Heat treating in Gastonia, NC is a necessary commodity in the manufacturing industry, and finding ways to streamline this process to improve efficiency can have a direct effect on the bottom line. Here are a couple of small things that your business can do that will have a major impact in the long run.
Communicating with your vendor
The heat treating realm is vast, and acquainting yourself with the many different applications and techniques will provide you with opportunities to streamline the process from your end. If it is appropriate, a visit to potential heat treating vendors can help you better understand their processes and the capabilities of their facilities. If you know in advance how their treatments could potentially alter a piece’s dimensions, you can take this information back to your engineering team and craft a part that will mesh well with their processes and produce less scrap. This will also allow you to provide the vendor with a print that details the design and precise specifications that eliminate any uncertainty.
A visit to the vendor also gives you the opportunity to express what it is that you are looking for from a heat treater. While your team is learning more about them, the vendor will also be able to learn more about your business’ needs, enabling them to strategize about how they will meet them. This open communication will go a long way in ensuring that your parts will have fewer defects when you receive them. Both sides must also be aware of the other’s quality control process in order to promote a cooperative effort that meets needs and improves efficiency.
Details of your order
When it is time to send your parts to the heat treating facility, being as detailed as possible to express exactly what it is that you need done will only help to improve the turnaround and reduce the overall time that is needed to complete the entire process. After familiarizing yourself with your vendor’s processes, you will know which specific terminology to include in your order so that your pieces are treated to the correct specifications the first time. When you send your order, be sure to include the material type and how it is to be masked, the quantity needed after the final run, all part numbers and the corresponding print, along with any necessary revisions. If you have ordered from this vendor before, referencing a previous order can also be helpful for both the vendor and yourself.
Don’t shy away from adding any special notes to the order that you think need to be included for additional clarification. You can never be too specific, and all of the excess information will cut down on any misunderstandings, saving valuable time. This information also cuts down on the potential need for time-consuming rework due to ambiguity or miscommunication, which will allow you to get your parts back and in use in a timely fashion.
While the saying “time is money” might be overused, it couldn’t be more accurate. Finding ways to save time will help your business become more profitable, and streamlining the heat treating process is the perfect way to do this. To learn more about the process of heat treating in Gastonia, NC and how it can improve the efficiency of your parts and machines, call J.F. Heat Treating Inc. today!