Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire. Mon to Fri.01789 224228
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Group service · stage by stage

From first prototype to production volume, in planned stages.

Hand-cast prototypes, bridge tooling, then production steel — with a clear trigger for each step. You spend on tooling when the volume says so, not before.

Hand cast prototypesBridge toolingProduction tool transfer

When it's right

Four situations where this service earns its keep.

A new product with unknown demand

Start cheap, learn fast, and only step up the tooling when sales prove the case.

A crowdfunding or launch date

Prototype parts for the campaign, bridge tooling for early backers, production when numbers settle.

A design that's still moving

Low-cost tools absorb design changes that would be expensive in steel.

A part moving between divisions

Prototype in TCI Mouldings, production in TCI Products — one plan, one engineer.

Prototype, launch batch, revised part and production batch on bench
Staged development from early part to production

How it flows

Four stages, in the usual order.

  1. 01

    Stage one — prototype

    Hand-cast silicone tool and a small batch of parts for testing and feedback.

  2. 02

    Stage two — bridge

    Improved cast, vacuum-cast or aluminium compression tooling for early volume.

  3. 03

    Stage three — production

    Compression or LSR steel tooling, built with everything learned so far.

  4. 04

    Triggers agreed up front

    Volume or date points that tell both sides when to move to the next stage.

What we need from you

To scope it properly.

The design, at whatever stage. CAD, sketch or existing object.

A demand picture. Your best guess at volume in year one and year three.

Any fixed dates. Launch, trade show or campaign deadlines.

A part progressing from rough prototype to production-ready version

Go deeper

3 ways this service is usually put to work.

Each has its own page with the detail: what's involved, when it fits, and when it doesn't.

Clear silicone being poured over a carved pattern in a timber mould box.
Drill-down

First parts you can hold, test and show, quickly.

A hand-cast silicone mould from a 3D print or an existing object, and a small batch of parts in silicone or PU. It's the cheapest way to find out…

Aluminium mould tools and coloured cast masters on a workshop bench.
Drill-down

Tooling for the gap between ten parts and ten thousand.

Your prototype worked and orders are coming, but full production tooling isn't justified yet. A bridge tool — improved cast, vacuum-cast or aluminium…

Technician checking silicone parts next to a production moulding machine.
Drill-down

Moving into production tooling — ours, or one you already own.

Whether you're commissioning a steel production tool from us or moving an existing tool from another supplier, the transfer is planned: assessment,…

At a glance

The idea in a picture.

Which route suits your quantity

PrototypesHundredsThousandsTens of thousandsPrototype toolingCompression mouldingTransfer mouldingSolid silicone injectionLSR injection

Swipe to see the whole diagram

A general picture. Shape, material and detail also decide the route, and we talk it through with you.

FAQs

Common questions.

Do I have to use all three stages?

No. Some parts skip the bridge; some never need steel. We plan to your volume.

Does this differ from tooling continuity?

Continuity is about keeping the same team and paperwork. This service is the staged plan itself.

Who owns each tool?

You do, for every tool you pay for.

Related

Where to read next.

Same engineer, prototype through to production.

You started with one hand-cast mould. The part is signed off. You're ready for a hundred a week. The engineer who built…

When your part is selling and the tooling needs to catch up.

The part works. Orders are climbing. The question is when to step up the tooling, and how to do it without changing…

Prototyping through to production, across the group.

The gap between a working prototype and a running production tool is where a lot of programmes stumble. Here's the path…

The group

This service sits at the group level

TCI Group is the umbrella brand. The specialists behind this service work across all four divisions.

TCI GroupThe umbrella brand and single number to ring. You are here.TCI MouldingsCustom silicone and polyurethane moulds.TCI CulinaryFood-safe silicone for patisserie and confectionery.TCI ConstructionFormliners, GRC and precast concrete tooling.TCI ProductsOEM silicone and rubber at volume.
Prototype tooling, approved samples, bridge tool and repeat production parts
Tooling steps kept together as volumes grow

Get in touch

Not sure which division? Tell us what you're making.

Send us a sketch, a photograph, or a paragraph. We'll come back with the right division, the right route, and an honest sense of what it will take.

Send an enquiry 01789 224228

Real people, a real workshop

You deal with the people who make it.

No call centre and no middlemen. When you contact TCI Group, you speak to the team who design, build and check your mould.

  • A real Warwickshire workshopUnit 15, Waterloo Park, Bidford-on-Avon, Alcester B50 4JG.
  • Real people on the phoneCall the team on 01789 224228, Monday to Friday.
  • The same team on every jobDesign, production and aftercare come from the people you see here.
  • Five brands, one teamMoulds, culinary, construction and contract products, all run from Bidford-on-Avon. See the divisions.
A stack of TCI silicone moulds.
A stack of TCI silicone moulds.
Silicone wax melt moulds made by TCI Mouldings.
Silicone wax melt moulds made by TCI Mouldings.
The TCI workshop, with moulds on the bench mid-build.
The TCI workshop, with moulds on the bench mid-build.
  • Thomas LaneManaging Director
  • George PrestonDesign & Project Manager
  • Kelly BallingerHead of Partnerships
  • Jim AndertonProduction Manager
  • TheodoreEmployee Welfare
Meet the team