Small Batch Manufacturing: 10 to 500 Parts Without Tooling Investment

By Mike Moussa, PE — Not every product needs injection molds and 10,000-unit runs. Here’s how to manufacture 10-500 parts without the traditional tooling investment.

The Problem

You need parts. Real, production-quality parts. But:

• You can’t justify $10,000-$30,000 in injection mold tooling
• You’re not sure about demand yet
• Your design might still change
• You need them in weeks, not months
• Your total lifetime volume might only be 200 units

Traditional manufacturing wasn’t built for you. It was built for companies ordering 10,000+ units who can amortize tooling over large runs. But your business is real, your customers are real, and you need parts now.

Three Paths to Small Batch Production

Path 1: 3D Printing (Best for 1-100 units)

How it works: Direct digital manufacturing — no tooling, no setup, no minimum order.

Best for:

• Complex geometries (internal channels, lattices, organic shapes)
• Rapidly changing designs (tweak and reprint)
• Customized parts (each unit can be different)
• Functional plastics (ABS, Nylon, PC, ULTEM)

Cost example: A medium-complexity enclosure (4″ × 3″ × 2″), 50 units in ABS: approximately $15-25/unit depending on infill and finish requirements. No tooling. Ready in 5-7 days.

Path 2: Urethane Casting (Best for 10-200 units)

How it works: A silicone mold is made from a 3D printed or machined master. Liquid polyurethane is cast into the mold, producing parts that look and feel like injection molded plastic.

Best for:

• Production-quality appearance (smooth, paintable, textured)
• Testing market response with professional-looking products
• Bridge manufacturing while injection molds are being built
• Flexible/rubber parts (shore 20A-90A available)

Cost example: Same enclosure, 50 units via urethane casting: approximately $40-60/unit including mold cost ($500-800). Looks injection-molded. Ready in 10-14 days.

Path 3: CNC Machining (Best for 5-500 units)

How it works: Parts are cut from solid blocks of metal or plastic on computer-controlled mills and lathes.

Best for:

• Metal parts (aluminum, steel, stainless, brass)
• Tight tolerances (±0.001″ or better)
• Engineering plastics (Delrin, PEEK, UHMW, Polycarbonate)
• Parts that need to be truly production-grade from day one

Cost example: An aluminum bracket (3″ × 2″ × 1″), 50 units: approximately $25-50/unit depending on complexity. No tooling. Ready in 5-10 days.

Comparing the Options

Factor	3D Printing	Urethane Casting	CNC Machining
Tooling cost	$0	$500-1,500	$0
Per-unit cost	$$	$$	$$-$$$
Surface finish	Good	Excellent	Excellent
Metals	Limited	No	Yes
Lead time	1-5 days	7-14 days	3-10 days
Design flexibility	Highest	Moderate	Moderate

We Do All Three

Most prototype shops specialize in one process. We offer all three under one roof, which means we recommend the right process for your project — not the one process we happen to own.

Tell us what you need, how many you need, and when you need them. We’ll recommend the most cost-effective approach.

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