TQM stands for Total Quality Management. TQM is a culture in which everyone from high-level executives to level workers focuses on improving quality. Quality is EVERYONE’S job!
Questions often asked about injection molding and automation. As always, we are here to answer any other questions you have through the contact form or directly by phone.
What are the benefits of automation?
Automation’s biggest benefit is the consistency of process and results. Anything that needs to be done the same way for a long time, or has risk to it can benefit from automation. Sometimes a robot is considered for work that is dirty, dangerous, or dumb. We see robotic automation as a tool to get consistent processes to free up people for work that is more challenging or varying.
What are the steps of the quality assurance cycle?
Noble employs several measurements and verification systems. Parts might be confirmed by process monitoring, automatic camera validation, operator measurements, specialized testing apparatus, gages, and final release from the Quality Control team.
How do you determine costs?
The materials costs depend on whether your resin is a “commodity,” if your color is custom or “standard,” and packaging specifics.
Who builds what an engineer designs?
Noble uses a network of suppliers to achieve product design. Our team brings specialists in tooling, controls, packaging, and electronics together to provide complete solutions for our clients.
How do robotics become profitable?
Return on Investment calculations to support the use of robotics often consider only direct labor costs, but many more factors contribute to profitability for companies that employ automation. Reduced scrap or rework due to the repeatability of automation, reduced frequency of inspection required, less supervision required, increased uptime and throughput potential, and opportunities to combine manufacturing processes can all add to the profitability of a program.
What is the difference between invention and product design?
The term “invention” is usually reserved for some product or process that has not been proven or patented before. Product design can certainly be part of an invention. Design is the process that shapes an idea or concept and brings it to something that is visual or tangible. You really cannot invent something without some sort of design concept. They are terms that are not mutually independent.
What is the future of Product Management?
Managing the evolution of a product will always be needed. Some products come and go, but many must be adapted to current trends and technologies; that is where the product manager comes in. Their role is to understand the marketplace and where the product fits in and how it must be adapted to continue to be relevant.
About how long does an average design project take from beginning to end?
Part design can take anywhere from 1 day to several weeks. Complex assemblies with tight tolerances can undergo several rounds of design, prototyping, and testing. Once a design is complete, tooling can take another 8-16 weeks. For simple or small parts, options exist to create low-run or modular tooling in as little as 2 weeks.
What are ideal and minimum quantities for injection molding?
There is no universal rule for minimum quantities when considering injection molding. Generally, with tools costing at least $10,000 for the smallest and simplest parts, production volumes of a few dozen parts or even a few hundred parts can rarely carry a proportion of the capital cost of the molds. It is not uncommon for injection molds to cost between $50,000 and $500,000. In this range, it is expected that production volumes would be at 10,000 units and up.