Product category:
Plastics and Rubber Moulding Subcontracting Services
News Release from: Krauss-Maffei (UK) | Subject: Krauss-Maffei injection moulding technology
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 08 February 2002
'Tooling solutions' beats overseas
moulding
In a field where companies are either battling low-cost competition or positioning themselves as a high quality bespoke tool manufacturer, Select Moulds is providing 'tooling solutions'.
In a field where companies are either battling low-cost competition from the Far East or positioning themselves as a high quality bespoke tool manufacturer, High Wycombe-based Select Moulds is, with the help of injection moulding machinery manufacturer Krauss-Maffei, working to create a successful niche for itself as a 'tooling solutions' business Founded in 1990 by Alan Lane and Simon Collins, Select Moulds focused on high quality technical 2D tooling and, following an acquisition a few years later, moved into 3D tooling
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 11 Jun 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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The company now works closely with its moulding and OEM customers to provide the most appropriate tooling solution for each particular project.
Whilst this frequently calls for the quality technical tooling in which Select Moulds specialises, lower-cost tooling is sometimes the best option.
To meet this demand and offer the best service to its customers, Select Moulds has employed an experienced Far East representative with many years' tool sourcing experience to build up a network of toolmakers, from which the company sources and supplies tools on the same basis as those it manufactures itself - namely, proven and signed off with a guarantee.
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This partnership approach to tool procurement can substantially shorten the new product development cycle time, as Simon Collins explains: "Because we make a point of recommending the best solution, even if it doesn't involve producing the tool ourselves, customers can rest assured that the project will be delivered precisely to their specifications and within their budget.
We get involved with the process at as early a stage as possible, so important early decisions about tooling are better-informed and new product development time is reduced.
We're managing the risk that is normally taken on by the moulder or OEM so that they can concentrate on other factors.
In the year since we've taken this approach, it's proved a tremendous success." Select Moulds decided to invest in Krauss-Maffei injection moulding technology for the same reason: to save time and work in partnership with their customers, which are mainly in the telecoms, automotive white goods, consumer electronics and business machine markets.
"Having injection moulding in-house means we can take the service one step further by proving tooling and providing samples, rather than having to wait for a gap in production at the moulders," continues Simon Collins.
"Our involvement now goes all the way from the design concept to pre-production sign-off.
When we were looking to invest in a machine, we were committed to choosing technology that reflected our own emphasis on quality and technical excellence." To develop the business further, Select Moulds is looking to add another Krauss-Maffei machine and perhaps invest in specific technologies such as 2-shot moulding, as Alan Lane explains: "A multicomponent machine from Krauss-Maffei could be the ideal solution as we could broaden our repertoire whilst also using it for standard production, so maximising the value of our investment." .
(This was Manufacturingtalk's Top Story on 7 February 2002).
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