How Small and Medium-Sized Projects Reduce Mold Costs for Custom UHPC Components: Practical Strategies and Technical Innovation

Against the backdrop of increasingly refined development in the architectural decoration industry, the mold cost pressure faced by small and medium-sized projects when customizing UHPC components has become increasingly prominent. As an industry player with 28 years of full-chain experience in UHPC/GRC/GRG/GRP materials, Qinglong Group deeply understands the core cost-control needs of small and medium-sized projects. Drawing on years of technical expertise and engineering practice, it provides the industry with a systematic solution for reducing the mold costs of custom UHPC components from three dimensions: design optimization, process innovation, and resource integration.

1. Cost Reduction at the Design Stage: Solving Customization Challenges with Standardized Thinking

The mold cost of custom UHPC components is often positively correlated with shape complexity, so small and medium-sized projects need to establish a cost-control mindset of "standardized base + modular combination" at the design stage. Qinglong Group's detailed design team uses parametric design tools to break down irregularly shaped components into basic unit modules. For example, curved curtain wall panels are divided into several reusable standard-curvature panels, raising the mold reuse rate by more than 40%. Meanwhile, for components commonly found in small and medium-sized projects, such as decorative moldings and landscape benches, Qinglong promotes a "family library sharing" mechanism. Leveraging a standardized mold database accumulated from over 2,000 projects, the company helps clients directly adopt proven mold solutions, reducing the proportion of newly opened molds. Taking a community landscape project as an example, by reusing Qinglong's GRG decorative molding mold library, the project's mold cost was reduced by 35% compared with a fully custom solution, and the delivery period was shortened by 20 days.

2. Process Innovation: Breakthrough Paths for Replacing Traditional Steel Molds with Flexible Technologies

Although traditional steel molds are highly durable, they involve long production cycles and high costs, making them unsuitable for the small-batch customization needs of small and medium-sized projects. After 5 years of technological iteration, Qinglong Group's R&D center has launched three breakthrough processes: First, glass fiber reinforced plastic (GRP) composite molds are adopted, costing only one-third of steel molds and enabling one-shot forming of complex curved surfaces. In a UHPC sunshade panel project for a commercial complex in Nanning, the cost per mold set was reduced by 62%. Second, 3D printing rapid mold-making technology is applied. For components with an irregularity exceeding 80%, a master mold is printed with photosensitive resin and then used to reproduce silicone molds, compressing the mold-making cycle from 15 days under traditional processes to 3 days. A GRP sculpture project in a cultural tourism town thereby saved more than 50% in mold costs. Third, adjustable combined molds have been developed, whose modular splicing structure adapts to components of different sizes. A UHPC flower bed project in a municipal park used this technology to enable five specification types of components to share one set of basic molds, reducing overall costs by 45%.

3. Supply Chain Integration: Building a Dedicated Cost-Reduction Ecosystem for Small and Medium-Sized Projects

Optimizing mold costs is inseparable from supply chain collaboration. Relying on its nationwide production base network and 200+ supplier resources, Qinglong Group has created a "shared molds + centralized production" model for small and medium-sized projects. A mold sharing center has been established at its production base in Nanning, Guangxi, integrating over 1,000 idle mold sets. Clients can share costs through leasing or joint development; a county-level cultural center GRC decoration project reduced its initial investment by 70% by leasing molds. Meanwhile, Qinglong implements a "multi-project pooled production" mechanism, centrally scheduling orders from geographically close small and medium-sized projects with similar processes, improving mold turnover efficiency by more than three times. In addition, for overseas small and medium-sized projects, leveraging the localized production advantages of Qinglong Malaysia Building Materials Co., Ltd., a "cross-border mold reuse + local material procurement" model is adopted. A UHPC exterior wall project for a hotel in Vietnam thereby reduced mold transportation costs by 40% and avoided tariff barriers.

Mold cost control is a key link for small and medium-sized projects to achieve cost-effectiveness in applying UHPC components, requiring systematic optimization across the entire chain of design, process, and supply chain. As a national high-tech enterprise and a participant in formulating UHPC industry standards, Qinglong Group has always followed the strategic principle of "focusing on niche segments and integrating resources to reduce costs." Through 28 years of accumulated detailed design capabilities, process innovation achievements, and supply chain integration experience, it provides small and medium-sized projects with customized solutions that combine aesthetic value and cost advantages. In the future, as UHPC materials become more widespread in small and medium-sized projects, Qinglong will continue to drive mold technology innovation, enabling more projects to enjoy the architectural aesthetic upgrade brought by "ultra-high performance concrete."