How often do you source a plastic injection molder? If you are like most companies and purchasing managers, probably not very often. Typically, once you have selected an injection molder to work with, you are likely to stay with them for a long time as long as they keep producing quality plastic parts.
Although metal-to-plastic conversion was introduced in the 1950s, with the invention of engineering-grade resins, many manufacturers today are unfamiliar with the advantages of this versatile technique.
Speed and efficiency in plastic injection molding equate to cost savings. So, it is no surprise that robots play a significant role in improving the manufacturing process. From simple sprue pickers to complex automated End-of-Arm Tooling (EOAT), the industry is taking advantage of this automation trend.
As we discussed in the first part of this blog series, turnkey manufacturers provide a one-stop shop for customers in search of quality custom parts; the process begins with a new design and ends with a final product requiring only “the turn of a key” to get started. Design, tooling, production, packing, and shipping are all managed in one place, by a single team of experts. Material selection, professional sourcing, and even invoicing are streamlined for low pricing, high quality, and optimal efficiency.
When partnering with a turnkey manufacturer, customers begin with a new design and end with a final, finished product ready for immediate use. Design, toolmaking, production, packing, shipping, and all other details are managed by a single, experienced contractor. The end user simply needs to “turn the key” and start using the product.
What Exactly is Turnkey Manufacturing?
Turnkey manufacturing is a full-service manufacturing process in which one company sees through all aspects of a client’s project — from design to tooling to quality control to packing and shipping, leaving the customer with a finished, ready-to-use product.
There are numerous benefits to turnkey manufacturing, from cost savings to streamlined communication. Below, we’ll explore some of these advantages.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is "a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country."
There are currently 12.3 million manufacturing workers in the United States, accounting for approximately 9 percent of the U.S workforce. U.S. Manufacturing is the "driving force behind the steady economic growth, competitive advantage, innovation and high quality of life present in the United States." It has shaped the U.S. economy throughout the history of the nation.
The growth of U.S. manufacturing over the years is certainly something to celebrate this Labor Day.
Check out the infographic below from MP Star Financial to learn 15 facts that cant be ignored about U.S. manufacturing.
At Rodon, we owe a great deal of our success to the work our toolmakers do. Toolmaking is one of our primary capabilities in our manufacturing process, and our team of professional toolmakers has over 25 years of experience producing high volume plastic parts.
What kind of person makes for a great toolmaker?
This highly demanding job requires dedicated individuals who possess great technical aptitude. The search for toolmakers should surely include one subset of the population: veterans.
Earlier last year, we discussed 3D printing. Though it has been around for quite a while, the new printing technique has only been a player in the public consciousness for about five years.
In that time, the public’s perception of what 3D printing can do has eclipsed the process’ actual capabilities. And with more recognition come more inquiries — everybody wants to explore 3D printing as an option for their next project, and are eager to want to move on from more traditional methods, such as injection molding.
3D Printing and Injection Molding
The two processes are similar — they both primarily produce parts and components from plastic, and they are both capable of high degrees of geometric complexity. However, there are important differences as well.
One of the more appealing aspects of 3D printing is the absence of steep initial costs. Because of its need for specially tooled dies, the creation of which is an expensive process, injection molding requires considerable initial costs. Though imposing at first, these startup costs are amortized over the lifespan of the die and the production run — in high volume injection molding projects, the startup costs are amortized over more individual parts, leading to a relatively low per-part cost.