Question 1

How long does a new mold take?

Accepted Answer

Production tooling at Tawplast runs 4–8 weeks from approved DFM to T1 sample, depending on cavitation and steel grade. Family molds and stack tools sit at the longer end; single-cavity prototypes can ship a T1 in 3 weeks.

Question 2

When can I get a first-shot prototype?

Accepted Answer

Aluminum bridge tooling delivers first-shot parts in 5–10 working days. You get a real injection-molded part in the production resin, in time to validate fit before committing steel.

Question 3

What is the lead time on a production run?

Accepted Answer

Once tooling is signed off, scheduled releases of 5,000–50,000 parts typically ship within 2–3 weeks. Continuous programs run on a rolling forecast with weekly or monthly releases against vendor-managed inventory.

Question 4

Can you expedite?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We hold open press capacity for expedite work and can move a validated tool into a 24-hour run on request. Expedite is quoted per program.

Question 5

What tolerances can you hold?

Accepted Answer

Standard commercial tolerance is ±0.05 mm on dimensions under 50 mm. Tight tolerance work down to ±0.02 mm is available on critical features when called out on the drawing and validated with a process capability study.

Question 6

Do you provide dimensional reports?

Accepted Answer

Every T1 sample ships with a full first-article inspection (FAI) against your drawing. Production lots can carry SPC data, Cpk reports, and certificate of conformance on request — standard for medical and automotive programs.

Question 7

What surface finishes do you offer?

Accepted Answer

We tool to SPI A1–D3 (mirror polish to coarse blast) and the full VDI 3400 range for textured surfaces. Cosmetic Class-A finishes are scoped during DFM and validated on T1.

Question 8

Who owns the tool?

Accepted Answer

You do. Tooling paid for by the customer is the customer's property. We store, maintain, and run it; you can transfer it at any time on 30 days' notice.

Question 9

What steels do you cut?

Accepted Answer

P20 pre-hardened for general production, 718H for higher hardness and longer cycle life, S136 stainless for medical and optical work. Aluminum 7075 for bridge tooling and low-volume programs.

Question 10

How does the tooling process work?

Accepted Answer

DFM review of your CAD, mold-flow simulation for fill and warpage, mold design sign-off, steel cut and benched in-house, T1 sample with dimensional report, T2 corrections if needed, then PPAP or equivalent before production release.

Question 11

Do you handle hot runners and overmolding?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Hot-runner and cold-runner systems, family and stack molds, insert molding, and two-shot overmolding are all in-scope.

Question 12

What is your minimum order?

Accepted Answer

Prototype runs start at 50 parts on aluminum bridge tooling. Bridge programs run 500–5,000 parts. Production MOQ on a dedicated steel tool is typically 500 parts per release, with no annual minimum once the tool is qualified.

Question 13

Is there a setup fee on small runs?

Accepted Answer

Setup is included on production tools after the first qualified run. Small bridge runs carry a flat setup that's quoted up front so you can decide between tooling routes.

Question 14

Can I scale from prototype to production with you?

Accepted Answer

That's the design of our shop. Bridge tooling validates geometry, then the same geometry walks onto a production mold cut from production-grade steel — no second supplier, no re-qualification of the part.

Question 15

Where do you ship from?

Accepted Answer

All parts ship from our facility in 10th of Ramadan City. Sea freight moves through Sokhna, Damietta, and Alexandria; air freight clears Cairo International Airport.

Question 16

What Incoterms do you support?

Accepted Answer

EXW, FCA, FOB, CIF, and DAP are all available. Most international customers run FOB Port Said or DAP door-to-door. Export documentation, certificate of origin, and commercial invoice are issued by our shipping team.

Question 17

How are parts packaged?

Accepted Answer

Default packaging is bagged in master cartons on heat-treated wooden pallets, shrink-wrapped, with cavity number, material lot, and run date on every box. Custom packaging — kitting, trays, dunnage — is scoped per program.

Question 18

What are the typical transit times?

Accepted Answer

Sea freight to EU ports is 7–14 days; to GCC, 5–10 days; to East Africa, 4–8 days. Air freight is 2–4 days door-to-door worldwide on expedite programs.

Straight
answers.

Lead times

Tolerances

Tooling process

Minimum order quantities

Shipping & logistics

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