What is the best method for low volume plastic parts?

For evolving designs and volumes under ~1,000 units, on-demand digital manufacturing (like OPEX) is usually fastest and cheapest on total cost. Above ~5,000 units of a frozen design, soft-tool injection molding takes over on unit cost.

How much does low volume manufacturing cost?

Costs vary by method. Soft-tool injection molding runs $10k–$40k in tooling plus per-part costs. CNC and urethane casting have lower fixed costs but higher per-part cost. OPEX has $0 tooling and flat per-unit pricing.

Guide · Manufacturing

Low Volume Manufacturing: Methods & Trade-offs

Q: What is low volume manufacturing?

Low volume manufacturing produces roughly 100 to 10,000 units of a part — a range where hardened production tooling is uneconomical but simple prototyping isn't enough. Common methods include CNC machining, urethane casting, soft-tool injection molding, and digital manufacturing.

Q: How fast is low volume manufacturing?

Traditional methods: 3–10 weeks depending on tooling. OPEX ships production-grade parts in days from an uploaded CAD file.

The 100–10,000-part range has four common production paths. Here's how CNC, urethane casting, soft-tool injection molding, and digital manufacturing compare on cost, lead time, and design risk.

What is low volume manufacturing?

Low volume manufacturing is the awkward middle between prototyping and mass production — batches of roughly 100 to 10,000 units. It's where product teams actually live: pilots, mid-volume series, service parts, and any product still on its way to a stable design.

The four common methods

CNC machining

Best for structural, tight-tolerance parts in metal or engineering plastic. No tooling, but per-part cost scales with complexity — quickly expensive above a few hundred units.

Urethane casting

Great for cosmetic parts and small batches (typically ≤50 units per silicone mold). Materials mimic injection-molded plastics but aren't production-grade for demanding end-use.

Soft-tool injection molding

Best above ~1,000 units of a frozen design. Tooling costs $10k–$40k and takes 4–8 weeks, but per-part unit cost is low. See the low-volume injection molding guide.

Digital manufacturing (OPEX)

No tool, no MOQ, production-grade thermoplastics, days-not-weeks lead time. Wins on total landed cost from 1 unit up through the low thousands.

How to choose

If…	Best method
Design is still evolving	OPEX (digital manufacturing)
Under 1,000 units of plastic parts	OPEX
Tight-tolerance metal parts	CNC machining
Cosmetic prototypes, ≤50 units	Urethane casting
Frozen design, 5,000+ units	Soft-tool injection molding

Why OPEX fits low volume

Most low-volume programs share the same problem: the design isn't done, demand is uncertain, and any fixed tooling investment locks you into decisions you're not ready to make. OPEX removes the tool entirely. Upload CAD, get an instant price, ship parts in days. Iterate as often as the design needs.

Run your specific volume through the ROI calculator to see where OPEX beats the tooled options on total landed cost.

Frequently asked questions

What is low volume manufacturing?

Production of roughly 100–10,000 units — the range where hardened tooling is uneconomical but prototyping isn't enough.

Best method for low volume plastic parts?

Below ~1,000 units or with an evolving design: on-demand digital manufacturing. Above ~5,000 units of a frozen design: soft-tool injection molding.

How much does it cost?

Soft-tool molding: $10k–$40k tooling + per-part. CNC and urethane casting: no tooling but higher per-part. OPEX: $0 tooling, flat per-unit pricing.

How fast is low volume manufacturing?

Traditional: 3–10 weeks. OPEX: days.

Price your low-volume run.

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