Lead Weight : Saving money by taking the weight out of the process
This lead weight is overmoulded with rubber. Our customer made savings in both administration and part price by using our expertise in sourcing parts. Reject rates were also dramatically reduced.
Original situation
Weights were purchased by our customer from the foundry and delivered free issue to us. We would over mould the entire batch and despatch to our customer. As both the quantity and quality varied, we had to put a lot of effort into making sure we delivered good quality parts on time.
We saw an opportunity to improve the process to benefit the customer
We proposed:
- Sourcing the lead weights from the far east,
- Us taking control of purchasing and stock control,
- Supplying in batches of 200 on kanban deliveries.
We would make a 3D model of the casting to ensure new tooling matched the existing injection moulding tool, which was in good condition.
Our customer agreed and now benefits from:
- Lower price, saving over $1.50 per part (tooling was paid for in just 4 months),
- Reduced stock holding at customer's premises,
- Less administration by buying the complete part from one source,
- Improved quality. As parts were being re-tooled, design improvements could be taken into account. Corner radii of the lead castings were reduced to remove sinking problem during injection moulding.
We addressed the risks associated with buying in the far east
We used a supplier whom we knew and trusted. As we could not be certain that either the lead weight or the injection moulding tool were to the original drawings, parts and tooling were measured. We could then 3D model the improved casting design knowing it would fit the existing mould. The distance involved if things go wrong was counteracted by the supplier not charging for tooling until parts are approved.