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With the modular mould concept developed by Muottituote, customers can utilize the same mould frame to manufacture several different products. When various active insert components can be installed into a single frame, higher utilization rates lead to significant cost and environmental savings.

Many manufacturers store dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of moulds, each with its own frame and nozzle system. This consumes a vast amount of storage space and causes continuous logistical handling in production. At the same time, thousands of euros’ worth of unused equipment sits idle on the shelves.

As an innovative pioneer, Muottituote Group has developed a solution where the same frame can be used with a variety of different moulds. The modular mould concept is a concrete example of customer-oriented design.

“Depending on the batch size, moulds spend an average of 80–95% of their time in storage and only the remaining time in production. When frames and nozzles are included, a rough estimate shows that €5,000 to €15,000 of capital is tied up on the shelf per mould. In the modular mould solution, only a limited number of frames are needed, and only the active components are changed between products,” says Jukka Nurmi from Muottituote.

Production becomes more efficient – utilization rates increase

In the modular mould concept, the frames and nozzle systems are owned by Muottituote, while the customer owns the product-specific active components. There are several sizes of modular options featuring various mechanical solutions, such as cold runner, hot tip, and valve gate nozzle systems. For example, hot runner solutions feature one to four nozzles per mould, with multiple sizes available for both valve diameters and slide frame options.

In daily production, mould changeover times are significantly streamlined, as the cavities can be swapped without removing the frame from the machine. Utilizing the same frame across multiple products also reduces storage requirements and material consumption, while increasing the utilization rate of the frames and nozzles.

“We service, maintain, and – when necessary – renew the frames, providing them with the same guarantees as traditional moulds. The customer is not locked in with us either; if they wish, they can purchase the frame for themselves at any time and move production elsewhere,” Nurmi says.

Scalability supports fluctuating production volumes

The modular mould concept is suitable for the vast majority of products, and each solution model is created individually to meet the user’s needs. The final product is not altered to fit the concept; instead, the most appropriate solution is selected for each situation.

“When launching production for a new product, demand is often unknown. In such cases, the modular mould is a cost-effective choice, as we own the frame and the customer owns the active components. If demand increases, a single-, two-, or four-cavity module can be fitted into the same frame, lowering the unit price. The original mould does not go to waste; it can be utilized again later. This lowers the threshold for testing new products and scaling up production,” Nurmi suggests.

Muottituote’s modular mould solutions also lower the barrier to entry for new market players. When a mould can be cost-effectively tailored to a company’s specific needs, even a small brand can introduce a sustainable product to the market without a massive initial investment or environmental footprint.

The roots of the concept date back to the early 2000s, when Muottituote manufactured a large volume of mobile phone component moulds as a subcontractor for Nokia’s casing production. The current concept has been refined over roughly 15 years of development – combining the company’s versatile expertise in both mould manufacturing and injection moulding.

“The feedback we have received from customers has been extremely positive. Few mould solutions have generated this much interest. And it’s no wonder, as the modular mould concept boosts efficiency and delivers clear savings by reducing investment needs and increasing utilization rates.”