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Product category: General Machining Subcontracting Services
News Release from: Walters Group | Subject: Blended Manufacturing Model
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial Team on 11 December 2006

Design, prototyping, parts sourcing in
one service

'Blended Manufacturing Model' offers advantages of Far East manufacturing for both small and large scale production operations.

'Blended Manufacturing Model' offers advantages of Far East manufacturing for both small and large scale production operations As climbing manufacturing costs and restrictive legislation continue to make British and Continental manufacturers less competitive in world markets, a British contract manufacturing company has come up with an innovative service to get European high-tech products designed, developed and manufactured in the most economical way

The service, which includes component sourcing in China, will help to get new products through design and prototype stages, into production and - by manufacturing at low cost in China - into world markets competitively.

Walters Group is a highly successful GBP27 Million contract manufacturing organisation that operates significant engineering and manufacturing facilities in both the UK and China.

By offering a flexible 'blend' of it's facilities - including design, prototyping, component procurement, toolmaking, injection moulding, electronic assembly and QA facilities (to ISO9000) mirrored both here in the UK and China, it can offer a very useful mix of support, up to and including total product lifecycle management.

The Group claims that it's newly created Blended Manufacturing Model will allow high investment developments - particularly large volume consumer electronic and electrical products - to be designed, manufactured and delivered internationally at minimum risk and maximum efficiency.

The model could be of particular benefit to high tech consumer goods designers in Western Europe, where high production costs on volume production operations can be considerable.

How the 'Blended Manufacturing Model' Works In a typical scenario, the Group would support an initial product launch by offering design and development services from its UK base in High Wycombe.

Tool making, injection moulding or metal work can be provided as required.

For prototype to low volume manufacturing, assembly, test and QA would also be carried out entirely using the Group's contract assembly facilities in the UK As production requirements increase, say where throughput needs to increase from medium to high volume, a transition to large scale manufacturing in China can be managed over time.

For example, some manufacturing can be carried out here in the UK, the balance being handled in China, the proportion changing to suit requirements.

For consistently high volume throughputs, virtually all manufacturing would be carried out in China.

Using the model, fluctuations in demand for finished product will be 'buffered' by the Group in the UK, allowing changes in market demand to be handled by changes in the component / finished product supply chain controlled by the UK base.

A key advantage of the model is that both UK and Chinese resources are 'mirrored', and fully supported by the same range of complementary services, including component sourcing, test and inspection to ISO 9000:2001 standards.

All technical, engineering support and programme management for the Group's Nantong operations is done through its base in High Wycombe.

As a product nears the end of it's projected life, a reverse transition, from high volume production in Nantong, back to legacy and end-of-life (reducing volume) assembly in the UK can be organised, allowing the product to be fully managed throughout.

John Walters, Founder and Chairman of the Walters Group, believes that the Blended Manufacturing Model, combining British technical know-how with acknowledged Chinese production capacity, will provide a way forward for those British and European manufacturers who are currently struggling against overwhelming international competition.

He says: "At a time when Europe's manufacturing industries are taking a battering, we have already used the model successfully on our own generic products, and are certain that it can be of considerable benefit to other enterprises in the market.

The major benefit is quite simply that of achieving the price advantages of Far East manufacturing while maintaining the benefits of local engineering, technical support and programme management." He continues: "Since working with our Chinese partners we have learned a great deal about their fascinating culture, and have enormous respect for the efforts they are making to develop international business.

We have been particularly welcomed and supported by the local government in Nantong, where we have built (and more importantly own) three factories.

As this enterprise continues to grow, we look forward to sharing specialist knowledge while earning profits for both the UK and China operations.".

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