What Are You Getting From Your Manufacturing Partner Beyond Just the Line Price?

Price will always be a huge part of the conversation when choosing a thermoforming or vacuum forming manufacturing partner. But the quoted price doesn’t tell you the whole story about what it will actually take to manufacture your part, and maintain quality over time.

Capabilities, quality systems, engineering support, delivery and supplier management can all affect the total value of a manufacturing relationship. When OEMs compare potential partners, looking at these factors alongside the quote can provide a more complete picture of what they're getting for their investment.

1. Manufacturing Capabilities and Fit

Before comparing costs, determine whether each manufacturer is equipped to support the requirements of the program. A supplier needs the right processes, equipment, material knowledge and production capacity for the component you're asking them to manufacture.

Production volume is one part of that evaluation. Ask what volumes the manufacturer typically supports and whether its equipment and production model align with your expected quantities.

Material expertise matters as well. A capable manufacturing partner should be able to work with materials appropriate for your application and help evaluate whether the material you've specified is the right fit. In some cases, recommending a different material or process can be valuable if the change better supports the component's performance or manufacturability.

The goal is to determine whether the supplier's capabilities align with the actual requirements of your program, rather than choosing a manufacturer based on price and trying to make the project fit its capabilities afterward.

Related Content: Thermoforming vs. Injection Molding for Low-Volume Production

2. Quality Systems and Consistency

Most manufacturers will tell you they produce quality parts. OEMs evaluating potential partners should look for evidence of the processes used to manage and verify that quality throughout production.

Depending on the requirements of your program, that evaluation may include a manufacturer's quality management system, inspection processes, documentation and ability to provide the quality data your team requires. Examples may include:

• ISO 9001:2015 certification
• A defined Production Part Approval Process and/or Process Capability Index
• First Article Inspection

Whatever process(es) the manufacturer uses, the important thing to look for is documentation. External certification is a great validation that quality assurance processes are being followed, but internal documentation can give you insights as well.

Related Content: ICP is an ISO 9001:2015 Certified Company: Why It Matters

3. Communication and Engineering Support

The value of a manufacturing partner also depends on what happens before and during production. Responsive communication and access to engineering support can help your team identify potential problems earlier and make informed decisions as the program develops.

Consider what communication will look like after the quote is accepted. Who is your point of contact? How are engineering questions handled? If an issue develops during production, how and when will your team hear about it?

Engineering support is another differentiator. Does the manufacturer review the design for manufacturability before production? Can its team flag potential concerns, recommend materials or processes and work with your engineers to solve problems? Or is the relationship primarily build-to-print, with limited input before manufacturing begins?

Asking these questions can help you determine just how much your partner is helping or hindering you during the process.

Related Content: How to Reduce Risk When Changing Materials Before Fabrication

4. Delivery, Capacity, and Supply Chain Reliability

A competitive quote matters less if the manufacturer can't consistently support your production schedule. Evaluate expected lead times, available capacity and the supplier's ability to meet the delivery requirements of your program.

Supplier location can factor into that evaluation as well. Domestic and overseas manufacturing each come with different considerations around transportation, lead times, inventory, communication and supply chain exposure. Those factors may affect how much inventory you need to carry, how quickly your team can respond to changes and how many logistics variables need to be managed outside of production itself.

Related Content: Onshoring Your Plastic Fabrication: What OEMs Need to Consider

5. Total Cost, Not Just Piece Price

Piece price is easy to compare because it's right on the quote. Other costs associated with a manufacturing program may show up elsewhere. That's why OEMs should evaluate the total cost of working with a supplier rather than treating the quoted part price as the only financial consideration. That broader evaluation may include:

• Tooling and other upfront costs
• Freight and transportation
• Inventory and warehousing requirements
• Quality issues, scrap and rework
• Production or delivery delays
• Secondary operations and additional supplier handoffs
• The internal time required to manage the supplier relationship

While the cheapest quote may seem better on paper, it doesn’t always deliver the highest value. Looking at these other costs alongside capabilities, quality, reliability and engineering support gives OEMs a more useful way to compare what each manufacturing partner is actually offering.

Choosing a Manufacturing Partner for the Long Term

The right manufacturing partner is one whose capabilities, quality systems, engineering support and production capacity align with the needs of your program. Price remains part of that evaluation, but it becomes more meaningful when considered alongside the factors that affect production risk, internal workload and total program cost.

ICP works with OEMs on thermoforming and plastic fabrication projects from early design and material decisions through production, fabrication and assembly. If you're evaluating manufacturing options for a new or existing program, talk with our team about your requirements and what you need from a manufacturing partner.

Industrial Custom Products is a one-stop-shop for custom manufacturing and plastic fabrication, including: prototyping and product development, die cutting and dieless knife cutting, thermoforming and vacuum forming, large part thermoforming, CNC plastic routing, fabrication and assembly and drape forming.