How to Select a Reliable Plastic Injection Molding Company

Anytime a partnership with another company is under consideration, there is a tremendous amount of detail to consider. How many companies do you want to evaluate before you make your final selection? On what basis will you make your final selection? Is your decision purely based on cost? Maybe you’ll base it on turn-around time. Then again, perhaps the ability to meet rigorous specifications will be the deciding factor. 

Reliable Injection Molding

Injection molding is an ideal technology for projects that require complex parts, uniformity across all parts, and the ability to repeat complex parts perfectly over and over again. A reliable injection molding company will have means for effective and efficient production, ensuring your specifications and inventory needs will be met in a timely fashion. Injection molding can also produce parts that are alternately incredibly strong or extremely flexible, depending on what is needed. The process creates minimal waste, and a smaller workforce is required for this process than  other types of manufacturing.   

Narrowing it down | Manufacturing Companies in Ohio 

The first step to select  a reliable plastic injection molding company is to determine  whether the geographic location of the company matters. If your business is in Ohio and you are looking for manufacturing companies in Ohio, you still have a multitude of companies from which to select. However, reducing the selection to a single state versus the entire nation is certainly an important step in the consideration process.  Once you know the geographic location you need  and what your most important determining factors will  be to choose  your injection molding partner, what do you analyze next? Here are some suggestions. 

The Design Team 

Even if you have your design exactly as you want it, it is important to find an injection molding company that has its own great design team. A strong design team will help ensure your part is created as efficiently as possible, minimizing complexities where possible. An injection molding company’s design team will also help the production process run smoothly, which will mean a faster delivery back to you.

The Inventory You Need

Plastic injection parts suppliers specialize in different facets of the industry. Some companies are able to produce massive volumes, but the materials they use may not be specialized. Other companies may excel in using hard-to-machine materials, but as a result the inventories they are able to produce may be smaller. Be sure you understand the capabilities of the companies you are looking at so you do not have to start all over again mid-way through the process.

 Is Outsourcing a Factor?

Some injection molding companies will need to outsource certain facets of your project while others can accomplish everything in-house. Companies should be upfront about whether or not they rely on partners of their own, but if this is a concern for you, it is a good question to clarify on the front end of your project. There are pros and cons to working with a company who outsources some facets of their work. Many injection molded plastic manufacturers do. Be sure to weigh all of the benefits and disadvantages before making your decision. 

 A Material World 

If you have been in the manufacturing business for any length of time, you know how important material selection is. Particularly if you manufacture products for industries like aerospace, the military, or medical, you know that material specifications are of the utmost importance. Lives can literally depend on the quality of the materials and products you use. Not all plastic manufacturers are created equal in terms of the types of materials they are able to machine, and some companies can successfully execute one process on a certain type of material but not others. 

 What Technology Does the Company Have? 

Plastic manufacturers own different types of equipment, usually representing the areas they want to focus most. For some companies that may be CNC machines while for others it might be fairly standard injection molding equipment. It is important to understand what processes are most likely to create the parts you need so you can be sure your injection molding partner has the equipment necessary to make that happen efficiently and effectively.

Quality Assurance

You might think high-quality QA/QC is a given, but especially for the most precise specifications, “assuming” cannot be an option. Be sure the company has methodologies in place for accurately testing and retesting their products and materials for maximum accuracy. 

Time

Especially in this world of lags and delays, it is essential to understand on the front end how long it will take for the injection molded parts supplier to get you what you need. Do not be shy at looking at reviews of the company to see if on-time delivery has been an issue in the past.  Choosing any type of manufacturing partner takes time and careful deliberation. These are just a few suggestions as to what should be considered for a successful corroboration.  Alos, for injection molding equipment find deals on used plastic process equipment.