You’ve probably seen or heard the word ‘quality’ used in slogans and advertising over and over again. “Quality is Job 1” is one that comes to mind pretty quickly. The question isn’t if quality control is important, but really what does using the term ‘quality control’ mean? It starts with the specifications, and then the…
2020 has been a tough year all around. Layoffs, businesses closing, and plenty of bad news in the headlines. The economy has seen a shift with customer demand in many industries. Many businesses are bringing their manufacturing back into the United States, which means that skilled employees are needed to increase capacity and output. With…
As the holiday season approaches, you can expect that the weather will get colder for most of us above the equator. That means snow, ice, freezing rain, and subsequent delays on holiday orders. While the weather is always a concern as a manufacturer, three other looming problems may affect deliveries around the country and exporting…
Over the last five years, raw material prices have gone up and down. Steel has increased over 30% from this same time five years ago. Crude oil has decreased approximately 20% in that same time period. Manufacturers are looking for ways to decrease the volatility of their raw materials, while still making elite quality products. …
You have come up with the product that is going to shake up the market, and be a best seller in the next fiscal year. The problem is that you only have a drawing available. Not just a simple sketch, but you’ve developed the 3D model of your new product. You think you’re ready to…
You may not realize it, but many of the products you purchase at retail stores or online aren’t made by the brands you cherish. Many of the largest companies only focus on their sales, marketing, and advertising. That means someone else does the manufacturing and assembly for them. Those selected partners are called contract manufacturers,…
You have a great idea for a new product based on the demand of your current lineup. It’s going to be a low volume idea, but it should be great for high profits. When you approach your injection mold maker with the idea, you ask if the tooling can be ready any sooner than the…
It seems every week there’s another story of tension between China and the U.S. ratcheting up. International trade is becoming more difficult, raw materials are becoming harder to import, and those low costs of imported goods aren’t what they used to be. If you offshored injection molding dies, manufacturing, or assembly to China in…
Early on in manufacturing, it was common to produce an injection mold for every single component required for a plastic assembly. Products were designed without the thought of crossover, and the idea of using the same component in multiple products wasn’t commonplace. Over time, and especially in the current global production environment, it’s easy to…
Outsourcing has become a large part of reducing cost for manufactured goods. While it became a great way for consumers to buy lower priced products, the caveat to outsourcing is that foreign competitors don’t always follow the same work standards or use the same high quality materials to ensure high quality products. China has…