Design and manufacturing
of plastic injection molds
Since 1996, CadNov designs and coordinates the production of all types of tooling - from the aluminum prototype to the high-volume steel mold. Manufacturing in France or via a low-cost channel depending on your constraints.
Why work with CadNov
A single point of contact
A project manager who is an expert in injection molds, from quote to good-material part. The same one, end to end.
Low-cost, controlled in France
Your low-cost tooling is received, cleaned and inspected in our moldmaking workshop in Oyonnax (over 30 years). Tuning and modifications on site.
Drawings kept up to date
Dedicated design office: all drawings updated and tracked from start to finish of the project.
Since 1996: your tooling partner from specification to delivery
CadNov is not a mold manufacturer. Our role is to be your technical guarantor: we select the toolmakers, write the specifications, monitor the trials and take delivery of the tools on your behalf.
This independent-integrator position gives you access to the best toolmakers - France, Europe or Asia - without having to manage the complexity of follow-up yourself.
A poor tooling choice is expensive - reworks, delays, scrap. Classic mistakes: undersized steel, insufficient cooling, poorly studied parting line, badly positioned gates.
A poor tooling choice is costly — rework, delays, scrap. Common mistakes: undersized steel, insufficient cooling, poorly designed parting line, badly positioned gates.
CadNov integrates rheological simulation upstream and guarantees the match between part design and mold feasibility before the first cut of the mill.
Tooling in France
For your very technical molds — high precision, large tonnage, complex geometries, two-shot, hot runner — we work with leading French moldmakers, with on-site follow-up.
Low-cost channel - Asia
Partners audited since the 2000s, all ISO 9001. For molds made in China, our on-site French-Chinese team ensures daily follow-up — progress, inspections, tuning — with no language barrier or time-zone gap.
Moldmakers in Portugal and Turkey. Intermediate value for money, short transport times.
12 mold technologies
Our partners have worked with CadNov since the 2000s. Whatever the channel, you keep a single point of contact — your project manager, a mold manufacturing expert — who coordinates France and China for you. A level of follow-up you won't get by contacting a foreign moldmaker without a qualified intermediary.
From prototype to high volume - every configuration based on your volume, material and specifications.
01
Aesthetic and dimensional validation with the production material. 7075 aluminum, short lead times.
Aesthetic and dimensional validation with the production material. 7075 aluminum, short lead times.
Option: standard mold bases (250 mm max) — cavity only, to reduce cost and lead time.
Pilot / pre-series mold
Full process validation, first client deliveries. P20 steel, progressive ramp-up.
Single-cavity production mold
Pre-treated 1.2738 steel for medium runs. Technical parts with complex geometry.
Multi-cavity mold
2, 4, 8, 16, 32 cavities. +50-70% mold cost for x2 productivity. H13 steel 48-52 HRC.
Hot runner mold
No sprue, material savings. Valve gate or open nozzle. ROI from 100,000 parts/year.
Two-shot mold (2K)
2 injections on a rotary press - 2 bonded materials. Integrated seals, elastomer overmolding, backlighting.
Insert molding mold
Metal inserts embedded before injection. Threaded bosses, wires, connectors.
High-speed mold
Caps, closures, packaging, cosmetics. H13 steel, conformal cooling, cycles under 5 seconds. Up to 128 cavities.
Thin wall mold
Wall thickness 0.3-0.8 mm. H13 + intensive cooling. High-speed presses 500 mm/s.
Stack mold
3 platens, 2 parting lines active simultaneously - x2 parts per cycle, same clamping force.
Large-dimension mold
Parts over 600 mm. Presses 1,200 - 4,000 T. Dashboards, bumpers, door panels, tailgates.
Gas injection mold (GAIM)
Pressurized nitrogen injected into the molten material to hollow out thick areas. Eliminates sink marks on thick sections.
Quick selection table
Choosing the right tooling based on volume and use.
| Type | Annual volume | Lead time | Budget | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum prototype | 500 - 5,000 | 2-6 wk | 3-15 k€ | Series material validation |
| P20 pilot | 5,000-50,000 | 6-14 wk | 10-40 k€ | Pre-series, process qualification |
| Single-cavity production | 5,000-50,000/yr | 8-16 wk | 20-80 k€ | Complex technical part |
| Multi-cavity | > 50,000/yr | 10-20 wk | 40-200 k€ | Cost-per-part optimization |
| Hot runner | > 100,000/yr | +2-4 wk | +8-60 k€ | Zero sprue, material savings |
| Two-shot 2K | > 50,000/yr | 14-24 wk | 60-250 k€ | Integrated seals, overmolding |
| Insert molding | Variable | 8-16 wk | 25-100 k€ | Metal/plastic hybrid |
| High-speed | > 500,000/yr | 10-18 wk | 60-300 k€ | Caps, closures, packaging |
| Thin wall | > 500,000/yr | 12-20 wk | 50-180 k€ | Trays, cups |
| > 200,000/yr | 80-350 k€ | 14-24 wk | Caps, high-speed covers | Large dim. |
| > 20,000/yr | 20-36 wk | 100-700 k€ | Automotive, bodywork | Prototype mold: validate fast, at lower cost |
Prototype mold: validate fast, at lower cost
For parts no larger than 250 mm, CadNov uses reusable standard mold bases: we machine only the cavity, which reduces cost and lead time. Above 250 mm, we build a complete mold. The technology is chosen according to part complexity. In small runs, movements are demolded by hand. The part is then validated at our testing center in France before going to production.
| Solution | Mold base | Tooling cost | Number of parts | Lead time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminum prototype (250 mm max) | standard, cavity only | €3,000 – 15,000 | 500 – 5,000 | 2 – 6 wk |
| Part > 250 mm | complete mold | on quote | depending on series | depending on complexity |
Common applications of plastic injection molding:
- low-volume production
- bridge tooling
- pilot runs
- functional testing and prototyping
The two-shot mold (2K) combines two polymers in a single step - no assembly, no gluing. The rotary press positions the 1st material, then the 2nd is injected over it.
Overmolding is done on a standard press: the molded part is repositioned manually or by robot into the 2nd mold.
PP + TPE · ABS + PC PA + elastomer · Ergonomic handles Integrated seals · Backlighting
Cosmetics requirements (L'Oréal, Chanel, Bulgari in our portfolio) demand surface tolerances that standard molds do not guarantee.
Mirror polish, textured grain, invisible parting lines: results achieved through steel selection (1.2085 high-gloss stainless) and mastery of draft angles.
Stack mold: double production without doubling the press
The stack mold integrates 3 platens and 2 parting lines active simultaneously. Result: x2 parts per cycle with the same press and the same clamping force. The central hot runner feeds both levels in parallel. Fast ROI beyond 200,000 parts/year.
Caps and closures · Plastic lids Electronic housings · ROI 8-14 months
Gas-assisted molding — thick-walled parts
Gas-assisted molding (GAIM) injects pressurized nitrogen into the still-molten thermoplastic to hollow out the core of thick areas. A process dedicated to thick sections that standard injection handles poorly: sink marks, warpage, long cycles. CadNov steers it from mold design to tuning.
Benefits: 20 to 40 % material savings, clamping force reduced by 25 to 60 % (smaller press), sink marks almost eliminated on thick areas, lighter part with preserved rigidity.
In full transparency: GAIM is mainly cost-effective in high volume (indicative threshold over 20,000 parts per year). In small runs, standard injection remains more economical. CadNov quotes both and decides with you.
Our moldmaking workshop in Oyonnax — low-cost controlled in France
All tooling made in low-cost channels is received in our partner moldmaking workshop in Oyonnax (France), a company with over 30 years of experience.
Receiving and inspection
On arrival, the molds are cleaned then fully inspected.
Tuning and modifications
Mold tuning and modifications carried out on site.
Testing center
A testing center in Oyonnax to validate your tooling.
Workshop open to visits
The workshop can be visited on request.
Continuity: for future work, it's always the same project manager — your single point of contact.
All drawings are updated by our design office. Every change to the mold is recorded on the drawings, and these updates are tracked and traced from start to finish of the project. At every stage, you have an accurate, up-to-date technical file.
A single point of contact, from quote to good-material part: your project manager, an expert in injection molds.
From your specifications to acceptance of the mold in production.
DFM analysis
Draft angles, wall thicknesses, parting line, injection feasibility
From your specifications to receiving the mold in production.
Rheological simulation
CADMOULD / Moldflow - gates, balancing
Mold specifications
Steel, cavities, cooling, ejection, hot runner
Toolmaker selection and follow-up
Tendering, milestones, T0/T1/T2 trials
Toolmaker selection and follow-up
Tenders, milestones, T0/T1/T2 trials
Receiving, inspection and trial in France
Received in our Oyonnax workshop: full dimensional inspection and injection trials before delivery. Mold validated, ready to produce — dimensional report and PPAP if required.
Innovation Tax Credit (CII) - Recover 30% of your prototype tooling costs
CadNov is approved by the French Ministry (MESR) for the CII. Prototype-mold design and injection-trial expenses are eligible - up to 30% refunded. Ask us for support in building your file.
A tooling project? Let's talk.
Free scoping within 48h - from prototype to high-volume mold.
Submit my projectOur plastics expertiseAntoine ERRIGO · +33 (0)4 74 32 23 60 · direction@cadnov.fr · CadNov, 240 rue des Câbles de Lyon, 01000 Saint Denis Lès Bourg · CII-approved