Lesson 7 - Made in China
I will dedicate the last lesson in the series to production in China.
A little background
In the past two decades, mold manufacturing costs in China
were significantly lower than the costs in Israel.
Admittedly, following the trend of rising prices in China in recent years, the gaps have narrowed
But it is still cheaper to make molds in China compared to Israel and the western world.
Although making molds in China can be an economic opportunity,
We must not forget that working with China requires special expertise.
The Chinese market offers a huge variety of companies and suppliers,
that the quality of their work and degree of reliability are fundamentally different from each other.
Since the business culture in China is not at all similar to what we know in the Western world,
Those who do not know the market will find it very difficult to distinguish between a reliable and professional supplier and one that is not.
Tip #7:
When a Chinese vendor tells you yes, don't take it for granted.
He may not want to offend you.
Or he agrees to give you a discount on the price,
But he doesn't tell you that he will lower the quality of the product accordingly.
Mold making in China
Working with China is suitable and worthwhile for experienced companies,
that produce a large amount of molds,
and that we have already built a long-term relationship with the manufacturers in China.
Working in this market requires a thorough understanding of mold making,
and the ability to define to the Chinese manufacturer what the requirements are from the template,
And it is especially important to know how to supervise production and quality.
You should also be careful not to be tempted by an option that is too cheap,
Because the price differences mainly express quality differences.
Tip #8:
If you have no prior knowledge of working with China,
You should not work directly with suppliers in this market,
Especially if it is your first plastic injection project.
Beyond the limitations set by the Chinese market,
There are cases in which it is more correct to make molds in Israel.
For example in projects that need to be carried out
Final adjustments in the molds after the production of first models,
or when schedules are critical.
Personal story: About 15 years ago we started making molds in China,
The first projects we did were a resounding failure.
The templates we received were very problematic,
And we had to invest a lot of money in them so that we could work with them.
We have learned from the mistakes of the past.
And later we built a production system that includes reliable and stable suppliers,
and our supervision system in China.
The quality of the templates we received has improved dramatically.
Manufacturing products in China
I will finish with a few words about manufacturing products in China.
It is commonly thought that manufacturing in China is always cheaper than manufacturing in Israel.
This is only true in some cases.
When it comes to products that include manual subwork,
such as assembling, painting, inserting stiffeners, semi-automatic work, etc.,
The production costs in China are significantly cheaper than the costs in Israel.
However, when it comes to the production of products without complementary works,
The costs are actually very similar,
Especially when you take into account the costs of supervision and logistics.
Therefore, the economic viability of manufacturing in China must be examined for each project individually.
In conclusion, working with China pays off,
But it is important to do it wisely.
We have reached the end of the series
I thank you for participating and hope that I helped you become friends with the field of plastics.
Before we part, I want to tell you a few words about Plastumold
and offer you a special offer for participants in the introductory series.
Plastomold is a company for the development and production of molds for plastic injection.
We specialize in the fields of technology and medical equipment -
Industries that are characterized by very complex engineering products,
They require precise and high-quality templates.
Our team brings with it cumulative experience of decades in the field of plastics,
and expertise in working with clients,
Starting with consulting from the idea development stage, through the construction of an experimental template
and up to the production of molds for long permanent series.
We provide close professional support to our clients at all stages of the project
and commit to a flexible and fast process,
And this without compromising the quality of the finished product.
Plastomold has a sophisticated laboratory with equipment for building molds,
3D printers,
Injection machines for the production of plastic products in small and medium series
and a modern clean room for the production, assembly and additional processing of medical equipment.
If you have an idea for a product, I invite you to a (free) introductory meeting with us.
If you have already started making molds or plastic products
And you have a feeling that something is not working properly.
I invite you to come to us for a consultation where we will go over the template and the product with you,
We will diagnose the problems and provide practical solutions for improvement.
The cost of the consultation meeting for the participants of the introductory series is 400 NIS (instead of 800 NIS).
Good luck in the future!
Boaz