When companies are smart enough to take advantage of the expertise of their molding partners, the result is to have the most effectively molded parts possible.

The value of design outsourcing experience

According to field experts, poor design creates product flaws that will emerge during the fabrication process. This leads to expensive redesigns and compromises the integrity of the product.

When injection molding experts apply their knowledge with experience, the result is a high-quality component or product. To get the best product, designers should begin with the mold design, the use engineers with plastic tooling experience, as well as 3D simulation software for variability assessment. Lastly, the design team should be augmented with experience in manufacturing and materials function.

The procedures used to achieve these results include clean room molding, insert molding over molding and family molding.

Quality operation controls for precision injection molded components

FDA registration and ISO 13845:2003 certification emphasizes documentation to verify procedures that provide controlled conditions to ensure consistent, reliable products are produced.

Process validation procedures include installation and operation qualification, process performance qualification and product performance qualification. With each stage of documentation, details must be kept with inspection results, parameter settings or any deviations from the expected performance.

Process validation has been proven to provide the most consistent and highest quality for precision plastic injection molded component manufacturing.

The value of outsourcing supply chain management

An essential part of the supply chain is customer support. This aspect often requires real-time information, as well as product availability and scheduling details. A fully qualified injection molder will have a method for the selection and qualification of suppliers.

These tasks usually involve approved supplier lists, documentation, corrective actions and the supplier history. The most effective supply chain strategies include moving any finished product directly to the buyer. Most inventory strategies use Kanban shipping, Just-In-Time delivery and other blanket-delivery orders. This helps limit inventory buildup while scheduling out deliveries to different points in time.

The project management office (PMO) controls budget and keeps projects on schedule

An effective PMO delivers project updates and information to both internal personnel and the customer. This decreases confusion and increases successful project completion. The Gantt chart is one of the tools used by a PMO to track project activities with accurate time assessments.