Quote language
Prototype Is the Sample. Tooling Is the Production Mold.
In a silicone OEM job, those two words are not interchangeable. Prototype means sample / 打样 - you use it to check size, feel, and whether the design works. Tooling means 模具 / 工装 - you use it to run production parts.
If a quote lumps them into one “sample/mold” line, you cannot tell whether you paid to verify the design or to cut a production tool.
One-line definitions
- Prototype = sample / prototype, used to verify the design.
- Tooling = mold / production tool, used for formal production.
RTV vs production tooling (different question) →
This page is for finished silicone parts (covers, picks, grips, kitchenware, baby-adjacent articles). If you are buying a flexible mold you pour into, use Custom Silicone Mold Manufacturer. If you are choosing RTV vs HCR/LSR production tooling for trays, use Prototype Tooling vs Production Tooling.
Where the two jobs differ
| Item | Prototype | Tooling |
|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 原型、样品、打样 | 模具、工装 |
| Purpose | Check design, size, and function | Run production parts |
| Final production use? | Usually no | Yes |
| Common methods | 3D print, CNC sample, soft sample, hand model | Steel mold, aluminum mold, production tool |
| Cost | Usually lower | Usually higher |
| Change cost | Easy to revise | High after the tool is cut |
| Quantity | 1 to a few | Tens, hundreds, thousands |
| Stage | Before opening the production mold | After the design is locked |
Worked example: a children's silicone pick
Say the buyer wants a children's silicone pick. Do not open steel because the STL looks finished.
Prototype
The job is only: confirm this design can be used.
- Build or clean the 3D model
- Print a 3D sample (or a CNC / soft sample if that answers the test)
- Buyer checks size, hand-feel, and outline
- Expect 1-3 revisions if the feel or outline is still open
Tooling
Only after the sample is accepted do you enter production tooling.
- Cut the production mold (steel when the volume and geometry justify it)
- Lock parting line, runner, venting, gate, cavity count, and expected tool life
- Then mold production silicone parts
How the quote should look
Purchasing should see two jobs. The dollar amounts below are a teaching example of split lines - not a WYD price list. Real numbers follow size, cavities, steel vs aluminum, and how much CAD is still open.
Prototype cost: USD 150 3D printed / functional sample for design verification Tooling cost: USD 1,500 Production mold for mass production
A 3D-print sample does not prove flash, gate, venting, or multi-cavity balance on the production tool. Do not treat the prototype price as a down payment that already bought steel.
When this split does not apply
- You are buying an RTV mold you will pour resin, wax, soap, or plaster into - that mold is the deliverable.
- The design is already frozen from a previous approved part and you only need a replacement production tool.
- Quantity is one-off and will never leave the sample stage.
What a prototype must prove before you spend on the tool →
What to send
- STEP/STL or photos of the part you want to receive
- Whether you need a design sample, a production tool, or both as separate lines
- What the sample must prove (size, feel, fit on a real assembly)
- Expected production quantity after approval
Need the quote split written this way?
Send the CAD or sample and say whether you are still verifying the design or ready to cut a production mold. We will quote prototype and tooling as separate jobs when both are in scope.