Maximizing Efficiency with Custom Manufacturing Solutions

Whether you’re prototyping a product before pursuing a patent or looking for a more fine-tuned manufacturing process, you might be considering custom manufacturing. In custom manufacturing, a factory produces items with highly particular specifications using unique processes — the result is a one-of-a-kind product. 

Companies often employ custom manufacturing for prototyping, to create small runs of products, to produce one-time batches, or to meet highly specific product needs. But these goals are somewhat antithetical to typical manufacturing which aims to produce high quantities of items in a streamlined, efficient fashion. 

So, how can companies achieve peak efficiency while leveraging custom manufacturing solutions? Check out our tips for optimizing your cost and time investments during the custom manufacturing process.

Finalizing product specifications before manufacturing starts

Producing a product correctly on your first order is the ultimate goal in manufacturing — custom manufacturing is no exception. 

Before you place your first custom order, do everything you can to ensure that the design and specifications are highly detailed and accurate. Submitting a perfect set of blueprints, specifications, and tolerances to the manufacturer will help them create the exact product you’re looking for. 

When you get the design right the first time, you can save:

• Time – Custom manufacturing typically takes more time than traditional manufacturing. It’s more hands-on, requires more factory and client oversight, and employs highly specific processes that are more time-consuming than typical methods. 

• Money – Custom manufacturing can be more expensive than traditional approaches, and each attempt at producing items correctly will eat into your project budget.

• Materials – Custom manufacturing often uses highly specialized materials, which may fetch a higher price than more common materials. Reducing waste can help you maintain your bottom line. 

Getting your order right on the first try is an ambitious goal, but it’s certainly one to strive for in the name of efficiency.

Liaise with your manufacturing partner during the design process

To ensure that you order the perfect product the first time, communicate as much — and as early in the design process — as possible with your custom manufacturing partner. 

Frequent liaising during the design process will help you:

1. Design something that’s feasible to build – To ensure that it’s even possible to make the product you envision, talk to your manufacturing partner to establish feasibility. No matter how detailed and descriptive your blueprints and specifications are, your design has to be buildable. 

2. Set realistic standards – Your custom manufacturing partner will be most qualified to comment on how your end product will look, feel, and perform. Learning as much as you can from your manufacturing team will help you set realistic expectations for your project that will inform your design decisions. 

Optimize materials selection

While liaising with your manufacturing partner, ask them for input on your materials selection. Be sure to communicate your goals and tolerances regarding:

• Aesthetics (look and feel)

• Durability under specific use conditions

• Longevity

• Unit price

• Future availability

Your manufacturing partner will be the most qualified to provide materials options that help you meet your goals — they might even provide multiple options. Choosing the right materials as early in the process as possible will help you refine your design, finalize your budget, and lay the foundation for a successful prototype (or complete run) ahead of schedule.

Choose an efficient manufacturing method

Your manufacturing partner can also help you choose the most efficient manufacturing method for your product. You’ll likely have a few process options, including:

• Casting

• Hot forging

• Cold forging

• Stamping

• Machining

Some methods are most compatible with specific materials, and you can tweak your method(s) depending on your materials selection to optimize your production time. 

But understanding which method your custom manufacturer will use can also help you design a feasible product — designing your item around the approach your manufacturer will use to make it will help you help them. 

Confirm standards before placing an order

Once your design is complete, you’ve chosen your materials, and you have an idea of which method(s) your manufacturing partner will use to produce your item, it’s time to confirm every aspect of your order with your partner. 

While you should confirm the design and specification details, remember to review your:

• Print requirements

• Dimensional requirements

• Tolerance ranges

• Tooling standards

Confirming these details will help your manufacturing partner produce your ideal product the first time. 

But don’t forget about the critical processes that you and your manufacturer will perform once your item leaves the line:

1. Quality inspection processes – What will you and your partner be looking for in the finished product? Communicate your inspection metrics and expectations before placing your order, and ask about your manufacturer’s inspection standards.

2. Final product testing – Will your manufacturer test the product in-house before shipping it to your warehouse? If not, establish a testing and feedback procedure in case your manufacturer needs to make adjustments after the first run.

Once you’ve confirmed every last detail of your item, place your order. But, in the interest of cost and material efficiency, consider ordering a prototype before you commit to a full run if your schedule allows. This will give you and your partner an opportunity to see, assess, and test your product before investing in a larger run, reducing your financial risk. 

Partner with a manufacturing expert

You may have experience partnering with traditional manufacturing operations to produce large, highly efficient runs. But when it comes to custom manufacturing, recruiting expert support can make a positive impact on your design, ordering, and testing processes. 

Consider partnering with a custom manufacturing expert with:

• Relationships with multiple factories and operations

• Expert product development engineers on staff

• Factory liaisons who can oversee production on the ground

• Quality control technicians and experts who can support your oversight and testing processes

An end-to-end partner is an invaluable resource during the custom manufacturing process, especially for companies new to the custom world. Their market experience, design expertise, and quality control processes can all support a positive outcome for your next project.