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3 ways to secure your supply chain

When the economic backdrop is challenging, taking steps to secure your supply chain is one way to feel more in control. Technical Sales Manager Edward Moss shares three top tips for sourcing CNC machined parts. 

2021 - A Year in Review

2021 has marked a year of change at Penta. From new employees to new locations, our focus for the year has been the same as ever – providing an exemplary service for customers.

How to beat the material price rises

Engineering raw material prices have rocketed and it’s causing chaos.

Uncertainty over availability means it’s difficult to get quotes for materials, and difficult to get quotes for manufacturing. The timeframe in which a quote remains valid is shortening significantly. We’re feeling the effects, and we know our customers are too.

5 Ways to Cut Costs When Designing an Electronic Enclosure

Designing an electronic enclosure isn’t always straightforward, and keeping costs down can be crucial for making the end product financially viable. From material choice to surface finish, there are decisions made across the whole manufacturing process where you may be adding unnecessary costs. 

Are Badly Specified Engineering Tolerances Pushing Up Your Costs?

It can be a tricky balancing act to specify components in industries where there is a need for volume but also for safety, competition is high, or the market is commoditised. Designers and product development teams facing these challenges understand that tolerances must be detailed. And the datum must be precise. If they get any of this wrong, they risk compromising the product’s fit, form and function.

Specifying The Right Aluminium Grade And Plastic Type For Medical Devices

You love the brushed aluminium finish on your top-of-the-range designer laptop. And you want the same finish for the high-end medical device you’re specifying.

But this may not be as easy as you think. The aluminium grade you want may not be readily available. Or the finishing may require special techniques.

Has Pre-Production Exposed Your Prototype's Hidden Problems?

Prototypes are not as easy as you might imagine. You probably had to do a bit of filing and fettling to get your prototype to work. Perhaps a few tweaks to ensure a perfect geometric fit.

But did you update your drawings to reflect those changes? If not, your poor machining company may have been working from outdated and inaccurate drawings.

Our experienced engineers get lots of calls and emails from medical device/component manufacturers who are in this situation. They need help to fix the problem (along with other issues they haven’t discovered yet).

Who's At Fault? Your CNC Machining Supplier Or Your Drawings?

You’re having difficulties with a precision component for a critical medical device. The part won’t fit the assembly. Or the finish isn’t right. Or the quality/consistency is hit and miss. Or any number of other issues.

But your existing supplier – who perhaps has been reliable up until now – is pushing back: they did “exactly as instructed”, they protest. They followed your drawings/CAD models “to the letter”.

So what went wrong? And how can it be fixed quickly and cost-effectively? You want a second opinion – is the issue with the supplier, the drawings or both?

Why Are My Existing CNC Machining Suppliers Less Helpful Now?

Are your machining suppliers fine when it comes to 3D printing or basic prototype work…but less good when production ramps up? Does their quality suffer when the pressure is on?

Or do they do a great job when it come to the initial prototype…but then fail to take into account special requirements that come to light during pre-production and initial production runs? 

Quality and consistency issues can make some suppliers very defensive – and therefore painful to deal with.

3 Vital Questions To Ask Your Medical Machining Suppliers

Procuring subcontract precision engineering for medical device components can be a minefield. Sourcing the right fit for your supply chain is far from easy because of the sheer number of players out there.

Many claim to be specialists in their own particular sphere of CNC machining (while still taking on plenty of non-core work). And you will know from experience that some precision engineers are more precise than others.

How To Shortlist Your New CNC Machining Suppliers

You’re not happy with your existing CNC machining suppliers. You’re seeing warning signs relating to quality, SLA breaches and late deliveries. That’s never good – particularly for critical sectors such as medical or aerospace.

Four More Reasons To Change Your CNC Machining Suppliers

Quality issues and inconsistency…failure to meet SLAs…wrong skill set…late deliveries. These are four of the biggest issues involving suppliers. They make procuring CNC machining challenging and stressful. They waste time and money.

But they’re not the only reasons to change supplier. Here are four more…