Manufacturing, Which Of These Three Processes Are Right For You

Converting raw materials into marketable and sellable products is the heart of many businesses across the world. While the concept behind an idea is all down to the business owner and their team, making that idea a reality often relies on the ability to manufacture it effectively.

Of course, most businesses don’t have a dedicated manufacturing facility joined to their offices – or anywhere in the country for that matter. Most companies choose to outsource their manufacturing to highly specialized manufacturing companies, to ensure that their products are created to an exceptionally high standard.

While it’s all well and good choosing a manufacturing plant, what a lot of businesses struggle with is deciding which manufacturing process is right for them. While the manufacturing company that you are working with can advise you, it’s worthwhile taking the time to get to grips with the different processes available and which could be the best fit for your business and product that needs making.

Want to know what these processes are? Then read on for a guide to the three more commonly used manufacturing processes.

1. Laser cutting

Laser manufacturing is becoming increasingly popular, due to the specialist processes available. Laser specialists like LaserLight.com, for instance, are able to offer a wide range of lasering services that have been designed to perfectly meet the needs of various businesses in a range of industries. How it works is simple: the laser beam is focused to the right size and directed onto the material, which it can then be set to melt, burn, vaporize, or engrave, creating the desired shape and finish. Laser cutters can be used to cut flat-sheet materials, as well as on 3D structures, such as piping.

2. 3D Printing

Within the manufacturing industry, 3D printing is becoming increasingly common. 3D printing is popular because it’s a form of fully automated manufacturing where an image is put into a computer, along with the specifications for it, and then the computer prints a 3D version of this image. How these printers work is by turning a whole object into thousands of tiny slices, building the object from the bottom up, slice by tiny slice. These slices stick together and form the finished object. 3D printers are able to create extremely complex structures, including moving parts like hinges.

3. Molding

Molding, also known as injection molding, is a basic manufacturing process where plastic (or another material) is melted into the injection molding machine and then injected into a mold under a high pressure. Then, the material is cooled, allowed to solidify, and is then released from the mold. This is how all manner of items are created, from toys for children to car parts.

When it comes to choosing a manufacturing process for your company’s product, there is a lot to consider. You need to not only think about which manufacturing process is best for the product and will offer the highest quality results, but also about the cost of the manufacturing process, because in business good financial management is key.