Plastic auto rickshaw made from various injection molded parts.
Injection molding works by melting colored polystyrene, plastic or resin beads and then injecting the material into a mold. The process is commonly used to make items including plastic cups and cutlery, outdoor furniture, bottle caps, and auto parts. There are four main considerations when choosing an injection molding company: quality, reputation, price, and delivery time. You may want to consider all four elements together to ensure you choose the provider that best suits your needs.
Colored granules used for plastic injection molding.
Quality is important because a warped part can be not only unattractive, but also unstable. Weak products like auto parts, furniture, or chemical containers increase the risk of injury and liability. An injection molding company must produce parts free of air bubbles and foreign materials. Consider requesting samples from past projects along with the quote so you can compare quality between vendors.
An injection molding company must also have a good reputation with previous clients as well as in the business community. Soliciting and checking references from a company’s previous customers is a good way to find out if they consistently meet deadlines, produce quality products, and provide good customer service. You can also order a business credit report to determine the creditworthiness of the business. A potential vendor with a habit of not paying vendors may have deeper financial problems and may not be the right vendor for you.
Realistically, price is always a big concern. A competitive bidding process is the best way to ensure that you are paying a fair price for your product. For a more accurate comparison, you will need to provide identical specifications for each vendor. You should also ask who owns the molds. If you own the molds, you can switch manufacturers on your next run without having to pay for the molds again.
A product that arrives too late may not be useful, so delivery time can be a critical factor when selecting a supplier. The availability of materials, the existing production schedule and the proof of a custom color all contribute to the production schedule. It’s best to make sure you have a written schedule that includes due dates for actions you need to complete, such as sample approval. You may also want to find out how much of the lead time is spent waiting for the raw material and ask if the potential supplier has a backup supplier.
Ultimately, you will want to choose an injection molding company that will be a good partner for you in the future. This means selecting a company that has a long production history, produces quality products, is financially stable, and offers fair prices and on-time delivery. Spending more time on the initial vendor selection process will save you time and headaches later on.