Time and money: your business can’t succeed without either.
Sadly, there are only 24 hours in a day, you can’t work all of them, and if you did the “law of diminishing returns” would kick in. Yes, time and money are resources that always seem to be in high demand and short supply. That’s why you need to maximize both by making smart decisions–especially when it comes to obtaining a quote from an injection mold maker.
While an injection mold maker can come up with a quote based on a CAD model, print drawing, or even a hand sketch drawing; neither is the most time- or cost-effective way to get your plastic injection molding quote.
Taking a little extra time to pull together five simple things can save you time and money by making sure your injection mold maker has the information needed to give you an accurate quote.
1. A 3D CAD Model and Toleranced Print Drawing
Having both a 3D CAD model and toleranced print drawing of the part you are planning to fabricate is important. It shows with precision what your written words describe, which ensures your injection mold maker clearly understands what you want.
If you only provide a description of the part, you might wind up with words that have been interpreted differently from the way you intended–and an inflated tooling or mold cost.
An experienced part engineer can help you create a 3D CAD model and toleranced print. QT Manufacturing can provide design consultation for manufacturability to decrease your costs both in the short and long term horizons.
2. Application
Context matters. It’s important for you to let the injection mold maker know exactly how your product will be used in the real world.
Will it be used indoors or out? Will it absorb impact? What’s the intended lifespan? These are questions you will want to answer before asking for a quote to make sure the correct materials are being considered and included.
3. Material
There are more than 80,000 grades of plastic on the market today. Do you know which one is best for your product?
If not, you’re going to want to do some research and find out. Otherwise, you may end up with a quote for a product that doesn’t have the right properties– which can lead to over-engineering and unnecessary costs.
4. Estimated Annual Quantities
Knowing on the front end approximately how many parts you will likely order on an annual basis allows your injection mold maker to provide a more accurate quote.
The bigger you expect to go, the more cavities you’ll need built into the mold.
5. Secondary Operations
A part is a part–until it’s something more.
Printing, assembly and packaging take parts to new levels. If you need a partner who prints on parts, assembles and packages, make sure to disclose it before requesting a quote.
Get A Quote Today
If you’re ready to request a quote from an injection mold maker in Dallas, connect with QT Manufacturing today. Using these 5 steps you’ll get an accurate quote that can help save you two things you need more of: time and money.
