Can the mould fee be paid in part before the tool is cut?

Answer: Yes, 40 percent on signature and 60 percent after trial approval is common, with unamortised compensation at 70 to 90 percent.

If the supplier amortises the mould, can it be taken away later?

Answer: Rarely. Title sits with the supplier, so leaving means buying the balance out or paying residual value.

Who pays for refurbishment when the mould reaches end of life?

Answer: The clause decides. Buyers pay the CNY 22,000; the other two draw it from the 0.5 to 1 percent reserve.

How should a staged rebate be written so it does not lapse?

Answer: Tie each step to a shipping document rather than a month, and match the rebate total to contracted volume.

Which parts of a mould quote inflate most easily?

Answer: Electrodes and trial shots, quoted by cavity complexity and run count, together about 19 percent of the price.

Who Pays for the Mould: Three Ownership Clauses

Quick answer: The mould can be bought outright for CNY 129,000, amortised by the supplier into the unit price, or shared through a staged rebate, and the deciding numbers are the deposit, compensation on unamortised balance and refurbishment duty.

Why the Mould Quote Cannot Be Read as One Number
Clause One: The Buyer Owns the Mould
Clause Two: The Supplier Carries It in the Unit Price
Clause Three: Shared Cost, Staged Rebate
Cash Flow and Supply Risk Compared
Refurbishment After 300,000 to 500,000 Shots
FAQ

1. Why the Mould Quote Cannot Be Read as One Number

A 700 x 500 x 300 mm body quotes at CNY 129,000; the same design at 400 x 300 x 160 mm quotes at CNY 56,000. The gap sits in cavities, slides and cooling runs, and steel is only 22 percent.

Split the six blocks and the movable parts appear: spark erosion instead of a 0.6 mm grain saves CNY 4,200, one slide instead of two saves CNY 8,600 and costs the side openings.

A mould quote tracks how much work the tool must do, not how large the case is.

2. Clause One: The Buyer Owns the Mould

Outright purchase is the plainest: fee paid in full, title to the buyer, supplier only stores and runs the tool. On a CNY 129,000 mould, the sum leaves on signature day.

mould cost review: a black case opened at an angle on white, empty lid and base, two red latches, exposed multi-segment hinge.

The unit price then carries no amortisation; on the amortised clause across 6,000 pieces each case would gain CNY 21.5, which outright purchase pays up front.

Mobility is what the money buys: a 700 x 500 mm mould weighs 3.2 tonnes and costs CNY 3,200 to 6,800 to move within a province. Custody is the risk, so the contract must fix storage and inspection rights.

3. Clause Two: The Supplier Carries It in the Unit Price

The supplier funds the tool and recovers it through the price, so the deposit is zero. Amortisation is usually 3,000, 6,000 or 12,000 pieces, which on CNY 129,000 works out at CNY 43, 21.5 or 10.75 a case.

Early termination is where the exposure sits: compensation on the unamortised balance runs 70 to 90 percent, stopping at 6,000 pieces of a 12,000-piece base leaves CNY 64,500 open, or CNY 51,600 at 80 percent.

The second exposure is the second source: moving means re-tooling in 8 to 14 weeks plus fresh trials, so buyers hold a supply priority promise, not the mould.

Zero deposit is not free; it converts a tool into instalments.

4. Clause Three: Shared Cost, Staged Rebate

The shared version pairs a deposit with a rebate: 40 percent up front, CNY 51,600, then CNY 77,400 across 8,000 pieces at CNY 9.7, with 15 percent of the deposit back every 2,000 pieces, CNY 31,000 in all.

mould cost review: a black case opened flat toward the camera, both halves empty, one red latch at each top corner, hinge row below.

Title is the awkward part: either the tool transfers at 8,000 pieces or it stays jointly held with disposal by written consent. A rebate also needs a guard, since 8,000 pieces against annual use of 2,500 spans 3.2 years.

5. Cash Flow and Supply Risk Compared

Set the three clauses against one CNY 129,000 mould and an 8,000-piece order.

Clause	Deposit	Mould per unit	Title	Exit cost
Buyer purchase	129,000	0	Buyer	3,200 to 6,800
Supplier amortised	0	16.1	Supplier	8 to 14 weeks
Shared rebate	51,600	9.7	Transfers at 8,000	19,400 unamortised

Supply risk follows the clause. Leaving an outright purchase costs a few thousand in freight; leaving the other two means CNY 56,000 to 129,000 and 8 to 14 weeks, so the balance tilts to the seller.

6. Refurbishment After 300,000 to 500,000 Shots

Body moulds are cut from 718H steel at 48 to 52 HRC and run 300,000 to 500,000 shots. Past 250,000 the parting line frets and flash grows from 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm.

Refurbishment is not a new tool: re-mill the parting 0.3 mm, polish the cavity, replace pins and wear plates. It costs about CNY 22,000, takes 12 to 18 days and buys 200,000 more shots.

Clause	Pays the 22,000	Reserve
Buyer purchase	Buyer	None
Supplier amortised	Supplier	0.5 to 1 percent
Shared rebate	Split evenly	0.5 percent

Four terms belong in the contract whatever the clause:

Acceptance: plus or minus 0.5 mm, weight 3 percent, 500 dry cycles.
Storage: plant and rack named, 30 days notice, rigging by tonne.
Residual value: scrap rate, CNY 2.2 per kg in 2026.
Refurbishment trigger: written as shot count or measured flash.

Conclusion

The mould fee argument is about title and risk. Buying outright parks CNY 129,000 up front and purchases mobility; supplier amortisation drops the deposit to zero and costs 8 to 14 weeks of switching time; sharing splits it with 40 percent down and a rebate ending at 8,000 pieces. Three checks decide it: whether the deposit matches annual use, whether unamortised compensation is written at 70 to 90 percent, and whether refurbishment is tied to shot count.

This article discusses only the container (case body) side of specifications and design intent, and does not cover any handling, loading or use of the contents.