Shenzhen Alu Rapid Prototype Precision Co., Ltd.

Thermoforming and injection molding are both popular plastic manufacturing processes, but whether thermoforming is cheaper than injection molding depends primarily on production volume, part size/complexity, and other factors like material and labor. In general:

Thermoforming is cheaper for low-volume production (e.g., under 3,000 parts) due to significantly lower upfront tooling costs and faster lead times.

Injection molding is cheaper for high-volume production (e.g., over 10,000–30,000 parts) because of lower per-unit costs once the initial investment is amortized.

Key Cost Comparison

Here's a breakdown based on typical industry data:

When to Choose Each

Opt for thermoforming if you're prototyping, producing large/thin parts (e.g., packaging trays, vehicle panels), or running short batches—savings can be 20–50% on upfront costs.

Opt for injection molding for mass production of precise, small parts (e.g., bottle caps, gears)—per-part costs drop dramatically at scale, often making it 2–5x cheaper overall for big runs.