Transferring an injection mould: a practical handover checklist
Plan the records, tool assessment, trial samples and approval gates needed for a controlled manufacturing transfer.
Treat tool transfer as a manufacturing handover. Review the tool’s condition, machine interface, material and process records, then agree on trial results and customer approval before releasing serial production at the receiving site.
Collect a transfer pack
- Tool identification, ownership and permission to transfer.
- Current part drawings, tool drawings and revision history where available.
- Cavity layout, tool dimensions, weight and required machine interfaces.
- Material grade, approved process records, inspection plan and reference samples.
- Maintenance history, repairs, known defects and spare parts.
Check that the reference samples are labelled by revision and cavity where relevant. If records are missing, identify the gap before shipment and agree who will recreate or confirm the information.
Assess the tool at the receiving site
The receiving team should inspect condition and confirm compatibility with the proposed machine and utilities. Review mounting, ejection, cooling, electrical connections and any hot-runner or auxiliary equipment requirements. A nominal machine tonnage alone does not describe every interface.
Record the condition on receipt with photographs and a list of open issues. Agree whether repairs, modifications or replacement parts are required before trials, and how those activities affect the schedule.
Agree the release gates
| Stage | Evidence to review |
|---|---|
| Before dispatch | Records complete, condition documented and shipment responsibilities agreed. |
| Before trial | Machine compatibility and required repairs reviewed. |
| After trial | Samples compared with drawings, reference parts and agreed inspection criteria. |
| Before production | Customer approval, applicable requalification and production controls completed. |
Define the validation or requalification scope with the customer. The required work depends on the component, contractual requirements and the change being made. Avoid assuming the previous site’s settings or approval automatically establish performance at the new site.
Plan continuity and communication
Coordinate the last production run at the outgoing site, transport, receipt, repairs, trials and approval. Discuss a buffer plan against actual demand, rather than choosing a fixed number of weeks without reviewing the programme.
Nagoya’s inbound tool-transfer approach includes assessment, process requalification and comparative first-article data. Explore the transfer and NPI process, then discuss the records available for your tool.