5 things you should discuss with your metal parts manufacturer

When you are ordering repetition metal parts from an external manufacturer it is important to remember that the reputation and principals of your own company is dependant on the contract manufacturing companies ability to meet deadlines and produce quality components.

It is vital to your company that you have an understanding with the external manufacturing company and ensure they are capable of producing your metal parts according to your specifications and quality standards. You also need to know that they are willing, and have the production space to produce the components in the agreed timeframe.

Because of our experience in dealing with customers and meeting their needs, we have come up with the following 5 points to assist you:

1. Tolerances: Assess whether your tolerances are important. Can the Metal Part Manufacturer meet your tolerances? When producing large volumes of components, each part may need to fit within a specific tolerance range. Failure to meet this could result in ill-fitting components, reducing the quality of the final product.
   
   
2. Material: The material choice is one of the most important factors in the manufacture of custom parts. The material chosen should be able to withstand the environmental conditions in which the final product will be.
   
   
3. Finishing & Coating: Does the metal part manufacturer also offer services in part finishing or coating? As well as the material chosen, the finish or coating of a component directly affects the life-span of the complete product.
   
   
4. Production Method: How are the parts manufactured? Manufacturing techniques are constantly developing and changing. Many tasks that were once done by hand are now done by fully automated machinery. Discuss with your custom parts manufacturer, what method are they using? Will the parts be produced to a quality, consistent standard in an effective time frame? View Automated Metal Pressing Video here
   
   
5. Lead-time: How fast can the manufacturer produce your order? Using a contract manufacturing company is an effective way of reducing your own production time-frames, but can the external company meet your time-frame? Find out the benefits of using a turnkey manufacturing company here.
   
   

Understanding your external metal component manufacturing company, and trusting them to produce your components cost effectively and to a high standard, is the most important way of ensuring you are meeting your own company obligations.

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