In the production of manual fishing lures, molds have always been one of the fixed costs. Choosing the right mold and optimizing its use is key to cutting costs effectively.
- Choose the Right Mold
In current manual lure production technology, two common mold types dominate: steel molds and aerospace aluminum molds.
Steel molds are widely used in mass production by traditional factories. They offer excellent durability, typically supporting the production of 100,000+ lures. Suitable for lead lures, tungsten lures, ABS plastic lures, and PVC/TPE/TPR soft plastic lures, they have the broadest application range, highest cost, and greatest durability.
For large-scale production factories, steel molds are the only choice—they somewhat reflect the strength of OEM lure manufacturers: more molds often mean greater factory capacity.
Aluminum molds** are common in home workshops or personal studios. They cannot process metals like lead or tungsten, so they’re mostly used for soft plastic lures. They require maintenance after about 5,000 pieces to avoid damage. However, their low cost makes them the top choice for small lure companies and studios.
- Products Made with Steel Molds (Partial List)
- Lead lures**: Common examples include jigging lures, buzzbaits, and lead heads.
- Metal lures**: Typical types are spoons and tungsten jigs.
- Soft plastic lures**: Such as T-tail lures, stick baits, and worm-style lures.
- Hard plastic lures**: Including hard minnows, poppers, and crankbaits.
- Resin lures**: Resin coats the inner metal to protect the lure’s coating and reduce environmental harm. Happyview Fishing is one of the few suppliers that can provide resin lures.
- The Special Nature of Molds
Molds represent new products that companies spend months or even years developing.
To prevent competitors from learning about and copying new products before launch, molds are often highly confidential. A high-standard non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is required to reduce the invisible costs of R&D leakage. - Cut New Product Costs
When you have a new product idea and want to produce a small batch for market testing, split molds can help lower costs. This means designing one mold for multiple products or one mold for a single product with multiple specifications—this is the optimal solution.
To enhance supply competitiveness, manufacturers often set minimum order quantities. Mass production reduces the average cost, and some even waive mold costs once the order quantity meets the required standard.