Custom Plastic Injection Molding
When manufacturing and assembly happen under one roof, everything moves faster. By eliminating the need to ship parts between vendors, companies can accelerate production, streamline communication, and reduce costs. A turnkey approach simplifies the supply chain, shortens lead times, and frees clients to focus on what they do best. In this post, we share what to look for in a partner, how to set up an assembly project, and common pitfalls.
What to Look for in an Assembly Partner
A successful partnership should have these three characteristics. The first is open, transparent communication. Next, find someone with a solid plan and layout for assembly. This will ensure your manufacturer works efficiently. Finally, your partner should be looking to the future. If they are managing and tracking inventory, they can respond quickly to requests instead of causing delays while they wait for parts to arrive.
Setting Up an Assembly Project
The strategy for set-up is often dictated by the product. However, the process for engaging a manufacturer should stay the same. Before our team creates a quote, we ask for a sample of the product. This informs our base bid.
Then, we recommend doing a time study, as it increases the accuracy of the quote. That information is used to develop a proposal for the work. Once accepted, we request any molds, if we’re handling the injection molding in-house.
Next, we determine the layout for production. We start by identifying the number of workstations needed. Then, we make sure the required materials or resources, like power or parts, are accessible. After those decisions have been made and our approach is optimized, we can begin work immediately or perform a test run for our client’s review.
Common Pitfalls
When it comes to finding the right assembly partner, there are a number of pitfalls to avoid. One of the largest mistakes would be skipping the time study. If you don’t understand the labor costs, the ramifications could be detrimental to your business.
While the first time study is important, we recommend reevaluating it if the project changes. Depending on the modifications, the cost of labor may be increasing. Doing these periodic check-ins will allow you to see if the work needed is still on par with what you were initially quoted.
Working with Ruco
Our assembly services are tailored to each client and product. We can handle full or partial assembly, sourcing external components when needed. Our team also offers boxing, shipping, quality control measures, and inventory management as part of this comprehensive service. We use these tools to cover a wide range of production needs:
To create a seamless client experience, Ruco handles all the details related to product assembly in-house. In addition to manufacturing parts, we also manage stock and store inventory. This allows us to begin work quickly and minimize delays, as we keep what we need on-hand.
Another service we offer is sourcing. Our team can identify suppliers for external components. Once selected, we manage the relationship, keeping materials in stock and finding alternatives when necessary.
Contact our team today to learn more about our assembly capabilities.