electrical cables and connectors
  • Dimensional and functional checks, such for the hot runner system
  • Examination of electrical wiring and control interfaces to ensure compatibility with our production environment

Following the technical evaluation, we‘ll provide a comprehensive report detailing the mold’s condition with recommendations for any required repairs, preventive maintenance, or refurbishment. In most cases, transferred molds are in relatively good condition, allowing for an rapid and structured production ramp-up.

Documenting the mold’s condition at the time of transfer ensures transparency and provides a clear reference point for any future quality discussions, supporting traceability and accountability throughout the production lifecycle.

Commissioning on the designated press can proceed after incoming inspection and modifications required for compatibility with our machines, often needed for 2K or 3K molds requiring specific clamping or adapter plates to align with, for example, a rotary table.
Commissioning ensures the mold is fully prepared for stable, high-quality production under our optimized process conditions.

• Thermodynamic analysis of the hot runner system to measure and record heating rates during the heat-up phase. Simultaneously, verification of cooling channel flow rates and temperature control is conducted to prevent potential process issues during commissioning.
• Integration of the customer’s measurement fixtures and gauges or, where necessary, redesign of the measurement process as agreed with the customer (what is measured, where, and how)
• Review and implementation of product and production quality documentation, including quality requirements, specifications, and agreements such as the Quality Assurance Agreement (QAA) with the customer, to guarantee compliance with contractual and industry standards
• Planning of logistics and packaging, with the option to replicate the customer’s existing packaging where possible to ensure seamless integration into the existing supply chain
• First Out of Tool (FOT) for the initial commissioning of the mold on our machine by our technical center team; measurement of parts and evaluation internally and/or by the customer
• Validation phase based on industry standards and customer requirements, which may include standard procedures with predefined tolerances, Pro-Op methodology, or process validation based on Design of Experiments (DOE). This phase is supported by a comprehensive validation plan covering Design Qualification (DQ), Installation Qualification (IQ), Operational Qualification (OQ), and Performance Qualification (PQ), and is executed with full customer approval to ensure reproducible, high-quality production
• Start of full production after customer approval

The most critical steps in a mold transfer are the incoming inspection to thoroughly assess the third-party mold, and the validation phase to ensure consistent quality and process stability. These steps, along with customer approvals, do take time, but are essential for reliable, high-quality production.

Comprehensive information from the customer is essential for a provided mold to operate flawlessly at RKT. Close, continuous collaboration between RKT and the customer throughout the transfer process ensures a smooth, efficient workflow and a reliable, successful production ramp-up.

Additional added value through high process reliability

Transferring molds to RKT gives you the advantage of highly reliable production processes. Our cavity segregation ensures that, in the rare event of damage to a single insert, entire batches do not need to be discarded. We also employ automated robotic part removal which safely removes and separates parts while eliminating the risk of components becoming stuck in the mold and potentially damaging the tool. Compared with uncontrolled free-fall production, robotic handling minimizes contamination and part damage, consistently delivering high-quality, defect-free results.

If you produce plastic parts in-house but lack specialized tool and mold-making expertise, RKT can support the design and fabrication of high-performance molds. Our experience is especially valuable for complex geometries, where precision and process reliability are essential. We specialize in microstructured molds, multi-component 2K and 3K molds, and high-cavity molds that demand advanced engineering and manufacturing capabilities. By leveraging our technical expertise, we ensure your molds deliver consistent part quality, long service life, and maximum production efficiency.

Process for mold design, build, and transfer to the customer

• Mold concepts are tailored to the customer’s specific part requirements, taking into account factors such as part size, number of cavities, cycle time, shot volume, clamping force, and the appropriate injection unit. This ensures reliable, high-quality production from the outset.
• Machine selection depends on the customer’s setup and requirements.

In one scenario, the customer provides the machine available in their facility, and RKT focuses solely on delivering the newly designed mold. Alternatively, RKT can offer a fully optimized injection molding solution, including the machine and any necessary peripherals such as temperature control units, dryers, robotic part removal, and sorting stations. In this case, after commissioning and test runs at RKT, the complete system — including automation — is transferred to the customer, ready for immediate production.

• Once the overall concept is approved, RKT begins the detailed design and manufacturing of the mold, ensuring it meets all part specifications and production requirements.
• Initial test runs are carried out on in-house machines in the RKT technical center.
• RKT can also provide full support during implementation, validation, and ramp-up on the customer’s own equipment, ensuring a smooth transition to consistent, high-quality

Benefits of RKT designing and building a new mold for your machine

Complex geometries, such as microstructured components or parts produced via 2K or 3K injection molding, require precision molds that meet the highest quality and process standards. RKT brings decades of experience in intricate mold design and multi-component injection molding, in both mold making and injection molding. This integrated approach ensures that molds are optimally designed for the specific requirements of production, delivering process-stable results with molds built to our exacting standards.

You determine the level of support you need. We can deliver the mold strictly to your specifications or provide guidance on the most suitable injection molding machine, required peripherals, or even a complete injection molding cell. We can commission and validate molds on your behalf, ensuring reliable, reproducible production. This service can also include regular mold maintenance, keeping your production running efficiently and consistently over the long term.