This would make less reliance on tools after we get the assembling machine in game, as we still have to craft empty molds, and the molds and extruder shapes using tools. This makes them hard to automate as tools are needed.

If you think about the use case, how useful would it really be to dedicate differently-programmed assemblers to production of items you're unlikely to ever make more than a stack of?

Molds are never consumed during crafting so you need to make a fairly small, finite number of them. The blank molds can be automated, and a few inexpensive hand tools kept around for converting those into a specific mold.

Thank you! That makes sense now.