Q: Does Plantmetal offer design services for new production concepts?
A: Yes, Plantmetal provides comprehensive prototyping and engineering support for new product designs in the early stages of development, with the goal of scaling up to high-volume production. Our Prototype Department excels in experimenting with product forms and simulating the manufacturing process. Our seasoned engineers collaborate closely with clients to translate part design ideas into effective tooling and feasible manufacturing solutions.
Q: What materials can parts be produced from?
A: Plantmetal specializes in producing parts from a wide range of materials, including copper-based alloys, precious metals, and ferrous metals. We work with copper, brass, phosphor bronze, beryllium copper, steel, stainless steel, carbon steel, aluminum, galvanized steel, titanium, platinum, Inconel, Hastelloy, and other metals as requested. Additionally, we offer parts made with selective plated metals to meet specific project needs.
Q: What quality controls does Plantmetal have in place to ensure 100% quality on every production program?
A: Plantmetal employs a rigorous quality control system that integrates advanced technologies to ensure flawless production. We use in-die sensors and electronics to conduct real-time quality inspections during the manufacturing process. Our quality control is further reinforced by in-line and off-line vision systems that inspect final parts. Our Quality Lab and Safe Launch Team carry out in-process inspections, capability studies, and thorough testing before any job proceeds to full-scale production.
Q: Can stampings be produced with surface coatings?
A: Yes, we offer a variety of surface coating options, including epoxy powder coating, nylon powder coating, PVC powder coating, polyethylene powder coating, polyurethane powder coating, polyester powder coating, vinyl powder coating, and vinyl plastisol liquid coating.
Q: Where are Plantmetal's customers located?
A: Plantmetal serves a global clientele, partnering with manufacturers on every continent. We currently ship products to over 28 countries worldwide.
Q: What industries does Plantmetal serve?
A: Plantmetal serves a broad spectrum of industries, including automotive, aerospace, appliances, electric vehicles, electrical, electronics, insert and injection molding, lighting, military and defense, solar, structural building components, telecom, and other sectors that require high-volume, precision-stamped electrical and non-electrical parts.
Q: What types of parts does Plantmetal produce?
A: Plantmetal specializes in producing both electrical connectors and non-electrical components. Our expertise includes brackets, busbars, electronic shielding components, lead frames, press-fit pins, terminals, and wire and cable connectors.
Q: Can stampings be produced with plating finishes?
A: Yes, we offer a wide range of plating finishes, including copper, nickel, tin-lead, tin, palladium, palladium-nickel, silver, gold, and zinc.
Q: Can stampings be produced with hardware?
A: Yes, our stampings can be assembled with various hardware components, such as screw machine parts, PEM nuts, bushings, studs, fasteners, and more. We can also assemble plastic parts and metal inserts with metal stampings to meet specific project requirements.
Q: What are the typical production volumes Plantmetal runs for a program?
A: Plantmetal typically handles high-volume production programs, with annual volumes ranging from 50,000 parts to millions of parts. These production runs usually span 6 to 8 weeks. While our focus is on multi-million part programs, we also accommodate lower volumes for projects in their early development stages, with the capacity to scale up as needed.