# Injection Molding Job Costing Review Checklist > Source: https://netray.co/tools/injection-molding-job-costing-review-checklist > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: Free Tools ## Short answer A 38-point review of a molded part quote or actual job cost, grouped into material, process, tooling, overhead and terms, with the critical omissions marked. ## Category cost-finance ## Industry Plastics and Injection Molding ## Audience - Estimator - Plant controller - General manager - Sales engineer ## Tool **Kind:** checklist **Groups:** #### Material **Items:** **Text:** Part weight is measured from a sample or the CAD volume times density, not guessed **Critical:** true **Text:** Runner and sprue weight included for cold runner tools **Critical:** true Regrind reuse percentage is allowed by the customer and realistic **Text:** Scrap rate includes start-up purge and defect rejects, not only inspection rejects **Critical:** true Resin price is delivered price with freight and a dated supplier quote Color concentrate, additives and fillers are costed per pound Drying cost and moisture-related losses considered for hygroscopic resins Resin price change mechanism (index or surcharge) agreed with the customer #### Process and press **Items:** **Text:** Cycle time is from a proven trial or a similar tool, not only the mold maker estimate **Critical:** true Cooling time checked against wall thickness and resin **Text:** Press size checked for clamp tonnage and shot utilization **Critical:** true **Text:** Press rate matches the size of the chosen press, with labor and overhead **Critical:** true Press efficiency or OEE assumption is based on plant history Changeover and setup time spread over the run size Automation, robot or conveyor costs and operator ratio included Secondary operations costed: trimming, inserts, assembly, decorating, welding #### Tooling **Items:** **Text:** Mold cost quote is in hand and includes hot runner, texture and inserts **Critical:** true Tool amortization period matches committed customer volume Cost of capital on tool investment considered Tool maintenance and spare parts allowance included Expected tool life in shots is enough for the program **Text:** Tooling ownership is documented and agreed **Critical:** true Sample, T1 and PPAP costs included or charged Engineering change costs and approvals defined #### Packaging, quality and freight **Items:** **Text:** Packaging materials and labor costed per thousand parts **Critical:** true Freight terms and costs specified (FOB, delivered) Inspection, gauging and testing cost included Certificates, traceability and PPAP documentation cost covered Returnable packaging and tracking costs considered Customer-required safety stock or consignment cost included #### Overhead, margin and terms **Items:** Overhead and SG&A applied by a consistent rule **Text:** Target margin is stated on price, not mistaken for markup **Critical:** true Annual volume tiers and price breaks defined Payment terms and cost of financing considered Price validity period and expiry stated Assumptions and exclusions written in the quote Quote compared with similar jobs and actual cost history **Text:** Actual job cost reviewed after the first production run against the quote **Critical:** true **Scoring Note:** Count the checked items. Fix every unchecked critical item before the quote leaves the building. Below 80 percent complete, expect margin surprises. After the first production run, repeat the checklist against actual costs and feed corrections back into your standard assumptions. ## Content **Intro:** Most margin leaks in molding come from a short list of omitted costs: runner weight, a rosy cycle time, the wrong press rate, packaging and tool maintenance. This checklist walks through them in order so an estimator or controller can review a quote before it goes out, or a finished job before it is repeated. **Sections:** #### How to use it **Body:** Work through the five groups with the quote worksheet open. Tick items that are covered and documented. Any critical item left open should be resolved before sending the quote, since those are the ones that most often turn a profitable-looking job into a loss. Use it again after the first production run, comparing actual material usage, cycle, scrap and packaging against the quote. #### Where molding quotes go wrong **Body:** Material and cycle time dominate the error budget. Cold runner weight can be 10 to 30 percent of the shot on small parts. Scrap during start-up and purging is usually higher than the final inspection reject rate. Cycle time estimates from tool makers are often optimistic by a few seconds, which on a short cycle is a large percent. Press rate errors come from using a plant average when the job needs a large tonnage machine. **Bullets:** - Runner and sprue not included on cold runner tools - Cycle time taken from the mold maker proposal - Average press rate used for all machines - Packaging and freight omitted from the piece price #### Using it with your cost tools **Body:** Pair this review with the quote cost build-up worksheet for the numbers, the cavitation optimizer to confirm the tool decision, the press selection worksheet to confirm the press, and the resin price impact calculator to understand exposure. The checklist ensures nothing is missing, and the tools check the arithmetic. #### After the job **Body:** Compare actual cost to quote on each repeated job. Record the cycle time, scrap, material usage and press hours from production reporting and update the standards in your ERP item and routing. Over a few jobs this closes the gap between quoted and actual cost and makes the next quote more accurate. **Cta:** Netray can build a read-only agent over your ERP and shop floor data that compares quoted versus actual cost per molded job and highlights the lines that drifted. **Faq:** #### Which items are most often missed in molding quotes? **Answer:** Runner and sprue weight on cold runner tools, start-up scrap, realistic cycle time, a press rate for the right machine size, and packaging and freight. Together these usually explain most of the gap between quoted and actual job margin. #### How should I treat tool amortization? **Answer:** Spread tool cost over the volume the customer commits to, not the volume you hope for. If the customer owns the tool, quote it separately and leave it out of piece price. If you own it, add maintenance and cost of capital. #### How often should I review actual cost against the quote? **Answer:** After the first production run, and then at least annually or whenever resin, labor or press rates change significantly. Feed the differences into your standard costs so new quotes reflect real conditions. #### Does the checklist apply to captive molding plants? **Answer:** Yes. Even if no price is quoted externally, the same costs apply, and the review shows whether a molded part is cheaper made in-house than purchased. Replace margin with an internal transfer rule. ## Search terms injection molding job costing checklist, molding quote review checklist, plastic injection cost review, what costs are missed in molding quotes, molded part quote audit, injection molding estimating checklist, job cost review molder, injection molding profitability checklist --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json