Why should a plastic protective case manufacturer quote in six lines?

Answer: A single price may include or exclude tooling, foam and packaging. Split the lines, spread one-off costs over expected volume, then compare.

Can the 300-unit MOQ drop to 100?

Answer: Yes, at a cost: changeover over 100 units adds about 20 CNY each. Ordering 300 and calling off in batches is cheaper.

Who pays for the tool, and who owns it?

Answer: The buyer normally pays and owns it once settled, so the contract needs transfer conditions, storage and steel grade.

How do you enforce late delivery?

Answer: Only through the four dates and the penalty in the order. With them, 0.5% a week up to 5%; without them, only negotiation.

Does the quote include freight and foam?

Answer: Most are ex-works, with foam and freight billed separately. Ask for all three figures before comparing.

Plastic Protective Case Manufacturer: Quotes, MOQ, Lead Time

Quick answer: Choosing a plastic protective case manufacturer comes down to three numbers: the one-off tooling bill, the order quantity it is spread over, and the dates that fix delivery.

How a Plastic Protective Case Manufacturer Builds a Quote
Minimum Order Quantity and Tooling Amortisation
Sampling and First Article Approval
Scheduling Production Lead Time
Negotiation Room and Contract Terms
FAQ

1. How a Plastic Protective Case Manufacturer Builds a Quote

Three quotes for the same 450 × 350 × 200 mm case can differ by 18 CNY a unit. The gap is rarely moulding time; it sits in the lines a short quote omits: tooling, sampling, foam, packaging, testing. A single-line quote cannot be compared at all.

Tooling and sampling are one-off, the unit price is not. A 120,000 CNY tool costs 240 CNY a unit at 500 and 60 CNY at 2,000, same mould, 180 CNY apart, all amortisation base and no workmanship.

Quotes hold 30 days. PP up 800 CNY a tonne adds about 1.3 CNY to a 1.6 kg case, and 2 to 3 CNY to the price.

Quote line	Basis	Typical range	Amortised
Tooling	One-off per mould	45,000 to 120,000 CNY	Over volume
Sampling	Per round	3,000 to 8,000 CNY	Credited at volume
Unit price	Material, labour, energy	Tiered by size	No
Foam insert	Material and cavities	15 to 90 CNY each	Buyer can supply

2. Minimum Order Quantity and Tooling Amortisation

For a plastic protective case manufacturer, MOQ follows cavity count, tonnage and changeover, not preference. Standard injection cases start at 300, new custom-colour moulds at 500, large rotomoulded cases at 100. Below that line, two hours of changeover must be recovered in the price.

Plastic protective case manufacturer: an open off-white case on a roller conveyor, grey foam holding circuit boards and a coiled cable, parts bins behind

Do the arithmetic first. A 120,000 CNY tool for 780 mm cases costs 240 CNY a unit at 500 and 24 CNY at 5,000, so lifting the first order to 2,000 saves 180 CNY a unit, more than any argument over cycle time.

Tooling ownership must be stated: the mould passes to the buyer once paid, with 30 days notice for transfer.

3. Sampling and First Article Approval

First shots arrive 18 to 22 days after the mould is roughed out; two slide actions add five to seven days. A dimensional report should follow T1, covering internal clearance, lid gap and latch pocket position.

Sign off four items: colour chip, internal clearance, latch pull, seal. Latches are designed for 150 N, so anything under 120 N points to a thin rib. A pressure decay test losing under 5% in 30 seconds passes.

Sampling runs 3,000 to 8,000 CNY a round; a tool change takes seven days.

4. Scheduling Production Lead Time

A plastic protective case manufacturer starts lead time at the later of deposit received or colour chip approved: 25 to 35 days in standard black, 40 to 45 in custom colour, plus 12 days of peak-season buffer.

Plastic protective case manufacturer: a receding row of closed off-white cases on dark grey, the nearest with two latches and a relief valve

Capacity decides the rest. A 780 mm case needs a 1,000 tonne press at 220 cycles a day, so thirty presses make about 40,000 a month, while a four-arm rotomoulding line makes 3,000. Above 30% of monthly output, ask for a scheduling window.

Put four dates in the order: tool completion, T1, production start, shipment.

5. Negotiation Room and Contract Terms

Negotiate on three fronts: the amortisation base, foam supplied in house at 30 to 50% off a 15 to 90 CNY insert, and packaging, where three-layer board with corner protectors saves 4 to 6 CNY a unit.

Lock five clauses: deposit, delay penalty, acceptance, tool ownership, price adjustment. A plastic protective case manufacturer that refuses a 0.5% per week penalty, capped at 5%, usually has no slack in the schedule.

Clause	Usual wording	What to check
Deposit	30% with order, 70% against bill of lading	Ratio can buy a lower price
Delay penalty	0.5% per week, capped at 5%	Start date must be defined
Tool ownership	Buyer owns after payment	Transfer and upkeep stated

Conclusion

Procurement is not a hunt for the lowest unit price; it is the arithmetic of quote lines, one amortisation base and four fixed dates. Spread tooling over volume, pin delivery to dates, and put penalty and tool ownership in writing, and the numbers become comparable. That is how a plastic protective case manufacturer is chosen on structure, not on one figure.

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.