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Make Competition Work for You
Manufacturing News Center
Abstract-- Many of you may have attended the National Plastics
Exposition (NPE) show held once every three years.
As an exhibitor at this show, Makino took some time to note the latest
and greatest technologies of the plastics industry. Walking the show
floor, I saw a growing number of saw mold builders with signs showcasing
a variety of molds and plastic products with lead times that clearly
showed they were utilizing high-speed machining. It was good to see
"high-speed" plastic injection mold builders and to discuss with them
the results they’re getting from this advanced process.
At the other end of the plastics "food chain," molders were equally
busy at NPE. Many molders visited Makino’s
booth, so interested in mold building technology that they often mistook
us for mold builders. Upon further discussion, it became clear that
molders are interested in suppliers utilizing the latest technology.
They’re depending on their mold building suppliers to help them meet
customer demands and time-to-market pressures. The molders want suppliers
that can cut mold lead time and improve mold quality.
This very informal research conducted at trade shows like NPE confirms
an observation I’ve made many times in past articles: time-based competition
continues to drive the mold building industry. The growth in the plastics
industry will only increase this competition. NPE had record attendance,
tremendous purchasing activity and displayed more plastic-made products
than ever before. This points to the fact that molders at NPE, and throughout
the industry, will be making more plastic products than ever before.
As a result, they are clamoring for "better, faster, more" from mold
builders.
See Mold Demo - The demonstration shows
an understanding of the mold building process, allowing machining applications
to be more effective.
Learn more about your customers’ customers
That’s the primary reason we attend shows like NPE where the question
most often asked Makino was "why are you here?" "Why would a machining
center manufacturer attend a plastics industry trade show?" Well, we’re
definitely not mold builders, nor do we claim to be. However, Makino believes
it cannot help plastic injection mold builders meet their customers’ needs
without understanding the plastics industry. Similarly, without understanding
how your customers meet their customers’ needs, you cannot support them
effectively.
Supplying your customers time
The payoff for employing high-speed machining and diligently optimizing
your technology to cut lead time and improve quality becomes obvious.
If you can provide quality molds within a certain time frame you can set
pricing more flexibly. ALL customers come to mold builders with emergency
jobs; if you can deliver, you’ll have more pricing latitude.
You’re providing your customers with time to better address other issues
in their own manufacturing process as much as you’re providing them with
molds. This is the benefit of time-based competition and it creates a
valuable relationship between you and your customer. Mold builders should
make time-based competition work for them by investing in advanced technology
and, more importantly, continually optimizing it for the best results
and maximum return on investment. NPE clearly showed that the plastics
industry is growing and advancing. Is your shop ready?
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Source: Makino
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