What type of devices, could increase dim sum output, short of a complete expensive, automatic machine? I am getting irregular requests for dim sum catering and would like to increase my dim sum output, but am not yet ready to invest in something like this:

Dim Sum Maker Video

What other ways are there, to increase my fire rate?

I could probably save some time by investing in a dough mixer, but the dough mixing is actually not the big problem. The steps, that are most time consuming are:


Cutting the dough into uniform pieces
Making 2D circles out of the pieces
Filling the circles with the filling
closing the whole thing (the most tricky part)


What kind of machines could I use to greatly reduce my work, without buying a 15k machine?
Three sets of tools would help you speed up your operation, with some caveats:


Circle cutters, particularly ones that allow you to cut a lot of circles together like this kind.
Dumpling molds in a variety of sizes.  There are even some that mold-and-cut, but that's not actually a big help since you have to "pre-cut" the dough anyway.
Cookie scoops for portioning fillings.


The biggest speed-up here comes from having sets that match: cutters that match the size of specific dumpling molds and a cookie scoop that portions exactly the amount of filling for those molds.  You'll also want at least a half-dozen molds of each size so that you can assembly-line it.

Now, the caveats: first, molded dumplings will never look as good as hand-folded.  Second, certain shapes aren't possible using a plastic mold, such as Siu Mai or the classic Har Gow shapes.