How much does an OEM protective case tool cost?

A: CNY 80,000 to 250,000 for a mid-size steel tool, CNY 30,000 to 80,000 for aluminium rotomould. Cavitation drives it: more cavities, cheaper units.

What separates recolouring from a private tool?

A: Exclusivity and freedom to change structure. Recolouring shares the model; a private tool stays yours.

How many sampling rounds are normal?

A: Three to four. Beyond two rounds on the first shot, the drawing conflicts with itself.

Can the tool cost be refunded?

A: Yes, with the basis and method written down, for example half refunded at 5,000 units.

How long from order to shipment?

A: About 30 days on a recoloured mould, 60 to 75 on a private tool, freight excluded. ---

How to Choose an OEM Protective Case: Tooling, Samples, Delivery

Quick answer: Choosing an OEM protective case starts before the price list. Settle who owns the tooling, how samples are judged, and which delivery dates go into the contract. Tooling decides whether you can change the structure, sampling decides whether mass production reworks, and dates decide whether the goods reach your launch.

OEM protective case selection starts with tooling
Who owns the tool: stock, modified or private
Sampling: from bare shell to production sample
Order quantity: amortising the tool cost
Delivery: putting dates into the contract
FAQ

1. OEM protective case selection starts with tooling

The first fork is the tool, not the look. A 600 mm case from a stock mould, recoloured, ships in 25 days; a new steel tool runs 45 days or more to first shot.

Ask whose tool it is, how many shots it has run, whether the structure can change, then whether a change needs a new tool, and only then the price.

Route	Tool cost	MOQ	First order	Exclusivity
Recolour stock mould	None	200–500	25–30 days	None
Modify stock mould	CNY 5k–20k	500–1,000	30–40 days	Partial
Private tool	CNY 80k–250k	1,000–3,000	45–60 days	Contractual

OEM protective case on a wooden table, identical units lined up behind it, deep blue-grey wall, visible wood grain

2. Who owns the tool: stock, modified or private

Recolouring is the lightest route: the shell stays, only compound and liner change, tool cost zero, but the model is shared with competitors. It suits a first test or a channel-exclusive colour, not a flagship.

Modification sits between: a handle position, a liner slot or a metal latch, costed by volume at CNY 5,000 to 20,000 over three to four weeks. Adding material is easy, removing it is not, and moving a feature usually needs a new insert.

A private tool is cleanest and dearest. Steel runs 300,000 shots; aluminium needs rework after 3,000 to 5,000. Three clauses belong in the contract: cost in the unit price, refund threshold, ownership at exit.

3. Sampling: from bare shell to production sample

Sampling runs in three stages: first an appearance model, CNC or printed, five to seven days, for proportion and handle height; then the first shot, a bare shell, for wall thickness, latch interference and gasket groove; then the production sample for colour and finish.

Put numbers on it: Delta E within 1.5 in a batch and 2.0 between, wall thickness plus or minus 0.2 mm, lid gap under 0.3 mm, and an immersion or pressure-decay test to the stated IP rating. Without numbers, approval becomes a nod.

Stage	Lead time	Judged on	If it fails
Appearance model	5–7 days	Proportion, handle, opening angle	Change the drawing
First shot, bare	20–25 days after tooling	Wall, interference, gasket groove	Rework tool, 1–2 weeks
Production sample	3–5 days	Colour, print, assembly	Adjust colour or process

OEM protective case sample standing on a workshop bench, moulded line across the back, stacked units behind, sawdust on the bench

4. Order quantity: amortising the tool cost

MOQ spreads three costs over a run: tool, foam die, print screens. A die costs CNY 800 to 2,000 and each screen CNY 300 to 800, billed apart, so at low volume they outweigh the shell.

Pay once and the unit price carries no amortisation, suiting a short run. Amortise it and the price rises ten to twenty percent, refunded at an agreed cumulative quantity. Write the counting basis into the clause: same model or same contract.

The first order is seldom a capacity floor but the line where tool cost thins. A CNY 80,000 tool at CNY 10 margin needs 8,000 units, so 3,000 carries an extra CNY 17 each.

5. Delivery: putting dates into the contract

Break delivery into stages: tooling 25 to 35 days, first shot 5, rework 7 to 10, production 25 to 30, sea freight 30 to 35. Stage dates beat a single total.

Put the buffer where the risk is: a week on tooling, three days on production.

OEM protective case shell, unpainted grey, on white, square handle raised, two latches closed, four corner ribs

OEM protective case in black, side on against dark grey, broad blank panel, two latches and round valve on one waistline

Conclusion

OEM protective case selection moves in three steps: tooling sets capability, sampling sets the standard, dates set the risk. Settle all three before the quotation, or the negotiation turns into damage control.

This article covers container-side specifications and design implications only, not the handling, loading or use of the contents.