More customers with tools that were once manufactured at another production facility are now transferring their assets to the Molded Dimensions Group, where the team applies tried-and-true presses, materials and processes to improve upon the products.
Joe Wacha, Director of Engineering in Port Washington, says a tool transfer not only increases the stability of a customer’s supply chain, but also boosts output quality.
“By moving their tools to us, customers can avoid the initial high cost of fabricating a new tool, mitigate the risk of extended new process development timelines, and improve part quality through our engineering-focused process.”
Jump to our Tool Transfer Form
Once the tool arrives at Molded Dimensions Group, a cross-functional team of sales, engineering, tool fabrication and operations review the mold to determine any improvements, modifications, refurbishments or repairs that may be needed – well before the first article sampling process.
During this initial stage, we can significantly reduce any upfront tooling expenses by establishing the minimum baseline cost to adapt the mold for installation into our presses. This is where our team takes a closer look at part design for manufacturability, material optimization, critical part features for performance in application, and recommendations for mold improvements.
An Engineering Project Manager is responsible for facilitating the first article process, in addition to supporting production and quality teams as they submit samples and documentation for customer review and approval. Following the write up of a formal quote and receipt of a purchase order, our team begins the second phase of the project – new process development. As Wacha likes to say, this is where the company works hard to “Wow our Customers” by providing weekly status reports on the project and making sure the tool’s manufacturing process won’t raise any past concerns.
Following part approval, the project heads into the production phase, where our team can begin fulfilling demand. A final project review completes the handoff to production. From there, Micah Galbraith, Engineering and Tool Manager, Fife, Washington, says companies will collaborate directly with customer service on their orders.
“With the right supplier, tool transfers can help customers get their product faster. One of our customers didn’t receive product for a month before transferring the tool to Molded Dimensions Group. Now, we are the supplier that provides 98% on-time delivery.”
A recent example of a successful tool transfer was when a new customer sent Molded Dimensions Group 16 tools that had been used by a supplier to mold a gasket product line for the past 50 years. Their previous supplier had been consistently missing delivery dates and was unresponsive when asked for order updates. Once transferred to our facility, we were able to quote, modify, sample, and receive customer approval on all 16 molds. The project took under seven months to complete, and we were able to fulfill production orders for 19 new part numbers.
Wacha adds, “Our emphasis on developing the customer – supplier relationship drives our quality up and increases customer satisfaction. We really want to understand how the part works and what concerns our customers have with their existing supplier. We want to find a better way to manufacture the part, support profitable growth, eliminate obstacles, and serve our customers so that they can have peace of mind.”
If you may be interested in working with us on a tool transfer, please submit the form below and we’ll be in touch shortly.
