The Case for Building a Relationship with a Precision Machine Shop
Do you have a go-to precision machining partner you can rely on and trust?
If your manufacturing needs are minimal (i.e., buying single parts occasionally), building a relationship with a qualified precision machine shop probably isn’t a priority—or even a necessity.
But if you need custom, complex parts made on a consistent basis, one of the best things you can do is develop a solid relationship with your manufacturer.
5 Ways You’ll Benefit from Having a Trusted Shop in Your Corner
There will come a time when you face a significant manufacturing challenge. Having a trusted shop in your corner means you’ll have a team to help you overcome that challenge. A precision machine shop will be more willing to use their resources to help you when a mutually beneficial partnership has already been established.
Here are some scenarios in which you’ll be grateful to have a strong relationship with a shop:
1. You need a part rushed
It’s challenging to change a production schedule in a way that’s fair to all customers. But a shop will be more open to accommodating a rush request when they know and trust the customer. In any business, customers who help keep the lights on take priority.
2. You make an error
At some point, you’re likely to make an error: providing the wrong revision, having a mismatched drawing and model, noting an incorrect tolerance. You want a shop that has your back and is willing to help you fix errors quickly and effectively.
3. You want to rest easy
No one wants to micromanage their vendors. A reliable contract manufacturer will manage themselves and let you know if any questions or concerns arise. You can rest easy knowing that your shop has things under control—and if a problem arises, they’ll get straight to work on a solution.
4. You need pricing you can trust
When you work with the same shop consistently, you’ll come to trust their pricing. Manufacturing costs are complex, and the lowest price won’t always get you functional, high-quality parts. You want a shop that will save you money wherever possible, but you also want a shop that will be honest enough to quote you for what it takes to get your job done right.
As a bonus: you can ask your trusted shop for a time and materials contract instead of a traditional quote to optimize cost and lead time for certain projects.
5. You want design input
A shop you've built a relationship with will be happy to provide Design for Manufacturing (DFM) tips and best practices to help you improve part functionality and get your parts made as economically as possible. The more they understand your work, the better they’ll be able to advise you. And the more you know their work, the more trust you can place in their manufacturing guidance.
Building a Legacy of Trust
Want an example of the kind of relationships we're talking about?
One of our customers lost a production line that required a specialized lead screw nut with very different threads and features. The OEM part was unavailable, so we built a custom fixture to accommodate it and made the 5” diameter nut with all the custom features in a matter of days. (It could have taken months otherwise!) We were happy to leverage our engineering, design, and machining expertise to help this customer, ultimately saving them substantial production dollars.
A good manufacturing relationship is a two-way street. If you’re ready to build a partnership rooted in trust and respect, request a quote from Arbiser Machine today!