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Your injection mold has been cut, assembled, and mounted on a press. The first shots come off the machine, and the supplier sends you a box of parts plus a stack of measurement data. That stack is the T1 sample report — the first article inspection for a new injection mold — and it is the single most important document you will review before you approve the tool. Read it properly and you catch tooling problems while they are still cheap to fix. Skim it, stamp it "approved," and you may lock in dimensional defects for the life of the program. This guide explains what a T1 sample report should contain, what each deliverable proves, and what experienced buyers check before releasing mold steel into production.
A complete T1 sample report documents the trial, not just the parts. At minimum it should include:
If a supplier sends photos and a short email instead of this package, ask for the full report before you judge the samples. Parts without trial conditions cannot be reproduced, which defeats the purpose of the trial.
Buyers often treat a good-looking sample as proof the tool is done. It is not. Each deliverable answers a different question, and you need all three before approving steel.
| Deliverable | What it proves | What it cannot prove | Buyer action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual sample | Surface finish, color, gate and ejector mark quality, short shots, flash | Any hidden dimension; consistency across cavities | Check cosmetic zones against your appearance specification |
| Dimensional report (CMM or gauge) | Part conforms to drawing tolerances; cavity-to-cavity variation | Long-term stability; whether the process is centered | Compare measured values against tolerance, not just against pass/fail |
| Trial condition record | How the parts were made and how to reproduce them | Production-scale cycle economics | File it with the tool record for future trials |
A dimension that passes at the very edge of its tolerance is a pass on paper and a problem in production. When you review the dimensional report, look at where each value sits inside the band, not only whether it is inside.
Confirm the report was measured against the current drawing revision and the datums you agreed in DFM. A report that measures to the wrong datum can show every dimension green and still describe a part that will not assemble. This is the first thing to verify, and it takes two minutes.
In a multi-cavity tool, every cavity must be measured, or at minimum a documented, rotating sample of cavities. A common shortcut is measuring cavity 1 and shipping a mixed carton. Ask which cavity each measured part came from, and require cavity marks on the parts so future complaints can be traced.
An out-of-tolerance dimension has two possible causes: the tool needs rework, or the process parameters need adjustment. Shrinkage and warpage problems usually demand steel changes — gate relocation, added cooling, corrected dimensions — which take days and should be quoted transparently. Parameter-only fixes are fast but can hide an underlying tooling issue. Ask the supplier to state which type of correction each defect needs.
Prioritize fit-critical features: snap fits, screw bosses, sealing surfaces, and interface dimensions to mating parts. If you have a mating part in hand, do a physical fit check at T1. Cosmetics can often be polished later; a boss 0.15 mm off can force a steel change.
The report should name the inspector, the equipment, the date, and the drawing revision, and it should end with a formal conclusion. A report without these fields cannot anchor a corrective action or a warranty discussion later.
Use this checklist in your review meeting before releasing payment or approving production:
At Dongguan Xiangqin Plastic Products Co., Ltd., every new mold goes through a documented trial before the customer sees parts. DFM feedback comes back within 1–3 working days of receiving complete 3D data, and T1 samples follow in 2–4 weeks for prototype tooling or 4–8 weeks for production steel molds. Our quality team measures parts with 2D and 3D inspection equipment and issues reports against the customer's drawing revision, cavity by cavity. With 50 injection presses from 140T to 500T and a mold shop producing 50–60 molds per month, we serve buyers in aviation seating, automotive parts, medical equipment, power tools, household appliances, and 3C keyboard and mouse plastic parts. Our quality management system is certified to ISO 9001 (certificate version requires manual verification before publication).
If a T1 report reveals a steel correction, we quote the rework with a written lead time, run a second trial, and only then ask for approval. You can review our quality management capability and mold development capability before your first trial.
For prototype or fast tooling, expect 2–4 weeks after drawing freeze and down payment. Production steel molds typically take 4–8 weeks, and large or precision tools take longer. DFM feedback should arrive within 1–3 working days of submitting complete data, so use that first reply to judge the supplier's communication speed.
No. One good part proves that one shot was good. Ask for a short trial run of 30–50 shots, measure parts from every cavity, and confirm the process is repeatable before signing off. Tool approval should follow data, not a single photo.
Ask the supplier to classify the failure: process adjustment or steel correction. Require the correction plan, cost responsibility, and re-trial date in writing. Most first-article deviations on new tools trace back to shrinkage assumptions, which are corrected in steel and re-verified.
Ideally all of them. In high-cavitation family tools, agree on a documented sampling plan at DFM stage, but always require cavity marks so any future dimensional complaint can be traced to a specific cavity.
Yes. Small-batch trial production after T1 approval is a standard service, and it lets you validate assembly and packaging before committing to volume. Discuss batch size and MOQ during the T1 review so capacity is reserved on the right press.
A T1 sample report is your cheapest insurance on a tooling investment. Check the drawing revision and datums, demand cavity-level measurement, read the margins instead of the pass/fail column, and classify every deviation as a steel or process fix before you approve. A supplier who welcomes these questions will be easier to work with for years than one who resists them.
If you are preparing a new mold project and want a second pair of eyes on a T1 sample report — or a quote for a new tool — request a quote from our engineering team. We will review your drawings, return DFM feedback within 1–3 working days, and support you from first trial to mass production.
