The Illusion of Low Unit Costs
Many hardware startups are lured by the promise of low unit costs in offshore facilities. However, the true cost of injection molding is often buried in logistics, communication overhead, and quality control.
1. Logistics and Lead Times
Shipping a 2-ton mold across the ocean takes 4-6 weeks. Any modification required after T1 sampling adds another cycle of shipping, effectively killing your speed-to-market.
2. The Cost of Miscommunication
Technical nuances in mold flow analysis or gating locations often get lost in translation. A single misunderstanding can lead to sink marks or warping that ruins an entire production run.
