Have you ever used an Injection moulding machine? How much does the mould cost?
It depends heavily on the complexity of the design. Also on how many parts you want to make. For a short run, and aluminum mold is a lot cheaper than a steel one, but it is only good for a couple of thousand parts. A steel mold would cost around $10k – $50k. (Actually they are known as dies, not molds). The best way to get this done is to go to an industrial design house (google one near you). They will make the NCD files, have the mold fabricated, and give you the best options for offshore production. A hand operated injection molding machine can be procured for a couple thousand dollars, and high end machines go up to several million. It all depends on what you want to do. The reference is a small automated machine for $7,900 used.
