Self-Mating Parts: How One Part Can Replace Two
One of the simplest ways to reduce tooling cost is often overlooked during product development: Instead of designing two mating parts, design one part that mates with itself. This concept is known as a self-mating part. When a part is rotated, flipped, or mirrored and can successfully assemble with an identical copy of itself, manufacturers […]
The Most Expensive Feature in a Plastic Part Is Often the Assembly
When engineers evaluate manufacturing costs, the discussion often focuses on molding. Questions typically include: These are important questions. However, they often overlook a much larger cost driver. For many products, the most expensive operation does not occur during molding. It occurs after molding. Assembly labor, secondary operations, fastener installation, adhesive application, quality checks, and handling […]