T1 Samples in Injection Moulding: What to Check and Approve

What do T0, T1 and T2 samples mean?

For this workflow, treat T0, T1 and T2 as project trial labels and ask the supplier to define what each submission includes. Confirm separately whether the material, surface finish and production process match the agreed production requirements.

A suggested working agreement is: T0 checks whether the mould operates and produces parts; T1 is the first documented submission for buyer review; T2 is a further submission after agreed corrections. Put the agreed definitions in the tooling order.

Whether you are an individual commissioning a product, a small business buying its first tool or a larger importer managing an established specification, define the evidence and decisions required at each stage.

Before reviewing T1, confirm what the factory actually sent

Request the drawing revision, mould identity, trial date, cavity identities, material manufacturer and grade, colour reference, material batch and relevant processing records. Record whether the intended production material and additives were used.

Ask which operations are unfinished: texture, polishing, printing, coating, assembly or other secondary work. Keep approval of unfinished features pending and identify them explicitly in the approval record.

Require the supplier to identify any trimming, polishing, heating or hand fitting used on the submitted parts. If routine production will not include that work, request representative samples before approving the affected requirements.

Agree the quantities needed for measurements, assembly, destructive testing and retained references. Base the quantities on the checks and cavities involved.

What should you check on T1 samples?

Use the approved drawing and a written inspection sheet. For each characteristic, record the requirement, method, actual result, sample identity and decision. Agree measurement conditions, including when parts are measured after moulding and any required conditioning.

The checks below are a suggested review framework. Agree product-specific tolerances and acceptance limits around the intended use, including how borderline results will be judged.

Check every cavity before accepting a multi-cavity mould

Ask for separately identified parts from every active cavity. Do not treat a passing part from an unidentified cavity as evidence that every cavity meets the specification.

Keep measurements and defects separated by cavity and assess each cavity against the agreed requirements. Agree an identification method before the trial if the product itself cannot carry a visible cavity mark.

For the detailed sampling and reporting approach, use checking every cavity in a multi-cavity mould.

How the modification loop should work—and who pays

Send a consolidated change list with photographs, drawing references, cavity identities and the required outcome. Ask the supplier to distinguish a tooling defect, a processing issue and a buyer-requested design change before proposing work.

Request a written correction proposal stating the method, affected features, drawing revision, price, responsibility for payment and revised trial and delivery dates. For changes involving welding, inserts, gates or surface work, request a review of any effects on other requirements.

Agree included trials, correction work, repeat measurements, testing and sample freight in the tooling contract. Confirm the contractual treatment of failures against the agreed specification separately from new buyer requirements, and agree any disputed responsibility or charges before work starts.

Obtain a project-specific quotation and schedule before authorising modifications. For tooling payments, ownership and release terms, see injection-moulding tooling cost and ownership.

At the next submission, check the changed features and any dimensions, surfaces or functions identified in the impact review. Keep unresolved items open until supporting evidence is accepted.

Who signs approval, and what makes a golden sample useful?

Use a sample approval record identifying the part and drawing revision, mould, cavities, trial batch, material, colour, finish, inspection report and retained sample references. State the decision clearly: rejected, accepted for a defined purpose with listed exceptions, or approved for production.

Name the people authorised to approve for the buyer and supplier, and record their signatures and dates. Assign engineering, quality and purchasing responsibilities explicitly, including where one person covers several roles.

An approval for an assembly trial should say exactly that. State whether the record authorises further tool work, production, a payment milestone or shipment.

After the relevant checks pass, retain matching, labelled physical reference sets with the buyer and supplier. Identify the approved revision and cavity coverage of these golden samples, and record photographs and storage locations.

Keep the drawing and test requirements alongside the golden samples. Use the samples as appearance and fit references; require separate evidence for material composition, unmeasured dimensions and applicable regulatory requirements.

Define who may approve later changes to material, colour, tooling or processing, and what revalidation is needed. For subsequent batch checks, see inspecting moulded plastic parts.

If you sell in the US or EU

US food-contact parts—FDA guidance checked on 18 October 2026 states that a food-contact material's regulatory status depends on its constituent substances and their authorised conditions of use. Before approving a food container or utensil, request evidence covering the actual formulation and intended application; do not treat appearance approval as compliance evidence.

US entry—CBP's Tips for New Importers and Exporters states that the importer of record remains responsible for correct entry documentation and applicable duties, taxes and fees, even when using a broker. Provide accurate sample descriptions and supporting shipment records.

US tariffs—USTR guidance checked on 18 October 2026 provides a tariff-classification search for Section 301 coverage and links to exclusion information. Check the applicable classification, notices and exclusions for the entry date; this guide gives no blanket tariff rate for moulded parts.

EU marking—European Commission guidance checked on 18 October 2026 states that CE marking applies only to products covered by legislation requiring it and must not be affixed to other products. Establish the finished product's applicable rules before approving moulded-in markings. Keep conformity assessment separate from T1 sample approval.

UK worked example: receiving samples and accounting for tooling

Suppose a Cambridge buyer receives trial housings without a separate sample charge. HMRC guidance checked on 18 October 2026 explains how to value free-of-charge goods, including samples. A free sample is not automatically a zero-value import; establish whether its value is covered by the purchase agreement or requires another valuation method.

For production imports valued under the transaction-value method, HMRC guidance checked on 18 October 2026 requires the cost of tooling provided by or on behalf of the importer in connection with the imported goods to be included in customs value. Give the customs agent the tooling agreement and payment records to assess inclusion and allocation without counting the same cost twice.

HMRC import VAT guidance checked on 18 October 2026 starts from customs value, even when no duty is payable. Add applicable import duties and relevant incidental expenses, including transport to the first UK destination and onward transport to a further UK destination known at importation. Keep invoices and freight records; no duty or VAT rate is assumed here.

Prepare a review brief for Cambridge China Bridge

Provide the drawing revision, intended use and destination markets, tooling quotation, trial report, photographs and your unresolved questions. Identify who can approve technical changes and spending so the supplier receives a consistent decision.

Ask Cambridge China Bridge to confirm the proposed scope, deliverables and charges in writing. Request an explicit statement of whether supplier coordination, sample review, factory checks, goods inspections and any third-party work are included or charged separately.

Sources

The official sources listed below support the destination-market and customs statements. The CBP responsibility statement was verified in an official search result; the linked page could not be opened directly during this review. The trial-stage descriptions, inspection checklist and approval workflow are proposed practices to agree with the supplier, not asserted official definitions or legal duties.