Most OEMs don’t have a shortage of companies willing to quote a plastic part.
The harder question is whether you’re talking to the right manufacturer and using the right process for the application.
That’s something we see every day at Plastic Resources.
A part that appears to be an injection molding application may make more sense in structural foam, gas assist, thermoforming, rotational molding, blow molding, or even extrusion—or vice versa. Annual volume, part size, material, cosmetics, tolerances, tooling budget, and secondary operations can all change the answer.
And sometimes the best solution isn’t the process originally specified.
A few things we encourage customers to consider early:
• Don’t start with tooling. First determine the best manufacturing process for the expected volumes and requirements. An inexpensive mold isn’t a bargain if it locks the program into an unnecessarily expensive part.
• Look beyond piece price. Freight, inventory, lead time, quality, engineering support, and responsiveness all contribute to the actual cost of a component.
• Match the supplier to the program. A technically capable molder isn’t necessarily the right molder. Equipment size, automation, typical run quantities, secondary capabilities, and the type of business they are built to support matter.
• Get manufacturing involved early. Small design changes made before tooling can sometimes improve quality, simplify molding, reduce material, or lower tooling and production costs.
• Keep your options open. Markets and volumes change. A manufacturing solution that makes sense at 5,000 parts annually may be very different from the right solution at 50,000 or 500,000.
That’s where Plastic Resources is a little different.
Since 1982, we’ve worked as the technical sales and marketing partner for a select group of U.S.-based plastic manufacturers covering nearly every major molding and extrusion process.
Rather than trying to fit every project into one manufacturing process or one plant, we can help determine which process and manufacturing partner makes the most sense for the application.
If you have a new plastic component, an existing part you’d like to take cost out of, or a program you’re considering bringing back to the U.S., send us a drawing or give us a call.
Sometimes a second look at how a part is being made is just as valuable as getting another quote.
Need help on your next project? Talk to the experts at Plastic Resources, Inc. (PRI) today at 614-471-9478 or email us at info@plastic-resources.com.
Keep Plastic Resources in mind for your plastic parts projects. We’re ready to help when you need us.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR PLASTIC PROCESS SOLUTIONS
Blow Molding Plastic Extrusion Injection Molding Rotational Molding
Structural Foam/Gas Assist Thermoforming/Vacuum Forming Cellular PVC Extrusion
Plastic Resources, Inc.
614-471-9478
