How To Pick The Right Manufacturing Partner

By Shawn Thibeault, Accumold Micro-Molding Specialist

Today’s R&D directors and procurement managers operate in a global economy with a large palette of manufacturing options. Decisions made today don’t impact just efficiency and profitability, but long-term quality, safety, added tool transfer costs, and a loss of critical patents and IP.

Obviously a recall can tarnish a company’s reputation, costing multi-billion dollar losses and in some cases ending smaller disruptors and innovators but supply chain disruptions are a more pressing concern. Moving to a new manufacturing partner is a burden—tool transfers alone are significant.

Isn’t a tool transfer easy? (no)

A micro mold tool transfer rarely involves physically moving the tool to a new manufacturing partner. In practice, it involves creating an entirely new tool to match legacy specifications. Engineering teams often lose access to 3D models of their original parts, or simply can’t get them at all. CT scans often fall short of the detail needed in precision micro molding, especially when micron tolerances are a consideration.