Solving Supply Chain Woes
When you Need things done Right…Do it Yourself
For decades, manufacturers outsourced production to reduce cost. Lower cost from global suppliers are good when the system works. When the global supply chain cracked, we all paid the price, including extensive delays, lack of availability, shipping backlogs, skyrocketing costs, lost business and compromised quality.
Manufacturers need low cost, reliability and quality. They cannot compromise for two out of three. This means revisiting the outsourcing strategy, so as Napoleon Bonaparte said “when you want something done, do it yourself.”
Of course, for manufacturers to reverse their outsourcing and re-shore or on-shore their work, they must be able to produce in-house at low cost. Fortunately, advances in manufacturing technology, including automation, robotics and CNC technology are driving new levels of efficiency, even at low production volumes.
Waterjet manufacturing technology is a prime example. Manufacturers love waterjet cutting because it can precisely fabricate parts out of any material, safely and with repeatable precision. Unfortunately, though, waterjets have been cost-prohibitive, which is why waterjet work was mostly outsourced or sent offshore.
Now, however, waterjets are affordable and easy for any manufacturer to upgrade their factory. The new WAZER waterjet has a small footprint, a price tag 1/10 of the typical cost, and can be operated by any worker. An industrial-caliber machine, it can cut parts out of any material, from steel to stone, glass, plastic, carbon fiber and more.
With this machine, manufacturers can now afford in-source their operations. They can now produce prototypes, finished parts, tooling and fixtures, at far lower cost and quicker than they could have done before. With more modern CNC equipment, these manufacturers can keep the work in-house, and control the supply chain themselves.
Here are some manufacturers that addressed their supply chain challenges by producing products internally using the affordable industrial-caliber WAZER waterjet.
Howe Industries
The exacting world of spacecraft propulsion requires Howe industries to prototype repeatedly – sometimes iterating several times a day.
Howe purchased the WAZER because it can cut any material they need, and do it quickly in-house, instead of outsourcing it and empowering their engineers to experiment more quickly.
Supplier of Equipment for NASA’s Moon Landing
This team is producing custom equipment for NASA’s upcoming moon landing. Their short design and production cycles cannot tolerate delays from supply chain issues.
Their WAZER helps them produce in-house and meet tight deadlines.
Applied Systems Engineering
A defense contractor, ASEI needs to produce in quick timelines, protect sensitive IP, and meet government material and process certification specifications.
This means that many projects, from prototyping to end-production need to be handled in-house. They use their WAZER 7-8 hours a day.
Standard Mechanics
Standard Mechanics tests the raw materials used by auto manufacturers in the Southeastern US. These manufacturers need swift testing and certification of their materials, to keep their production flowing.
Similarly, Standard Mechanics needs to perform the testing swiftly. Their WAZER improved turnaround time by 75%.