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News Release from: GTMA
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 05 March 2002
UK Toolmaking is cost effective, on-time
The UK has some of the best toolmaker's in the world with an excellent record in terms of skill and investment, but not enough publicity is given to it abroad, says the GTMA.
fit for purpose Yes, the UK has some of the best toolmaker's in the world with an excellent record in terms of skill and investment Unfortunately, we are not a country that makes a big enough noise about our expertise - and we suffer because too many buyers believe the rumours that are spread around
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 2 Sep 2003 at 8.00am (UK)
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For example, it is often suggested that tools brought in from the Far East will be cheaper than those sourced in the UK.
However quoted price and the 'Real Cost' of that tool - by the time all additional costs listed in the GTMA Real Cost of Tooling document are taken into consideration - can be very different.
Unfortunately, many overseas toolmaker's have become very adept at saying "yes" to everything that is requested in order to gain the business, and then become less than approachable when their tool is delivered many miles away - and is not quite what it's supposed to be.
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All too often this leaves the UK moulder, component supplier and/or manufacturer in a major jam and sometimes quite an embarrassing situation - a production line waiting to start manufacturing and a tool that is not fit for use.
The complexity of many tools means that time spent working with a UK toolmaker would be a good long-term investment.
This approach could often stop the problems such as lost production and emergency repairs.
Don't forget, "downtime" is often a cost that should be apportioned to the total tool cost but this doesn't always happen.
Also, when a product modification requirement occurs, using a UK toolmaker would also ensure a speedy response, minimising downtime and ensuring that the tool is running as efficiently as possible throughout its life.
The issue of lead times is also raised from time to time and it seems that too often a tool buyer has contacted just one or two UK toolmaker's and has been quoted lead times longer than he would like.
Instead of taking a more reasoned approach or contacting the GTMA for special assistance, the lure of a foreign destination often seems more exciting as an alternative! The blunt truth of the matter is that he will often be placing business with an overseas toolmaker who will be using the same steel, machine tools, cutting tools, CAD/CAM system etc.
that the UK toolmaker would have used.
And with the advances in sophisticated palletising systems, unattended machine tool operation and the general improvements in manpower-saving techniques used in the UK, it will be hard to figure out exactly where the overall gain is.
The temptation to import your tools from abroad can, at first, look like a cost saving opportunity compared to UK prices.
However, in a recent document produced by the GTMA, 'The Real Cost of Tooling' raises a number of important criteria that UK tool buyers should take into consideration before looking abroad.
This document includes some useful information about the issues affecting tool purchase and there is an easy-to-use worksheet to aid calculation of costs.
The Real Cost of Tooling Worksheet is a way of identifying and evaluating the most common hidden costs in tooling contracts and can be used as a template adapted to the company requirement, or can be used as a benchmark document to help a buyer to develop purchasing procedures best suited to his/her company.
Issues considered include: * When all costs are added up, did you end up paying more than you anticipated in order to obtain usable tools? * Was the quality of the tool/s as you required? * Was the tooling fully operational and ready for production when you received it? * Have you found any technical advantage when using overseas toolmaker's? * Are you concerned about overseas toolmaker's manufacturing duplicate tools for parallel, low-cost production purposes? * How do you ensure that there is no such theft of technology? For all those entrusted with the job of placing orders for tools, a free copy of the GTMA Information Pack on "The Real Cost of Imported Tooling" will be worthwhile.
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