Injection Mold – Making Inventions a Reality

February 17, 2012 by

Injection Mold to Product Reality

Most everyone has heard or said “you could make a million bucks with that idea.” Or “Yeah that and fifty cents will get you a cup of coffee.” In actuality they both cost more in the “real world”. It is our mission to assist Inventors as well as seasoned designers to help bring their Plastic Injection Mold idea to a reality. This process takes money, but thanks to foresight to buy into our Injection Mold Partner in Shenzhen China, we are able to offer from 30-50% cost savings over many of our domestic (USA) suppliers. One would ask, how can you do that? Building an Injection Mold is labor intensive. We use the same quality steel as you find here in the USA, and all components that are replaceable are USA supplier standard (DME etc.). The difference is labor cost in China. Our engineers as well as manufacturing folks are highly skilled and can easily be compared to those here in the United States.

Now let’s talk about the security of your Intellectual Property. Each person here at Total Solution Plastic that touches your Injection Mold project has signed a legal nondisclosure form. Each of our associates in China that will be in contact with your Injection Mold project have signed a legal nondisclosure form. In other words, we have taken as much precaution to protect your injection mold idea as possible. I do want to add, in most cases our shop does not even know the application of your product… which once again adds to your protection. We build many “sensitive” products in our shop each year from medical to automotive…. I do not want to “ever” guarantee, nor would anyone else, that your Intellectual Product is totally secure, but certainly, we are more than diligent to protect you, and do not foresee any issue with this. We have been audited by many very large OEMs and haven’t had any issue at all with security measures due to the processes we have in place.

After your part is produced to your satisfied to your satisfaction we bring your Injection Mold back to the United States and assist you in finding a supplier nearest you to run the Injection Mold and supply you parts. This allows you to maximize your profit dollars by reducing your Injection Mold cost. Resale – cost = Profit is what we help you accomplish.

Injection Mold – Inventor’s Path Forward?

I have worked with Inventors for the past thirty five years at many levels and have seen many potentially great products not brought to market due to the lack of proper capitol. It is a shame, because great ideas is what makes this country grow! Please do not misunderstand me, our Injection Mold is not free; just much less expensive! Sales projections are the most important information in any new product development. Sales projections drive the production cost as well as start-up and tooling cost that must be rolled into the price which will determine your sales price.

By holding down your tooling (Injection Mold) price; that gives you more dollars to spend on your marketing! We want to see you successful! We want to see you selling many of your ideas, so you will return to us with your next Injection Mold project. Many of our customers have been with Total Solution Plastic since we opened our doors! Khey understand our honesty and integrity in the market place and feel we are the best cost, quality and delivery solution for their new products. To learn more about the injection mold process please visit our website and give us a call at 919-800-9001 so that we may help you bring your ideas to reality!

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Managing your Injection Mold Projects and keeping on Track?

November 27, 2011 by

Managing Injection Mold Projects

Injection Mold Project Management If you have ever managed a project you know the challenges involved. There are budgets and schedules and people and hidden costs and problems and that is when it goes smoothly.
Now add a different country, a different language, a different time zone, a different culture, and try to figure out how, with the increased overhead you’re going to save money going offshore. Now as if all of this wasn’t enough you add a factory offshore, purchasing in one area, engineering in another and possibly an end customer located somewhere else. The good news is there is email…right?

I mean email allows communication between all parties to coordinate the production of the injection mold as well as the schedule and the budget. Except one of the emails wasn’t received, there are 5 different threads going around, some people are using their Blackberry or some other smart phone so their responses are there and not on their PC and, of course, the thread with your responses stopped being passed around so when you sit at your PC your responses are nowhere to be found and it’s 2 AM and you have a conference call with another country and your lead engineer is on vacation.. Confused? About this time so is your project and it’s late and it’s over budget.

Injection Mold Business

While all of this may not be something you have had to deal with, if you have been involved in injection molds for any time at all there is a good chance some of this seems familiar. Domestic or offshore, project management is crucial. It is one thing to get a quote for an injection mold but it is another to consider all of the costs involved in managing the mold.

At Total Solution Plastic we not only supply you with a quality injection mold but we consider your cost of acquisition. We understand how much the various operational costs can add to your bottom line. This is why we have developed a state of the art project management system. We make all of the information visible to everyone involved. Action items are given out and monitored to keep everything on schedule or if it’s not everyone knows why. If any of what we discussed earlier is closer to your real life then you want to admit give us a call (919-900-8801) and we can tell you how we can save you this frustration as well as the costs associated with that frustration. We really do provide the total solution when it comes to quality injection molds.

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Injection Mold – Can You Trust that “Spam email ” you received from China?

November 26, 2011 by

Injection Mold – China

Injection Mold - Total Solution PlasticLet’s suppose you are a molder and one of the top 100 OEMs places an order for injection mold and molding with you. For discussion purposes, we will assume the mold is $200,000.00 and the molding package it worth $2,000,000.00 in annual sales. It is your responsibility to have a robust, reliable injection mold built, but you went out to get your prices from someone in China that wrote you an email something like: We are a professional plastic mold maker. Welcome to send us RFQ for your new project. We will quote our best price for you. Are you now willing to place your injection mold order due to an advertisement like this? Are you willing to place your job on the line? Are you willing to place your company in jeopardy that the company on the other end will not just take your money and run? As you know, it is customary to pay 50% up front… are you willing to chance losing $100,000.00?

Injection Mold – Total Solution Plastic

There is absolutely no reason for you to ever take these chances. Total Solution Plastic is a hybrid company. We are located in Raleigh, NC and have ownership in our shop in Shenzhen China. We are the factory that builds your injection mold! We are there to support you during your injection mold build. We are there with our proprietary injection mold web portal, assuring your program runs smoothly. We are there to support you throughout the process and even after the injection mold ships, if there are issues that need to be looked at once the injection mold arrives in your shop. We are proven, tried and trustworthy to deliver what we promise!! Are you really willing to take a chance without the support of Total Solution Plastic? Is it worth the chance??

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Afraid of Purchasing Injection Molds From China?

November 23, 2011 by

Injection Molds from China

injection molds from chins Total Solution PlasticTotal Solution Plastic has taken the guess work and the pain out of searching for a great injection mold builder in China. We have been importing into the USA for +11 years for many of the tier 1 and 2 customers.

Why take a chance answering one of those “spam” emails we all receive from some unknown China supplier? We are a USA company located in Raleigh North Carolina and stand behind each and every one of our injection molds. Currently we are importing 125 to 175 molds per year, from small medical devices to large automotive and agricultural products. Don’t gamble with your projects! Call us at 919-900-8801 for your Injection mold requirements. Visit us at www.totalsolutionplastic.com.

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Injection Mold Basics

November 22, 2011 by

Paulson Training – Basic Injection Molding Machine Operations (excerpt)

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INJECTION MOLD STEEL DESIGN TIPS – WHAT STEEL SHOULD YOU USE WHEN BUILDING YOUR NEW PLASTIC MOLD?

November 21, 2011 by

Building Your New Plastic Injection Mold

Injection Mold MachineYour company is about to invest in a mold to manufacture a plastic part. That is, you’re ready to write the purchase order once you decide which molder has quoted you the best value for your dollar. You want the lowest price, the lowest mold maintenance, AND the highest product quality. Right? Yet, how can you tell what you’re really buying when one supplier quoted $3000 and another quoted $13,000? They both saw the same blueprint! It’s probably true that both molds could produce good quality plastic parts.

Injection Mold – What Steel to USE?

Buyers should consider two scenarios: quick machining steel/low production quantity versus slower machining steel/high production-high quality. Quoting molds is often an “assumption game.” The more the customer can define what they want, the fewer variables enter into the quote. The customer’s goal is to get apples-to-apples quotes from each supplier, and this isn’t always easy.
One variable in quoting the mold is the quality of steel to be used. Total Solution Plastic typically quotes high quality tool steel unless the customer specifies otherwise. We do, however, build tooling from all grades of material such as prehard steel (P-20), hardened tool steel (S-7,H-13,O-1,A-2,etc.), or stainless steel. When dealing with Asian suppliers, it is also important to understand the country of origin of the steel. Even though it meets the industry standard, doesn’t mean all steel is the same.
Prehard: P-20
P-20 is the most popular and versatile mold steel. It is used for all sizes of machine-cut molds, and does not require post machining heat treatment. No heat treatment eliminates the finish machining and grinding operations which are necessary because of the dimensional changes which occur in heat treatment.
Prehard can be chrome-plated or nickel-plated for wear and corrosion resistance, if needed. However, we typically do not recommend P-20 steel if the production quantity is high (+500,000) or reinforced plastics are to be used. The trade-off is usually less mold builder labor ($) versus longevity of the mold (time).
Hardened Tool Steel: H-13, S-7
This steel renders a fine combination of toughness and strength. The steel is mostly furnished in the annealed condition and must then be heat treated after the mold is finished. The steel hardens to about Rockwell C 46 – C 54. Hardened tool steel is used when a steel is needed for molding reinforced plastics, or when a large production quantity is anticipated. Hardened steel also takes an excellent polish, therefore it is used for clear parts such as lenses.
Stainless Steel: 420
Stainless steel is frequently used when corrosion or rusting may be a problem. Rusting of waterlines or the mold due to condensation can be very costly because of the extra maintenance and frequent polishing. Stainless 420 must be heat treated. It has outstanding dimensional stability in heat treatment and therefore, the mold needs very little finishing and correcting after heat treatment. This steel also takes a high luster polish.
Three variables enter into the calculation of a mold’s price: the material to be used, the estimate of mold maker hours, and the labor/overhead rate.
Price = Material + (Hours X Rate)
The steel quoted will determine the material price and mold builder hours required. Although the steel or material cost typically amount to only 10% of the mold’s price, the amount of time required to machine the steel is a major part of the cost. The prehard steel may be a very cost effective route if for example, the plastic to be molded is polyethylene, the quality of the plastic part is not “gold-plated”, and the life of the mold is small, such as 10,000 pieces.
If, on the other hand, the plastic part is 30% glass-filled nylon, specifies no parting line flash, and will run one million parts, Total Solution Plastic will quote the tool steel you request.
The challenge for all buyers is to define which steel is being quoted and whether that steel will be satisfactory for the project’s objectives.

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Getting your best buy for Injection Molds?

November 21, 2011 by

All of the folks at Total Solution Plastic speak English (although it is with a “southern” accent)! We are located in Raleigh, NC and have been importing Injection Molds from our sister company in Shenzhen China for +11 years. We stand behind our products and have a superior reputation in the industry! Please visit us at www.totalsolutionplastic.com. We understand “the total cost of acquisition of injection molds”!

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Are your projects on time when procuring injection molds for Asia?

November 19, 2011 by

Procuring Injection Molds for Asia

Injection Molds - Franklin Spears CEO Total Solution PlasticTotal Solution Plastic has experienced in the past week an earthquake, tornadoes, a hurricane and a +500 point swing in the market. Is there something here that Nostradamus predicted? I certainly hope not, but the good news is that we are all doing well and suffered very little damage here. We pray for those that were affected by these disasters.
Many have suffered the past couple of years due to the market conditions. I am not going to attempt to predict the future, but we have certainly seen a sharp increase in activity and orders. We have seen spurts of business previously, and thought all had turned…. But spurt is exactly what it was. Like many of you, I certainly hope this increase continues. We find companies are shopping their requirements harder for lower cost while keeping the quality the same or even better. Total Solution Plastic is very proud to day we are alive and healthy. Our shop in Shenzhen is operating at a very healthy level, but even still capacity is available.

Plastic Injection Molds Projects

I have spoken many times before about communications and its significance to achieve a successful and timely project completion date. Customers have experienced time and time again, their Plastic Injection Molds projects not only ship on time, but many time ahead of schedule! Our Proprietary Web Portal has been the solution. No longer are emails lost or change orders misplaced or not followed. Our Portal controls these processes. It is all about the “Total Cost of Acquisition”! No need to change shipping from the planned sea shipment to much more expensive air shipments due to lost time or missed schedules! We deliver on time… in fact we boast quite strongly that WE HAVE NEVER MISSED A T1 DATE!!
I would appreciate your responses to issues you have experienced in procuring of shore tooling. As you well know, “the price is not always the price”.

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When does buying injection molds from China make you a good American?

November 19, 2011 by

Injection Molds from China

Injection Molds from ChinaIt‘s all about jobs, and in our case injection mold jobs. We need to supply jobs for the people here in America. So why does going to China for your injection molds help people here in America keep their jobs? Sometimes you have to pick your battles to win the wars. We use a lot of plastic here in America, everything from medical devices to automotive parts. Most of it requires some kind of plastic mold and very often this is an injection mold.

Injection molds are very labor intensive and this is where China has a huge advantage over the United States. Their labor rate is so much lower we cannot even attempt to compete. Anything that is more labor than material is not a level playing field between the United States and China. So let’s not try. Let’s let China do what they do well and then we get to do what we do well. With proper due diligence, let China build the labor intensive injection molds. Based on your annual usage these injection molds can last a long time making the injection mold costs go a long way in the overall cost of the project.

Injection Molds from China – Cost Analysis

Now, when it comes to the molding of the part, that is a different story. This is very much automated which makes it almost impossible for China to be competitive as there is very little labor. So as American companies we can be my most competitive by buying injection molds from China and using our expertise and investment dollars in the plastic injection mold process in our shops. Our core competency would be molding of the plastic. So, while a lot of shops like to be a one stop shop, the reality is you need to decide how to be the most competitive and develop core competencies. In this way you offer competitive pricing, which allows for the growth of your company, which allows for job creation.
As you can see, using China and their labor rates in your business plan can create additional jobs here in the United States. Consider this the next time you have requirements for injection molds.
Be a good American and buy your injection molds from China.

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Injection Mold – Making Inventions a Reality

November 18, 2011 by

Plastic Injection Mold idea to a reality

Injection Mold MakingMost everyone has heard or said “you could make a million bucks with that idea.” Or “Yeah that and fifty cents will get you a cup of coffee.” In actuality they both cost more in the “real world”. It is our mission to assist Inventors as well as seasoned designers to help bring their Plastic Injection Mold idea to a reality.

This process takes money, but thanks to foresight to buy into our Injection Mold Partner in Shenzhen China, we are able to offer from 30-50% cost savings over many of our domestic (USA) suppliers. One would ask, how can you do that? Building an Injection Mold is labor intensive. We use the same quality steel as you find here in the USA, and all components that are replaceable are USA supplier standard (DME etc.). The difference is labor cost in China. Our engineers as well as manufacturing folks are highly skilled and can easily be compared to those here in the United States.

Injection Mold Project

Now let’s talk about the security of your Intellectual Property. Each person here at Total Solution Plastic that touches your Injection Mold project has signed a legal nondisclosure form. Each of our associates in China that will be in contact with your Injection Mold project have signed a legal nondisclosure form. In other words, we have taken as much precaution to protect your injection mold idea as possible. I do want to add, in most cases our shop does not even know the application of your product… which once again adds to your protection. We build many “sensitive” products in our shop each year from medical to automotive…. I do not want to “ever” guarantee, nor would anyone else, that your Intellectual Product is totally secure, but certainly, we are more than diligent to protect you, and do not foresee any issue with this. We have been audited by many very large OEMs and haven’t had any issue at all with security measures due to the processes we have in place.
After your part is produced to your satisfied to your satisfaction we bring your Injection Mold back to the United States and assist you in finding a supplier nearest you to run the Injection Mold and supply you parts. This allows you to maximize your profit dollars by reducing your Injection Mold cost. Resale – cost = Profit is what we help you accomplish.
I have worked with Inventors for the past thirty five years at many levels and have seen many potentially great products not brought to market due to the lack of proper capitol. It is a shame, because great ideas is what makes this country grow! Please do not misunderstand me, our Injection Mold is not free; just much less expensive! Sales projections are the most important information in any new product development. Sales projections drive the production cost as well as start-up and tooling cost that must be rolled into the price which will determine your sales price. By holding down your tooling (Injection Mold) price; that gives you more dollars to spend on your marketing! We want to see you successful! We want to see you selling many of your ideas, so you will return to us with your next Injection Mold project. Many of our customers have been with Total Solution Plastic since we opened our doors! Khey understand our honesty and integrity in the market place and feel we are the best cost, quality and delivery solution for their new products. Please review our website at www.totalsolutionplastic.com and give us a call so that we may help you bring your ideas to reality!

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