Global Manufacturing Industry Faces Mold Shortage Crisis: Chinese Suppliers Step Up with 24/7 Production

Global Manufacturing Industry Faces Mold Shortage Crisis: Chinese Suppliers Step Up with 24/7 Production

2025-10-27 – A perfect storm of post-pandemic restocking, near-shoring of electronics and automotive plants, and record-high consumer demand has pushed the worldwide precision-mold market into its tightest supply squeeze since 2011. Lead times for standard injection molds have doubled to 18–22 weeks, while prices for hot-runner systems have risen 14 % year-on-year, according to the latest Gardner Business Index.

China, which produces roughly 42 % of the planet’s plastic and die-casting molds, is running its toolrooms at 95 % capacity for the first time in a decade. “Every press we have is booked through Q2 2026,” says Felix Tian, export manager at ZHMIT Mold & Industrial Technology (Zhmit) in Qingdao. “Customers who once ordered 500-shot trial molds are now requesting 50,000-shot hardened production tools just to secure capacity.”

Key drivers behind the bottleneck:

EV surge: Global electric-vehicle output is forecast to hit 18 million units in 2025, each requiring large, complex battery trays and cooling circuits that consume twice the cavity steel of traditional engine parts.

AI hardware boom: Server racks for generative-AI data centers use 1.2 kg of precision plastic per kW—five times the volume of conventional cloud hardware—driving demand for multi-cavity high-speed molds.

Logistics pivot: Brands moving assembly from Asia to Mexico and Eastern Europe are duplicating mold sets, effectively doubling orders for the same end product.

Chinese mold makers respond with “lights-out” automation
To shorten cycles, Zhmit and its peers are deploying robotic electrode changers, 5-axis graphite milling, and in-cavity pressure sensors that transmit data to customers’ MES dashboards in real time. “We can now ship a 64-cavity PET preform mold in 25 calendar days instead of 40,” notes  Tian. The company’s newly expanded 30,000 m² plant added 18 Makino F5 machines and a 120-tonne crane capable of handling 15-ton automotive stamping dies.

Sustainability push
The shortage is accelerating adoption of recycled-content resins and conformal-cooling molds that cut cycle energy 20–30 %. Zhmit reports that 38 % of its 2025 orders specify ISCC-certified steels and copper alloys for temperature control, up from 12 % two years ago.

Outlook
Analysts expect the supply gap to persist until at least mid-2026, when new steel mills in India and Vietnam ramp up specialty plate production. Until then, buyers are locking in frame agreements with preferred Chinese suppliers, accepting 30 % deposits instead of the traditional 10 % to secure slots.

For urgent mold projects, engineering support or capacity inquiries, contact:

Tel: +86 135 8924 5568 (WeChat / WhatsApp)
Email: felix@zhmit.com