Unnecessary costs are created anytime the product designer
creates what the manufacturer can’t efficiently build.
-
Xten’s engineering professionals have decades of experience across
multitudes of industries and components solving this issue. -
Valuable expertise is available, often at no additional cost, on every
qualifying project.
Production-efficient design is the source of the first benefits of Multifacturing: lower product costs, improved product reliability and a shorter to-market time frame.
At the start of each new molding project, Xten’s engineers conduct a Production Efficiency Analysis, focused on finding ways to use the least amount of material and the shortest possible cycles times while ensuring all product performance parameters are met. Achieving such stringent objectives often requires several complementary studies:
- A Metals-to-Plastics Conversion Study
to determine the extent to which the use of various plastics alternatives can reduce product cost, and speed production times with no loss in product performance and/or reliability. - Finite Materials Analysis to validate the stability of a design, identify potential areas of failure or indicate when changes that would generate cost savings could be made.
- Resin Specification to improve product performance,
reliability and cosmetics while lowering raw
material costs and shortening machine cycle times. - Lean Process Design of both molding and fabrication
activities to ensure all identified cost savings opportunities are fully realized.
Engineering efforts are supported
by a suite of technology resources:
- SolidWorks solid modeling software
- CAD computer aided drafting software for 2D applications
- Mold Flow Analysis
- Production of Accurate Prototypes.
- Proprietary Project Management Software
When product designs are finalized, Xten’s domestic and offshore tooling partners, as well as in-house tooling maintenance expertise, helps preserve the identified savings.
Benefits of an Xten Production Efficiency Analysis aren’t confined to just the press department. Whenever fabrication is involved, positive financial gains multiply as assembly procedures are simplified, minimized and cost reduced using LEAN expertise.
The end results are plastic parts that often replace several metal components while themselves using less resin, critical in this time of escalating oil prices. Fewer pieces and parts translate to lower costs to assemble the final components and/or whole goods.
