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Quality · Tooling register

Every mould you own, tagged and on record.

A tooling register is a live record of every mould, die and fixture you own: ID, owner, location, shot count, condition and documents. We tag and photograph each tool at the factory, keep the register current and manage transfers between factories, from release letter to first article.

Start my register See an example register
Every tool
tagged and photographed
Live
register you can share
6 steps
from release letter to first article
Battery door mouldExample
271,500of 300,000 rated shots
Location
Ningbo · Factory A
Condition
Service due
Documents
4 of 5 on file
Example register

One table for every tool you own.

When production moves, who owns the tooling is a common question. A register with ownership papers and a clear handover procedure answers it before it is asked. Filter the example below and open any row.

Example
Example tooling register with seven tools
IDToolOwnerLocationShot countConditionDocuments
Housing, top2-cavity injection mould Your brand Ningbo · Factory A 182,40061% of 300,000 Good 5/5
Housing, base2-cavity injection mould Your brand Ningbo · Factory A 176,90059% of 300,000 Good 5/5
Battery door4-cavity injection mould Your brand Ningbo · Factory A 271,50091% of 300,000 Service due 4/5
Handle gripOvermould Your brand Taizhou · Factory B 88,20018% of 500,000 Good 3/5
Lens1-cavity injection mould Your brand In transfer · Ningbo to Pune 64,00021% of 300,000 Good 5/5
BracketProgressive press die Your brand Pune · Factory C 410,00041% of 1,000,000 Good 5/5
Wheel hubForging die set Shared with factory Chennai · Factory D 52,80088% of 60,000 Refurbish 4/5

IDs, factories and rated lives are illustrative. Your register lives in a shared sheet or your own system, as you prefer.

Tool transfer

Moving a tool, step by step.

When you move production, we run the transfer at both ends: our team at the old factory releases and packs the tool, and our team at the new factory proves it makes good parts.

  1. 01 Old factory

    Release letter

    The current factory confirms in writing that you own the tool and agrees the release date.

    You receiveSigned release letter
  2. 02 Old factory

    Pre-move record

    Photos, shot count and condition, plus last-shot parts kept as reference samples.

    You receivePre-move report
  3. 03 Old factory

    Packing

    Cleaned, rust-protected, cooling lines drained, crated and labelled with the register ID.

    You receivePacking list with photos
  4. 04 In transit

    Shipping

    Export and import paperwork prepared; freight booked at cost.

    You receiveShipping documents
  5. 05 New factory

    Trial shots

    First trial at the new factory, with parts compared to the reference samples.

    You receiveTrial report
  6. 06 New factory

    First article

    Full measurement against your drawing and your sign-off before production.

    You receiveFirst article report
What you get

Your tooling, visible and yours.

  • A tag on every toolA durable ID plate that matches the register line.
  • Photos of each toolNameplate, cavities, cooling ports and overall condition.
  • Ownership papers linkedPurchase order, payment proof and drawings, per tool.
  • Shot count against rated lifeMonthly readings, with a note before service is due.
  • A live registerShared with your team, your suppliers or your auditors.
  • Transfers managedFrom release letter to first article at the new factory.
How it works

Tagged once. Current every month.

  1. 01

    List

    You share the tools you have paid for and where you believe they are.

    You receiveTool list and visit plan
  2. 02

    Visit and tag

    We visit each factory, tag and photograph every tool and read its counter.

    You receiveTagged tools and photos
  3. 03

    Go live

    We build the register and link the ownership papers for every tool.

    You receiveLive tooling register
  4. 04

    Keep current

    Monthly shot counts from each factory, checked on every visit.

    You receiveMonthly update
Price

USD 49per month per factory register

Included
  • Register set up with ownership papers
  • Monthly shot-count updates
  • Condition checks on our visits
  • Owner, location, shot count and condition per tool
  • A note when a tool nears its rated life
Billed at cost
  • Freight, duties and crating
  • Tool repairs or refurbishment by the factory
  • Travel beyond Bengaluru and Ningbo

The tagging visit is charged as an inspection day, from USD 229. Tool transfers, from release letter to first article, start from USD 1,900 per move.

Start my register
Who it is for

Built for teams like yours.

  • 01
    Brands with tooling at suppliers

    Moulds and dies paid for, spread across several factories.

  • 02
    Teams moving to a second source

    Tools going from China to India or Vietnam.

  • 03
    Operations and finance leads

    Who need tooling assets on record for audits and insurance.

  • 04
    Buyers changing supplier

    Who want a calm, documented handover.

Tooling questions

Straight answers.

Anything else, ask us directly. A principal replies, not a bot.

anirudh@sourcesquid.co

Who owns a mould I paid for?

Usually what your contract and payment records show. The register links every tool to its purchase order, payment proof and drawings, so ownership is clear and documented. If a factory disputes ownership, we refer you to a lawyer in that country; we do not give legal advice.

Which tools do you register?

Injection moulds, die-casting dies, press and progressive dies, forging dies, jigs, fixtures and gauges. Anything you paid for that sits at a supplier and makes or checks your parts.

How do you keep shot counts current?

The factory reports counter readings each month, and we read the counter and check the condition on every visit. When a tool nears its rated life, you get a note with the service or replacement options.

Can you move tools from China to India or Vietnam?

Yes. Our Ningbo team handles the release, the pre-move record and the packing at the old factory, and our team at the new factory runs trial shots and first article inspection. Freight and duties are billed at cost.

What does the register cost?

USD 49 per month for each factory register. The first tagging visit is charged as an inspection day, from USD 229. Tool transfers between factories start from USD 1,900, quoted per move.

Works well with

Related services.

SourcingChina + 1 second sourcingQualify the new factory before the tool moves.ComplianceOrigin and tariff defence dossierTooling records are part of the origin story.QualityInspections and factory auditsFirst article and in-line checks by our team.
Sources

Where our facts come from

Checked on 28 September 2026. Nothing on this page is legal advice.

  1. 01
    Who owns your molds? How overseas factories hold tooling and how to stop them (opens in a new tab) Harris Sliwoski, China Law Blog · updated Jul 2026 Tooling ownership is a common point of dispute when a buyer moves production; a register and a clear handover procedure are recommended.
Start with your tool list

Know where every tool is, this quarter.

Send the tools you have paid for and the factories that hold them. We reply with a visit plan and a fixed quote.

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