How long does it take to get an injection molded part made?

Mass produced injection molded parts (with a lifetime part count of 100,000 and above) typically have a 3 month turn from design release to the plastic part manufacturer to the time when first shots are coming off the molds and are ready for first article inspection (FAI).

There are services like Protomold that takes less time and incurs a lower tooling cost by creating a more rudimentary mold with less cooling that will run slower and wear out sooner.  The lead times for these services are typically shortened to the 6-8 week range.