01
SMT line setup & first-pass scrap
Loading feeders, printing the stencil, reflow profiling and AOI programming take hours regardless of lot size; the first boards cover setup scrap. Below 500 units that fixed cost overwhelms unit pricing.
MOQ POLICY
Smart Glasses MOQ: Exact Minimums and the Reasons Behind Them
Minimum order quantity at CYNRIN follows three transparent tiers: 500 units for catalog private label, 1,000 units for branded OEM, and 3,000–5,000 units for custom ODM. This page lists every threshold — including the sub-minimums that specific logo, color, lens, packaging and tooling choices add — explains what actually drives MOQ on an SMT and assembly line, and shows how samples, reorders and mixed-SKU orders are handled. There is no hidden negotiation: the same numbers appear in your quotation.
MOQ TIERS
The three program minimums, at a glance
| Tier | MOQ | What is included | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalog private label | 500 units | Catalog platform, logo marking, catalog colors and lenses, firmware pairing ID, standard or sticker-branded packaging | Market entry, distributors, e-commerce sellers, gifting |
| Branded OEM | 1,000 units | Custom pantone colors, custom retail box, polarized lens option, branded accessories and app identity | Brand launches, retail listings, repeat catalog brands |
| Custom ODM | 3,000–5,000 units | New ID, custom PCBA, custom optics/acoustics, owned tooling and full firmware development | Flagship products, differentiated platforms, strategic lines |
The rationale is operational rather than arbitrary. Five hundred units fills a viable SMT and assembly lot for a board that already exists; 1,000 units is the point where custom color runs and custom-printed packaging stop carrying waste surcharges; 3,000–5,000 units absorbs the supplier minimums of new molded parts, custom PCBA reels and development amortization. Request a quote for your exact SKU structure, or compare engagements on the OEM and ODM pages.
MOQ BY CUSTOMIZATION
Which option triggers which minimum
| Customization | Minimum quantity | What drives the number |
|---|---|---|
| Laser or pad-printed logo | 500 units | Marking fixture setup; amortized within a standard lot |
| Custom pantone frame color | 1,000 units | Injection color change, master-sample match and cleaning waste |
| Polarized / photochromic lens | 1,000 units | Lens supplier lot minimum and bench verification |
| Custom-printed retail box | 1,000 units | Packaging print run and plate/film setup |
| Custom molded insert or gift coffret | 1,000–3,000 units | Insert tooling and forming run |
| Additional firmware language pack | 1,000 units | Recording, integration and regression test cycle |
| Custom electronics / sensor / new PCBA | 3,000–5,000 units | Component reel minimums, EMC re-validation and NRE amortization |
| New tooling (frames, temples, Rx inserts) | 3,000–5,000 units per mold | Cavity utilization, setup scrap and tooling payback |
Lead time added by each option is listed in the customization catalog; deposit and milestone structure on payment terms.
SAMPLES
Evaluate before any MOQ is committed
You do not need to order blind. Stock evaluation units of catalog platforms can be shipped immediately; branded samples carrying your logo and packaging follow within 5–15 days, and one of them is sealed as the golden sample that defines the production standard. Samples are invoiced separately and are not part of the bulk MOQ, though sample costs can be credited against the first bulk order on programs above 1,000 units.
5–15 daysto branded samples
1–10 unitstypical evaluation quantity
1 goldensealed production-standard sample
Creditpossible on orders 1,000+ units
WHY THE MINIMUMS EXIST
Four honest cost drivers on the factory floor
MOQ is sometimes presented as a negotiating posture. Ours is a calculation of the fixed waste and setup embedded in any electronics production lot — visible below and itemized on request for your own cost engineering.
02
Component reel & supplier minimums
SoCs, MEMS microphones, camera modules and cells are supplied on reels and trays with manufacturer pack quantities; a custom board may commit 3,000–5,000 sets of parts before a single unit ships.
03
Packaging print & material minimums
Printed retail boxes, sleeves and formed inserts have plate setup and paper/foil run minimums at the packaging mill — 1,000 units is typically where custom print becomes economic.
04
Tooling & color-change economics
A mold must produce enough parts to repay itself and cover startup scrap; injection color changes purge material and require master re-approval, setting the 1,000-unit color and 3,000–5,000-unit tooling floors.
See the lines these costs run on: manufacturing capabilities · quality control.
REORDER ECONOMICS
The second order behaves very differently from the first
The first purchase order carries every setup cost: fixtures, packaging plates, golden samples, firmware release and line training. Reorders reuse all of it, which is why repeat lots run on the shorter 15–20 day production window and can be priced more aggressively. Tooling and masters are maintained for the life of the program, and forecast-buffered materials allow 4–6 week replenishment cycles for seasonal demand.
- Same MOQ floors apply, but consolidation is easier across an established SKU range.
- No repeat charges for logo fixtures, packaging plates or golden-sample work.
- Volume tiers and rebates are agreed in the annual framework, not renegotiated per PO.
- Spare-parts allowance and OTA maintenance continue under the 12-month warranty program.
MIXED ORDERS
Consolidating SKUs without inflating inventory
The MOQ is enforced per production lot, not per colorway, which gives buyers several legal ways to widen assortment without multiplying volume.
- One platform, several colors — a 1,000-unit OEM order can split across approved pantone colors in sub-runs, subject to the per-color quantity stated in the quote.
- Multiple catalog platforms — private label orders can combine camera, audio and sports platforms against the 500-unit catalog threshold per platform.
- Accessory and bundle SKUs — case, cable and packaging bundles share the hardware lot and add only their own packing minimums.
- Mixed-container shipping — approved SKUs consolidate into one FOB/CIF/DDP shipment, reducing freight per unit and documentation overhead; see shipping & logistics.
MOQ FAQ
The hard questions buyers actually ask
Can I order 100 smart glasses to start?
Not as a branded production lot: 100 units cannot cover SMT setup, component pack quantities and marking/printing minimums, so no honest factory can price it as production. Two compliant routes exist — purchase 1–10 paid evaluation samples for validation and buyer meetings, or take the 500-unit catalog private label floor, which supports logo marking and ships in 15–25 days. Below 500 units, any quote will involve stock units at distributor pricing rather than a branded run.
Why does custom tooling require 3,000–5,000 units?
A new mold is a fixed investment that must be repaid by the parts it produces, and every new tool produces startup scrap while process parameters are tuned. Component suppliers for a custom PCBA also impose reel and tray minimums in the same range. The tooling itself is customer property — see the ownership terms on the ODM page — and reorders pay no tooling fee again, so the threshold applies to the initial program rather than to the product’s lifetime.
Can a small first batch be shipped by air to reduce risk?
Yes, and many first-time buyers do exactly this: a 500-unit private label lot is air-freight viable because packed smart glasses are compact, subject to lithium-battery documentation (UN38.3/MSDS), which we prepare. Air freight changes transport cost per unit, not the production MOQ — the 500-unit floor remains because it is set by the factory lot, not by shipping. Subsequent volume orders typically move by sea under FOB, CIF or DDP terms.
Why is OEM MOQ 1,000 while private label is 500?
Private label changes only marks, firmware identity and optionally sleeve packaging on a platform already being produced. Branded OEM adds custom pantone colors, fully custom-printed boxes and accessory programs, each of which introduces its own supplier minimum and setup waste; 1,000 units is where those runs become economic without a waste surcharge. The engagement differences are summarized on the OEM page.
Can I combine different products or colors to meet the MOQ?
Colors can be combined within one platform order at the 1,000-unit OEM tier, with each color subject to a smaller per-color sub-quantity stated in the quotation. Different catalog platforms can be consolidated against the 500-unit threshold per platform and shipped together as a mixed container. What cannot be combined is custom ODM volume with unrelated catalog SKUs to fund tooling — the tooling minimum applies to the specific molded parts. Send your SKU list via the RFQ form for an exact breakdown.
Is the deposit tied to the MOQ?
Deposits are a percentage of the order value under the standard milestone structure (typically deposit at PO, balance before shipment), independent of the MOQ number itself; larger or tooling-bearing programs add a tooling/NRE milestone because those costs are incurred before production starts. Full mechanics are on the payment terms page. MOQ determines the smallest lot we will run; payment terms determine how that lot is invoiced.
Do sample units count toward the MOQ?
Samples are produced and shipped before the bulk order and are not counted within the 500/1,000/3,000-unit production minimum. On branded OEM and ODM programs, sample and golden-sample costs can be credited against the first bulk invoice — this is offered for programs of 1,000 units and above and is stated in your quotation rather than applied retroactively.
PLANNING PAGES
Read these before you issue the PO
01
Lead Times
Samples in 5–15 days; mass production 15–40 days by program tier.
Explore02Request a Quote
Send your SKU list for exact MOQ, pricing and lead-time confirmation.
Explore03Samples Policy
Evaluation units, branded samples and the golden-sample sign-off process.
Explore04Payment Terms
Deposit milestones, balance timing and tooling/NRE invoicing.
Explore05Customization Options
Every option cataloged with its MOQ and lead-time impact.
ExploreNot sure which MOQ tier your product idea lands in?
Send a one-paragraph brief — platform, quantity, colors, packaging, market. We will reply with the tier, exact minimums and a sample plan within two working days.