On a very fine day in the month of June, we planned an industrial visit to meet one of our suppliers outside of China. The story was different today as we choose India, the place to be visited to see their technological advancement. The GDP growth of India is increasing by industrial development, emerging it as a faster-growing economy. We traveled alongside the industrial areas seeing their raw beauty of nature. Industrial visits play a major role in building a relationship between two firms. This visit gave us great exposure to learn about Indian markets. It was eye-catching to see Indian plastic manufacturer making their custom pos displays.
Plastic products are one of the most advanced and adaptable engineering products known to society.
Recent advancements in the field of material science and technology had helped in the improvement of custom pos displays.
For successful business operations, organizations always rely on their suppliers and their competitive advantage over rival vendors.
Production planning board
Production capacity of the manufacturer should always exceed the order quantity given by the customer. This is to ensure that Indian plastic manufacturer can process their custom pos display within the given date and time.
Suppliers with lower manufacturing capacity might outsource their production to sub-suppliers. Though production is increased, there might be a delay in shipping and misunderstanding regarding the product quality requirements. A good factory should plan and prepare well for all the disruptions. They should take into consideration labor shortages and equipment failures. We validated the claim of an Indian plastic manufacturer by seeing the visual board on daily production plans. This revealed their true capacity and ability to track and manage orders.
Manufacturing process
CNC Cutting Operation
This industry uses computer numerical control(CNC) for cutting their wood, plastic, glass, foam and other composite reinforced fibers. Computer controls and machine tools are used to remove the layers from the workpiece. Thus the use of CNC benefits the Indian plastic manufacturer with a large production of high precision and accuracy parts. The cost is considerably reduced with high volume production runs.
We had a good look at how they design their CAD model, conversion of CAD to CNC program, and execution of CNC machine. It was a delight to watch how multi-point drills were used to produce cylindrical holes in the workplace (drilling). The process such as milling and turning were carried out with the help of rotating multi-point and single-point cutting tools.
They work on all sorts of profile cutting, drilling, engraving, and routing to give their custom pos displays a distinct appearance.
Machinery and Process
AXYZ 4010 includes a number of both standard and optimal production tool enhancements. In addition, it performs the operation in 3 axes for exact material alignment and more precise cutting. The machine operates at a feed rate of 8000 mm/min and 24000rpm. They used different kinds of carbide, end mill, engraving, and ball nose bits for effective operations.
With the help of the above machinery, an Indian plastic manufacturer can ensure that their customer’s requirements are met.
3D Machining Operation
We could see 3D tool paths were used to their machine parts that are more free-form. They may or may not have perfect vertical or horizontal surfaces. They move dynamically in three directions (X, Y, Z) and stay perpendicular to the machine bed.
To get the best custom plastic products, the Indian plastic manufacturer performs all the combination of parallel, waterline, and pencil finishing. 3D printing is carried by building three-dimensional parts in layers from CAD data. Here, the design directly goes through a computer and printer to get the final physical product.
Thermoforming and Line Bending Operations
The process of heating and shaping the molten material to the shape of the mold is known as thermoforming. They vary in complexity from manual to highly automated operations.
Acrylic is the most used material in plastic fabrication products. The cell cast acrylic has higher molecular weight and beat heat strength when compared to extruded acrylic. Because of its higher melt strength and elastic memory, difficulties are often found in forming operations. Whereas extruded acrylic has a low molecular weight and can be easily formed with detail. It is more sensitive to differentiated heating.
Line bending is a process where a sheet of plastic is bent along a narrowly defined line. The part of the bend needed in the plastic fabricated product is placed over the line bender. It is placed in the exact position and heated.
Heating depends on the type and thickness of the material. After exact heat is applied, the material can be bent with the slightest of pressure. A right angle is set and the whole custom pos display parts are transferred to a jig and allowed to cool. The Indian plastic manufacturer ensures their bends would be seamless and perfect.
Indian Plastic Manufacturer
Vacuum Forming Operations
Vacuum forming is a thermoforming process where a sheet of plastic is heated to a forming temperature. It is stretched to a mold surface and then forced against the mold by a vacuum. This process is very much useful to form plastic to permanent objects such as masks, cups, mold patterns, and other custom pos displays.
Surface Processing Operations
It includes cleaning the surface of the custom pos display to remove the dirt, oil, and other contaminants. A burr is a raised edge or small piece of material that remains attached to the workpiece after the manufacturing process. Removing the unwanted piece of material is called deburring. Deburring tools and sandpapers were used to smoothen the ridges and chatter marks. With the help of these, a perfect pos display is yielded after the manufacturing process.
Working Condition and Instructions
Indian plastic manufacturers working conditions can be estimated by their social compliance audit. We ensured the working environment was safe with a few basic checks. We found workers are wearing protective gear to prevent themselves from injuries. Proper ventilation facilities were provided in the workshop. Detailed work instructions are given to the employees to provide maximum safety as well as to raise product quality.
Work instructions were straight forward and clearly outlined the process of workers at a particular course of time.
Warehouse and Material Inventory
We checked the Indian plastic manufacturer’s warehouse and storage areas for raw materials and finished goods. It was necessary if not improper storage conditions can cause issues both during and after production.
Quality related issues can be found in finished products if degraded raw materials were used in mass production. This will end up in replacement and re-work. Indian plastic manufacturers had proper storage for finished goods to preserve their product quality.
They had records for incoming materials with a date they received. Warehouses were cleaned periodically. Actions were taken by the Indian plastic manufacturer as materials degrade if stored for a longer period in improper condition.
Maintenance and Quality Control
Tools and machines are re-calibrated and maintained periodically. Additionally, Indian plastic manufacturer invested more in maintaining their equipment and machinery. Because improper maintenance may lead to product defects and inconsistent production runs.
Indian plastic manufacturer labeled their equipment with maintenance information. They logged it in organized records including a note of who did the inspection and inspection date.
To Conclude…
Importers based overseas should wait for the manufacturer to ship their produced sample, then review it and provide necessary feedback to the factory. This is a time taking process. Here, the product sample was reviewed on-site which speeded up the quality check process. We concluded the quality management of Indian plastic manufacturer as effective by the evaluation of design control, purchasing power, and production control in compliance with ISO standards.
At ODM, we not only specialize in brand packaging design and manufacturing of high-quality products, but we also help evaluate factories through factory visits and SEDEX audits. We also work closely with our suppliers and designers. Our professionals have vast knowledge in creative designs and offer reliable products at budget-friendly costs. This will help to boosts your business to greater heights. We also have an in-house design team, Mindsparkz, that can help with innovative branded promotional products and promotional product designs for your business.
What was the reason for the Indian factory visit?
Maintaining a close relationship with our suppliers outside is very much needed for the organisation's success. We wanted to ensure their production capacity, product quality and types of operations carried out within the factory unit. Learning the culture and customs of people also seemed important.
Why plastics are widely used?
Plastics play a major role because of their lightweight, durability, low density, stiffness, convenience, flexibility, and strength to weight ratio characteristics. They can be easily molded to any shapes.
What is CNC Machining? What are the types of process employed?
CNC machining is a manufacturing process in which computerized numerical data controls and monitors the movement of the machine. It includes various sets of operations such as milling, lathe, route, welding, grinding, sheet metal stamping, etc.
What are the other operations carried out inside the factory?
Indian plastic manufacturers perform all sorts of 3D machining, thermoforming, line bending, vacuum forming, and surface finish operations
What makes ware house and material inventory important?
Storage areas for raw materials and finished goods should be clean and hygienic. Improper storage conditions can lead to several quality-related issues. It is important to preserve the quality or else will end up in rework and replacement.
What are the activities a good production board should look into?
A good factory should plan and prepare well for all the disruptions. They should take consideration of labor shortages and equipment failures. Resources should be properly utilized. Manufacturers should make sure that they can achieve customer requirements at a given time rather than fake promises. Proper maintenance and quality control process should be carried out.
Why ODM?
We ensure quality products are delivered at your doorsteps. We help our clients by giving the best possible solution for their marketing strategy. We specialize in promotional products and also evaluate factories through our factory visits and SEDEX audits.
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