If you are planning to start working on a plastic injection molding project, it’s essential that you find a reliable manufacturing partner that will cater to all of your needs and meet your deadlines.
Depending on your needs, you will need a partner that can fulfill all your demands from moderate to greater operational demands. For that reason, you need to ensure that you are working with professionals known for their quality and reliability.
In addition to that, you want a partner that will constantly communicate with you. At times, problems can occur with the material or the production process. The best custom plastic injection molding partner will communicate with you about the problem and help you find solutions or alternatives that ensure that your work process will flow without any obstacles.
In this article, we’ll highlight a few considerations you need to keep in mind when choosing a custom plastic injection molding partner.
Volume Capacity
Injection molding refers to a manufacturing process in which molten plastic is injected into a mold cavity. Regardless of whether you work in aerospace, medical device development, or, the automotive industry, the best injection molding partner should always provide impeccable services and their manufactured units should always be of the highest quality.
Selecting the right injection molding partner can make or break your business operations. A reliable manufacturer will satisfy all your volume requirements. Let’s say that you need 10,000 units, a partnership with moderate to low volume molders will be perfect.
On the other hand, if you require a larger volume of units, you need to consider working with high-volume manufacturers that can produce up to 750.000 units.
ISO Certificate
ISO certificates are elective and very difficult to obtain. For that reason, always look for an injection molding partner that has obtained an ISO (International Organization for Standardization accreditation) certificate. You can find a partner much easier by narrowing down your list of potential injection molding partners to professionals that possess this certificate.
Product Application
Plastics can be used in different industries and have different applications. In some cases, you can substitute metal parts with plastic parts. This can be done to reduce costs and reduce the weight of the part.
An injection molding partner will advise you on where you can improve your manufacturing strategy and how you can reduce costs while also keeping the parts durable and functional.
Their Equipment
A telltale sign of whether you are dealing with a professional injection molding manufacturer is to closely examine the equipment they use. You will want to inspect the following aspect before making the decision to collaborate with the company in question.
- Are they using the right tools to meet all requirements of your project?
- Do they employ staff who are competent and have previously worked on similar projects?
- Are they in compliance with all regulations and standards?
- Are they familiar with the materials and supplies that you have chosen?
Time
Most of the time, it takes around 4 to 12 weeks for a part to be manufactured. However, sometimes the part’s complexity and unexpected events can result in the final product leaving the loading dock later than agreed upon.
You should always account for these factors as most of the time, the partner you choose will not be responsible. However, the thing that is in their hands should be done properly and on time.
It’s important that your molding partner understand the specific requirements that are crucial for your business’s success. If you want to ensure that your partner can cater to all of your needs, make sure that you check reviews of customers that had previous experience with the manufacturer in question.
Build a Relationship
To be able to respond to changes in project requirements more quickly, you will need to build a relationship with your injection molding partner. Complex tasks will require you to communicate your desire to the molding partner thoroughly. Establishing above-board communication will allow for better collaboration and better end results.
Final Thoughts
Picking the right plastic injection molding partner is crucial to the success of your project. However, finding the right partner for collaboration can be a daunting task. If you follow our guide, you will see that they are a lot of things to consider when looking for a quality injection molding partner.
To ensure seamless work collaboration, start by prioritizing manufacturers that possess ISO certificates and are willing to build a solid work relationship with your business. And last but not least, consider inspecting the equipment your potential molding partner is using. The equipment will heavily impact the quality of the parts.