Process and Tooling Makeover with Productive PlasticsSaves Industrial Material Handling Manufacturer Time,

Cost, and Improves Quality Performance

Existing ProjectAlternate Vendor

Oct 2015

The DetailsProductive Plastics was approached by a major industrial materialhandling manufacturer that was looking for solutions on a part foran existing project, at the time being manufactured by anotherthermoforming vendor, which was experiencing significant deliveryschedule delays, poor quality performance, and inconsistent partdimensions.Delivery Delays

Poor QualityPart Defects

Part of the Productive Plastics product developmentcycle when taking on an existing project is to evaluate anumber of key existing factors such as the currentlyused tooling, process, trimming, and design to helppresent the most appropriate solution to our customer.

We understand that when a customer looks for a newvendor, it’s because the customer’s needs were notbeing met previously and we want to make sure that weprovide the solutions they are looking for.

In this case, Productive Plastics identified the existingelements on the left as key contributors to the deliveryschedule delays, poor quality performance, andinconsistent part dimensions plaguing this project.

Discovering the Root of the Problem

Existing ProjectContributors Negative Effects

Inadequate toolingconstruction withno temperaturecontrol

High part reject ratio,slow part cycle time

Part trimming via hand routing and drilling

Part dimensioninconsistency

Creating the Solution

After evaluating the process and tooling previouslyutilized for this project, our team of engineers,designers, and manufacturing experts at ProductivePlastics worked with this customer to upgrade to anadequate tooling design, utilize CNC trimmingtechnology, and take advantage of the high quality andextremely efficient manufacturing techniques availableat our facility.

New Aluminum Temp. Controlled Tooling

CNC Trimming

FAI (First Article Inspection) Quality Check

Lean Manufacturing Practices

Comparing the Results

SummaryUpgrading to a properly constructed tool with adequate temperature control was one of the largest changesto this project after it was received by Productive Plastics and there was a significant cost investment fromthe customer associated with this.

The benefits (see above) of this new and correctly designed tooling were a major factor in eliminating theproblems that were previously associated with the project and originally prompted the customer to seek usas a new vendor. This is not an uncommon occurrence in the thermoforming industry, where a vendor willpresent a customer with a quote for inadequate tooling construction either from a lack of knowledge or in anattempt to win business by offering a more appealing quote with a cheaper tooling cost.

Visit our website for more information on how Productive Plasticscan provide solutions for your next thermoforming project

VS

Existing Project - OldVendor

Working with ProductivePlastics

different toolconstructionmaterials, allwith differentthermalproperties

AluminumCasting with notemperaturecontrol.

Very large andunevenly spacedvacuum holesand no “Pinch”system tocontrol shrinkfrom effectingvacuum.

Poor tool layoutwhich reducedpart thicknessand strength

3% thinner and 25%less distributedthickness part withthe same startinggauge

Had inconsistentresults fordimensionallyquality in formingand in trimming.

Was more cost to the customerDue to the layout optimizationwith new tooling, the sheet sizewas reduced by

Material used in toolconstruction to avoiddifferent heatcharacteristics andmake recovery timepredictable.

Temperature controlledprecision designed aluminumcasting allows for fasterprocessing times and betterquality control

Vacuum system withsmaller and moreevenly spacedvacuum holes.Including moat andframe feature topinch materials andhold vacuumincreasingdimensionalconsistency andreducing defects

Layout optimizedto allow for thickerand more evenlydistributed partusing the samegauge thicknessfor higher qualityand strength

Has consistentresults from the toolwith forming andtrimming (Less thana 1% fall out rate)

Delivered a 3% thickerand 25% more evenlydistributed thickness partwith the same startinggauge

15% Reducing Costs