An Inside Look at Lead Times
What happens after you place your order
As a custom manufacturer of high-quality products, we abide by AS9100 and ISO9001 standards of quality compliance, our products can’t be made at a speed that might risk poor product performance. We are a family-owned business and our customers are like family. We want you to succeed.
Rubber manufacturing is not an exact science, we do not use assembly lines to churn out clones of parts. Each and every order you place is reviewed in detail by our customer service, order entry and quality control departments. Once we have all the information needed to produce a fully functional and quality part, we order the correct amount rubber or plastic material. Our suppliers are carefully chosen, and we partner with those who consistently deliver material that performs well.
Many of the parts we create are for critical applications, and we take that seriously. We schedule all jobs to coincide with the arrival of material so there is very little down time once the material arrives. There is a deep wisdom needed in custom manufacturing, and with over 55 years of experience, we are so fortunate to have amazing employees and production leaders who have that wisdom. Our production team will never settle for mediocre.
New orders often take extra of time in set-up based upon the type of material, thickness, width, diameters, color and quantity. Even the environment will change the way a product runs. Gravity is always at play, and can cause the side walls of a thin extrusion to cave inward. We have developed methods to ensure the integrity of the most complex extruded or molded parts. Weather and environment will also affect how rubber and plastic materials behave. Extreme weather changes can soften or harden a material as it is processed and cured, so adjustments must be made – even on a repeat order. Luckily, our facilities in California and Nevada experience relatively mild temperature variances, allowing us to be more accurate and consistent.
We understand that production lead times can be frustrating when you need a part “yesterday”. We do ask for your patience and understanding of the custom manufacturing process. Our core belief is to never compromise quality to simply make parts faster. In the end, the “quick fix” manufacturing strategy always loses.
If you are in critical need of parts, and your lead time is going to cause major complications for your company, be sure to contact your support team to discuss options. Often we can accommodate expedited orders. Be sure to let us know exactly what your needs are.
Also, remember that the quoted lead time date is an estimation. We always do our best to meet it, but we simply can’t guarantee it due to the dynamic nature of manufacturing. We feel it is very important that our customers are always kept in the loop, and we want you to know exactly what to expect.
Our lead times do change from time to time depending on the capacity of both our material suppliers, and our own production teams. Be sure to check the lead time schedules for updates, and note the expected ship date that is added to your order confirmation. Most importantly, place orders early to avoid any potential issues.
Quality, solutions and products that perform take time. We will always choose quality over speed.