Soft vinyl tooling · Electroformed copper
Soft vinyl copper molds.
Built for the hollow shell.
Copper tooling for rotocast PVC figures: fine surface detail, controlled wall thickness, clean parting and repeatable demolding. Not a steel injection mold — a different tool for a different product.
Every shape is reviewed for hollow forming and demolding before tooling. Around 3,000+ pieces per design is a practical starting range, not a strict minimum. Start with a 3D and demolding review.
01 / Why copper
The mold forms
a hollow shell.
A soft vinyl copper mold is not a steel injection mold. The copper cavity is heated, coated with PVC plastisol, rotated, fused and cooled. The result is a hollow flexible shell — not a solid rigid part.
Electroformed surface
The copper shell reproduces fine sculpted detail, texture and character features from the master.
Rotocast hollow
Plastisol coats the heated cavity and forms a shell; rotation controls coverage and wall build.
Demolding is designed in
Parting, openings and undercuts are reviewed so the cooled shell can be removed without damaging detail.
Copper is the forming tool. PVC plastisol is the material. Rotocasting is the process. The product is a hollow soft vinyl figure.
02 / Shape fit
Not every shape
can be pulled.
Copper tooling works when the product is a hollow soft vinyl shell that can be formed and removed cleanly. The 3D geometry decides, not the product category.
Usually suitable
- Hollow character figures
- Designer toys with open geometry
- Hollow collectible figures
- Rounded or relatively simple hollow shapes
- Multi-part figures with separate molds
Needs review
- Deep undercuts that lock the shell
- Narrow openings that block removal
- Very complex geometry with unusual parting
- Wall structures that cannot form consistently
- Solid or rigid parts better suited to steel injection molding
03 / Quantity
3,000+ pcs is practical.
It is not a strict minimum.
Copper tooling has a fixed investment. Higher volume spreads that investment across more units, but a smaller project can still make sense when the product and future orders justify it.
Usually not recommended for copper tooling; the mold investment is difficult to spread.
Possible case by case; review tooling cost, product price and repeat orders together.
Generally a more practical range for commercial soft vinyl collectibles.
Strong fit for tooling economics, repeat production and multiple batches.
Quantity is only one factor. Shape, size, surface detail, number of parts and future orders all affect the tooling case. Read the MOQ guide for the wider planning view.
04 / Build sequence
From master
to copper shell.
The copper mold is developed from the product geometry. Each stage checks the shape, surface and demolding before the next step.
3D & demolding review
Check hollow structure, openings, undercuts, parting and wall access.
Output: tooling reviewMaster model
Prepare the master from the approved 3D file, including surface detail and parting.
Output: approved masterElectroforming
Build the copper shell over the master to capture the surface and geometry.
Output: copper shellSupport & assembly
Support the copper shell, fit the parting structure and prepare the mold for rotation.
Output: assembled toolTrial rotocast
Run a trial shell; check coverage, wall, surface, parting and demolding.
Output: trial sampleApproval & handoff
Confirm the sample and tool condition, then release for production.
Output: production release05 / Process comparison
Copper is not
a steel substitute.
The right tool depends on the product. A soft vinyl figure and a rigid ABS component should not be forced into the same mold type.
| Decision | Steel injection mold | Soft vinyl copper mold |
|---|---|---|
| Mold material | Steel cavity and core | Electroformed copper shell |
| Forming method | Injection molding | Rotocasting with PVC plastisol |
| Product structure | Solid or rigid plastic part | Hollow flexible vinyl shell |
| Typical volume | High volume and repeat runs | Around 3,000+ pcs per design is practical |
| Best fit | PVC / ABS toys and components | Soft vinyl figures and designer toys |
06 / Factory-built
Tooling and trial
inside New Miho.
Soft vinyl tooling, trial rotocasting and production review stay inside New Miho's own factory team, so the mold is not separated from the people who run it.
Copper tooling
Electroformed shell and mold structure built for the product.
Rotocast trial
Trial shells check coverage, wall, surface and demolding.
Painting & assembly
Trim, paint, assemble and pack with the production team.
Owned factories
Meihui and Boyuan are our own facilities, not external suppliers.
07 / Questions
About the
copper tool.
Direct answers about shape, quantity, tooling and trial.
Is a copper mold the same as a steel injection mold?
What products fit soft vinyl copper tooling?
Is 3,000 pieces a strict minimum?
What files are needed to review a copper mold?
Do you make the master and trial shell?
Can painting and assembly be handled after molding?
Check the shape
Send the 3D file.
We will review the shell.
Tell us the figure size, number of parts, target quantity and whether the product is hollow. We will confirm the demolding route and the next practical step.
