6 Top Considerations for Choosing a Precision Metal ...

Vetting Your Supplier an Interview Checklist for the Buyer

Read more

Quality. Delivery. Price. Three basic things every buyer wants to be promised. But what assurance does a buyer have that those commitments will be met, time and time again, over the length of the program? When choosing a deep draw stamping and precision metal stamping company, you want to approach it deliberately and with forethought. Here are some tips to help you plan.

Like interviewing a prospective new employee, an interview with a prospective precision metal stamping supplier should include topics that give you a good idea of what their capabilities are, and whether they will be able to produce a quality product, reliably. I've discussed below the subject areas you should explore with prospective suppliers. We can assume that they will be open and willing to share this information as well, they should have the answers readily available. If not, these alone are indicators of their overall (in)ability to accommodate your needs. 

1. Quality Standard Certifications

One assurance is that a potential supplier is certified to a quality standard, whether it's IATF (International Automotive Task Force), ISO (International Organization for Standardization), or one of the many medical, military, or aerospace quality standards. Whether your industry requires it or not, if they've done the work to achieve and maintain registration to a quality standard, it demonstrates an investment in their organization. But a good vetting process shouldn't stop there. 

2. Well-Defined, Measurable Objectives

Your prospective supplier should have a well-defined set of objectives that are measured on a regular basis and are thoroughly understood and practiced throughout the organization. A quick interview of the company's management should yield some honest answers about what their objectives are, how they measure up, and what they are doing to meet and improve their objectives. Performance objectives should include things like on-time delivery, customer complaints, customer reject rates, etc. These should be measurable and reported on a periodic basis. A report on cost of quality should not only include the cost of poor quality but also show an investment in prevention and improvement. Any reports should show a trend toward improvement or plan for corrective action. 

Click here to download a checklist of interview questions to ask suppliers. 

3. Reinvestment Priorities 

Part of your conversation should be about reinvestment in their company. Are your suppliers expanding their capacity and capabilities, or at least keeping them up to date? Are they able to add capacity for increased production needs? Are they willing to add capacity if you bring them enough business? If they are willing to add capacity, how quickly will they be able to ramp-up for full production and delivery?

4. Value-Added Relationships

Ask about their relationships with their material sources. Do they buy enough from the type of supplier your product will require so that they have buying power and a dependable source? Do they have long-standing relationships with a complementary network, with possible contingencies and options in place should the supply chain get interrupted or compromised for any reason? Ask about their lean manufacturing initiatives. Is there an active program and is everyone trained and committed? You would want your product to be run as efficiently as possible to avoid costly mistakes and delays.

    5. Workforce Training

At the core of any operation is the workforce. Find out what percentage is permanent versus contract help. It's important to know how well-trained and supervised are they are ask. It's increasingly common for companies to use a higher percentage of contract help, which can lead to a poorly trained workforce with high turnover, unless they are working in a very controlled and supervised environment. It's too easy for expensive mistakes to be made under those conditions, with serious consequences to both your product and tooling. Costly events such as equipment crashes could result in interruptions to your product supply. 

6. Visual Check

Last but not least, a tour of the facility will be insightful. Is the space well-organized and clean? Does the equipment look clean and well-maintained? Does there appear to be adequate room for your product? Visualize, if you can, your product being processed through their plant. Does it appear there is a good workflow and an overall good fit for your requirements? 

Although these questions may sound like a full-blown audit, some clear and structured questions during an interview with a prospective metal stamping supplier should yield some evidence and general indications fairly easily. ISO or IATF standards require these kinds of records, but any well-run company should be tracking their performance against objectives they set for themselves and have the information readily available for you. 

The best vetting process still will not guarantee you won't have any start-up issues or minor delays now and again, as things can happen beyond anyone's control. But it will certainly provide some assurance that you've placed your product in capable hands that have a system in place to logically, nimbly, and scalably flex to your production needs with consistency while maintaining top quality. 

AQP 

We discussed advanced quality planning (AQP) in a recent blog. The intention of a AQP is to establish a system, from the very beginning of the manufacturing relationship, that ensures that customer requirements are met (and exceeded) throughout the tenure of the customer/manufacturer partnership for any given tool or metal stamping part. AQP provides a framework of communication among all stakeholders within the manufacturing company, and the process rolls out in five phases. There are some distinct benefits to highlight when following AQP.   

Qisheng Product Page

Advanced Quality Planning Benefits

The benefits are always two-fold both to the customer and the manufacturer. They include: 

• Saving time and money through the efficient use of time and resources
• Clear communication to set expectations and mitigate misunderstandings and risk
• Continuous improvement model that incorporates assessment, feedback, and nimble corrective action when needed
• Increase in overall customer satisfaction by avoiding or reducing disruptions (and their subsequent containment contingencies)
• Superior quality in designs and products, process flow and controls 

Larson has has been practicing AQP for many years, which allows us to be a nimble and flexible precision metal stamping supplier'and we can do so in a scalable manner. We apply those characteristics to all projects, passing those advantages on to our customers.

To help you vet your precision metal stamping suppliers, we've compiled this interview checklist that will guide you through the information-gathering process. Download this checklist that guides you through the information-gathering process when vetting a precision metal stamping supplier.

   

   

If you need a plastic part molded with extreme precision'for example, to ensure there's no air leak between two molded sections or to be certain there's no visible seal gap line'you likely require precision molding. The difference between a typical injection molded part and a precision molded part is the tolerance, or acceptable range of variation in dimension: While the majority of injection molded parts have a tolerance of +/- .005', precision molding holds tolerances between +/- .002' and +/- .001' (or less, in some cases).

Let's say, for example, you're planning to manufacture a military projectile. In order for the projectile to fit properly in the firearm, handle the acceleration when it's launched, and explode on impact, it requires very high precision.

If your application requires precision molding, you can't leave anything to chance'so you'll want to ask yourself the following three questions before you begin the process:

 

1. Have you selected a plastic material with low shrinkage?

The plastic material you select for your part makes a big difference in whether you'll be able to do precision molding. For example, polypropylene has a shrinkage range of +/- .014' to +/- .022', with an average of +/- .018'. This is a wide range for shrinkage, which makes hitting a specific tolerance extremely difficult. If you're molding a toothbrush (which commonly uses polypropylene), dealing with shrinkage isn't a big concern, as the toothbrush will function appropriately regardless of whether it's slightly bigger or smaller than its counterparts. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)'another common thermoplastic polymer'has a much narrower shrinkage average of +/- .006'. That gives you a much better chance of hitting a tighter tolerance, but it still won't reach the +/- .001' or +/- .002' tolerance needed for a precision part.

One way to hit high tolerances with your plastic material is to add glass or another filler resin (like carbon fiber or mica) into the material. This can minimize shrinkage and warp by providing more structure in the material. For example, if you include long glass fibers in a polymer material, the part will shrink more perpendicular to those fibers.

2. Have you determined which areas of the mold require precision?

Because precision molding is more expensive than typical injection molding, be certain which aspects of your part require tight tolerances'and whether those tolerances can be achieved through injection molding'before moving forward. For example, a surgical handle may only require precision for the piece that will connect with a pin, not the entire handle. Identifying your precision requirements from the get-go ensures you'll get what you need without wasting money. In the case of the surgical handle, your injection molding partner may advise you to add the tolerances you need through tooling after the injection molding process is complete.

3. Can the mold manufacturer you've selected tool with high precision?

The process of creating plastic parts with tight tolerances begins with a high-precision mold. If each plastic part you create is not identical, you won't have a precise product'and a precise mold ensures there's no variation for each part. Because of this, it's extremely important to select a mold manufacturer who understands the slow, steady process of building a high-precision tool. Keep in mind that selecting a mold manufacturer that specializes in rapid tooling is likely not your best option, as the goal of rapid tooling is to finish the mold quickly'but not necessarily precisely.

Let's get your precision molding project started

We have years of experience in precision molding, and would love to answer any and all of your questions. You can either contact us with those questions, or, if you're ready to get your project started now, simply contact us and request a free quote.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Precision Stamping Mold.