Automotive Injection Molding: Communication is the key for a better mold

Throw in COVID-19 times with travel restrictions and effective communication becomes perhaps the most critical element needed for a successful mold build. Check out our YouTube Channel and then read on about offshore injection mold making and some tips on communication.

Price points dictates the use of reliable offshore Automotive Injection Molding partners. If you do it right you can selectively use offshore mold builders to help you with reshoring your part production jobs back to the USA and EU. But finding reliable China mold builders is no easy task. You need to find a mold builder who can fabricate molds to high tolerances. As well as a mold builder who can deliver a mold that will produce parts with exceptional surface finishing. Crucially, a mold builder who can make you a mold to match the intense way that you run your injection mold presses to meet demanding production requirements, which is fast.

A big part of the solution for finding and qualifying reliable China mold building partners is communication. Verbal communication, written communication, technical communication, project expectation communication, cultural communication, all automotive injection molding projects touch on each of these communication points. Effective communication is the key to your project’s success.

Western customers look to China mold makers with experience in automotive injection molding for one primary reason. Really good price points. But if the communication is poor and the mold build quality suffers because of communication then your original really good price point can become very expensive when you start missing deadlines. With that in mind here are 3 essential communication points for qualifying an automotive injection molding partner in China.

• Find Western mold makers in China: Not easy to find but there are some. The tolerances you need for your automotive injection molding projects are high and your deadlines are tight. Your chances of being able to successfully communicate your tight tolerance needs, your complex project design details, and the importance of hitting your deadlines will go up 20-fold if you find an American or European owned and/or operated factory in China. Suppliers who, at minimum, have key experienced mold building personnel who can communicate in native English.
• Look for suppliers who offer advanced engineering: If you can’t find a supplier with key personnel, like engineers or tool builders, who speak English as a native language then at least find a factory who can communicate with you through advanced engineering tools. A great DFM analysis is essential but industry leading technology like DFMPro and Moldex3D with the powerful reports they generate can help bridge the communication divide through standardized engineering language and visuals. Also, when DFMPro and Moldex3D are leveraged correctly they will catch many design problems (part and mold) on the front end and give you a chance to fix them before steel is cut so you don’t have to deal with the problems on the back end. Time saved. Money saved. Future headaches avoided.
• Mold trial communication is an essential part of qualifying your mold quality and you injection mold build factory: What you are looking for here is clear communication on the mold trial process. Getting test parts that are in spec is great, but what injection molding process did the factory use to achieve these good sample parts? Did they fill fast and did they open/close the mold fast? What clamp force did they use? The point is…are they mimicking the same injection mold process parameters you will use in your facility back home? Great communication on mold trials is a big part of qualifying a really good automotive injection molding partner. Better yet, communicate in person by witnessing the mold trial yourself at the factory. Bring a trusted translator if your supplier does not have native English speakers (who understand mold building) in the factory. NOTE: During COVID-19 times, seeing your mold trial is next to impossible. But when you partner with a Western mold maker in China you can still get the results your project demands through native English communication during remote mold trials.

Great communication is the key to successful and drama-free Injection Mold Building in China. English to English communication during mold designs, mold builds, and mold trials helps to eliminate any confusion as there are no translation issues. With this comes accountability on the supplier. If there are no communication issues then all the excuses should just fade away. Great communication in China does not have to come at a premium price either. Try the Jade way of injection mold making in China today for great communication and great molds at China level pricing – [email protected].  

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About Jade Molds:

Jade Group International (Jade Molds), focuses on manufacturing and delivering Western quality injection molds (tooling) at China level pricing so that Western injection molders can compete with and win injection mold production jobs over their China competitors. How? Western methodology and efficiencies which starts with Western engineers using first-in-class tools like DFMPro and Moldex3D to fully qualify each part and mold design before projects are passed over to Western engineers and mold builders living in China. Our hands-on approach in Jade’s Western owned China factory includes Westerners building molds, Westerners who QC molds, and Westerners who trial each mold. JadeMolds.com 100% goal is to deliver great molds that will run well and at speed in your factory back home, right out of the shipping crate. All at China level pricing. Plus, native English, Spanish, Portuguese, or Chinese communication with Jade at every stage of your project. Try the Jade way today – [email protected]