The correct question is not only “How many days does production take?” A reliable delivery plan must include artwork, sampling, revisions, approvals, material preparation, mass production, inspection, packing and transport.

At TUOYUAN, the schedule begins after the required project information and commercial conditions are confirmed—not when an incomplete inquiry is first sent.

The Main Timeline Stages

1. Artwork and technical confirmation

Missing dimensions, colors, quantities or packaging decisions can delay the project before tooling begins. Production artwork must be approved in writing.

2. Tooling and sample development

The sample route depends on material. A sculpted resin figurine requires modeling, mold preparation, casting and painting. A soft PVC product requires production artwork, tooling, color preparation and forming. Metal timing depends on whether the product is stamped, die-cast, printed, plated or assembled from several parts.

3. Revision and approval

Buyer response time is part of the schedule. One clear consolidated feedback round is usually faster than multiple partial revisions.

4. Mass production

Production begins after the approved sample or written production authorization. Quantity, number of SKUs, hand-finishing workload and special components affect capacity.

5. Inspection and packing

Final inspection, packaging assembly, carton marking and shipment preparation require time and should not be removed from the schedule to create an unrealistic ship date.

6. International transport

Courier, air freight and sea freight have different cost, speed, capacity and handling conditions. Customs clearance and final delivery are additional variables.

Material-Specific Planning References

For a standard project after the required approvals:

• Polyresin sample: approximately 7–12 working days as an internal reference; complex sculpture or painting may take longer.
• Soft PVC: artwork approximately 1–2 days, mold and sample approximately 3–7 days, and standard mass production approximately 8–12 days after sample approval.
• Standard metal badge: drawing approximately 1–2 days, mold approximately 2–3 days, sample approximately 5–7 days, mass production approximately 10–14 days, and inspection/packing approximately 2–3 days. The overall standard badge workflow is often approximately 20–30 days, excluding shipping.

These ranges are not interchangeable. A moving badge, large resin statue or multi-component gift set needs its own schedule.

What Commonly Extends Lead Time

• Incomplete artwork or specifications
• Changes after tooling
• Multiple sample revisions
• Special colors, finishes or components
• Custom retail packaging
• Third-party testing
• Several SKUs with different approval dates
• Peak-season capacity or holiday shutdowns
• Late buyer approval
• Destination-specific logistics requirements

Planning Backward from an Event Date

Start with the required delivery date, then reserve time for customs, transport, packing, inspection, mass production, sample approval and revision. We recommend adding a reasonable contingency rather than treating the fastest theoretical schedule as the project plan.

For urgent projects, partial air shipment and later sea shipment may sometimes be considered. Whether this saves the event date or reduces total cost depends on quantity, weight, carton volume and destination.

Information Needed for a Confirmed Schedule

Send:

• Final product and quantity per SKU
• Artwork status
• Material and process
• Packaging requirements
• Testing or inspection requirements
• Destination and postal code or port
• Required arrival date
• Preferred transport method, if known

TUOYUAN will confirm a project schedule after reviewing these variables. We avoid advertising one universal turnaround time because it would not describe custom manufacturing accurately.

Suggested internal links: Custom Product Sampling, Revisions and IP Protection; How We Package Fragile Resin Figurines; Request a Quote; Manufacturing.

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