Where the 50 working days go — and the latest order date before Chinese New Year
'50 working days' is the number on our terms page. Here is what sits inside it, where it slips, and how the Chinese holiday calendar changes the date you need to order by.
The 50 days, stage by stage
| Stage | Working days |
|---|---|
| 3D confirmation (back-and-forth on the drawing) | 3–5 |
| Mould making | 12–15 |
| T1 first trial and first samples | 3–4 |
| Mould corrections and adjustments | 7–12 |
| Mass production (scheduling, moulding, assembly) | 12–15 |
| Inspection | 2–3 |
| Container loading and dispatch | 1–2 |
With a buffer built in, the whole project comes to about 50 working days — roughly ten calendar weeks. For what happens at T1 and who pays for corrections, see our article on mould trials and sample approval.
What actually causes delays
In order of how often we see them:
- The buyer changes the 3D file, the structure or the colour, or takes a long time to approve the colour plaque. This is the most common cause by a wide margin.
- Resin or masterbatch out of stock.
- More mould corrections than planned.
- A full production schedule pushing machine time back.
Only the last two are ours to control. The first is in your hands, and it is the cheapest one to fix: freeze the drawing and approve the colour quickly.
Chinese New Year
Plastics factories in our region usually stop for 12–20 days over the holiday: work winds down in the last ten days of the twelfth lunar month and restarts around the 15th day of the first month. The exact dates move every year.
To ship before the break, an order generally needs to be placed 28–35 working days before the factory closes. That applies to repeat orders on existing tools. A new mould needs the full 50 days, so start that conversation in autumn.
Plan for the weeks after the holiday too. Workers return gradually, and output takes time to get back to normal.
May Day and National Day
Yes, they matter. Each is a seven-day stoppage, and in practice workers take extra days either side and logistics slows down. Add 7–10 days to any lead time that crosses early May or early October.
Repeat orders on an existing mould
If the mould is in good condition, the colour is already approved and the resin is available, a repeat order can ship in 7–12 working days at the fastest. Larger quantities take longer.
Rush orders
We can speed up an order by putting it first on the mould and the machines, prioritising material, and running two shifts.
- That usually saves 3–7 days.
- The rush charge is typically 5–10% of the order value, depending on how many days are saved.
One condition: rushing only works once the drawing and the colour are final. If either is still changing, paying for speed buys nothing.