Public Press Release
How Businesses Can Save Thousands By Sourcing Local Products Rather Than Made in Asia
Brisbane, 20 November 2008. In recent years many businesses went off-shore to have their new product or invention taken from concept to manufacturing, as a way to cut costs. With the crash of the Australian dollar affecting imports and the increase in local know-how, smart businesses are taking a fresh look at local suppliers as a way of cutting costs.
One industry that particularly has seen this trend is tool making and plastic injection moulding. When business inventors come up with a new idea for a product, they need to take their concept from an idea through to prototype, tool manufacturing and then finally product manufacturing.
This is a complicated and time consuming process that needs a high level of skill to ensure the finished product meets end customers' needs. Inventors need to be able to communicate with their tool making and plastic injection moulding company to discuss options for effective manufacture as well as create design modifications for the best outcomes.
What the tool making industry is seeing is a resurgence of businesses looking at innovative Australian suppliers to meet their needs. Royston Kent from B&C Plastics is a typical case of the fresh approach of innovative local suppliers.
"Tool makers used to adopt a piecemeal process – with customers having to source different people to do different parts of the process. This meant having the job done in Australia was expensive and involved a lot of hassle. We work differently. We work with businesses right from the light bulb moment of inspiration, through the design and prototyping phase, into the dies and moulds phases, until the product is manufactured – that way they can get the most effective results."
"We have had a number of high profile companies come to us to help them take their concept through prototype and patenting into manufacture. We work closely with their research and development departments as they go through the full process of a new product development, helping them create plastics solutions that get results both for them and the consumer".
We Australians are an inventive bunch, and some of the projects we have been involved with like our Electronic, Marine and construction industry clients, have been very exciting in terms of the potential to change their way industries work. As they are still going through the patent process, we can't yet talk about the details – but they are mind-blowing!" said Royston.
"Our clients tell us that they really value the service and advice we provide to them. There are no communications hassles, our quality is up there with the best in the world and we have a guaranteed price point that isn't affected by Australian Dollar fluctuations. Our clients are finding they are getting better value by staying in Australia than they are by going offshore."
"One of the reasons for our great value for money is that B&C Plastics have invested heavily in new machinery to keep pace with technology. For example we recently commissioned our 5 axis CNC machining centre. What this means is complex designs and prototypes can be machined in the same set up, increasing production rates. It also means more accurate designs with less errors – which means cost savings to our customers".
"With machining centre spindle speeds up to 30,000 rpm, we can achieve a much better surface finish on their tooling, which means less polishing and as a result our labour costs are reduced".
"That isn't to say our labour costs are negligible. I'd say our toolmakers and manufacturing experts are in the top 1% of skill levels within our industry. We hire the best and pay them accordingly – it means our clients get the benefit of exceptional skill and expertise, which can mean less reworking of designs because they bring their expertise to each project."
"We visit the overseas markets a few times a year to keep pace with the latest innovations within the industry, such as biodegradable plastics. We believe our clients shouldn't have to go overseas to get the latest technology at the best value".
If you would like more information or photos about this topic or to schedule Royston Kent for an interview, please contact Royston on 07 3208 0555.
