PrintWe’re witnessing a paradigm shift in global manufacturing. Unprecedented demand for tool transfers into the USA manufacturing sector is top of mind for R&D engineers, technical sourcing leads, and supplier engineers. With that, micro mold tool transfers are a major consideration.
USA Micro Mold Tool Transfer
Our in-house DfMM (Design for Micro Molding) teams and tooling teams will tell you a tool transfer rarely involve actually moving the tool to a new facility and often involves creating a new tool to match old specifications. It requires savvy engineers to pull this off quickly—something they have decades of experience doing for the world’s biggest OEMs.
R&D engineers, technical sourcing leads, and supplier engineer questions often focus on capacity, floor space, current employee headcount, and available onsite capabilities. There’s also interest in vertical integration, the ability to service a global presence and focus on how suppliers and manufacturing partners will immediately meet rapidly increasing demand. Engineers and technical sourcing teams want immediate micro mold tool transfers and immediate production without hiccups.
Tool transfer program challenges
One challenge in tool transfer programs will be engineering teams no longer having access to 3D models of the parts. This can be a result of IP issues or possibly acquisitions in years past, where the original files were simply lost. CT scans can fall short of the detail needed in precision micro molding, especially when micron tolerances are a consideration.
These conversations started taking place as Covid’s grip lessened, but ongoing supply chain concerns and civil unrest are responsible for an increased sense of urgency. Many high-tech suppliers in the USA are seeking closer-to-home solutions in North America.
US Manufacturing Shift
Historically, it has been more expensive to produce parts in the USA, but today domestic pricing is competitive when supply chain costs and a lack of capabilities are factored in. This is driving interest in micro mold tool transfers.
Globally this change will be a bit messy at first. Not everyone has the same experience as Accumold. Transferring a large number of projects from one supplier to another can be chaotic for OEMs, but the impact over the next few years will be substantial.
The impact on global manufacturing and USA manufacturing will be notable. Qualified suppliers in the USA and Europe will see a boon if even a portion of what is being requested lands. This is great news for Accumold the USA and our European partners.
