SilcoTek Solutions: Horizon Prototype to Mass Production Process
SilcoTek chemists will work with you to determine the increased lifetime or unsurpassed inertness your part will gain from our getting Silco’d. It can start with the request of a coupon treated with any one of our processes to evaluate in your lab or it can start with coating limited part quantities to perform side by side testing in your harshest atmosphere.
Silco Chemists will work with your research teams to optimize the coating characteristics to deliver the results you require. Silco Chemists are always anxious to work with leading researchers to sponsor joint studies or partner in research that will provide data needed to verify performance criteria. Though the use of Non Disclosure Agreements, we can share confidential information and work in partnership from the prototype to production process.
When it is time to scale up to production quantities, SilcoTek will work closely to ensure we can meet your demand with consistent quality on time. (Our ZIP code!) Silco engineers have a great deal of experience on fixturing, packaging, and logistics to meet large volume demand. The closer we can work together to drive labor and handling costs down, the better we can price your large volume job. When assessing cost per part, we look at the following drivers:
- Part size: costs increase with part volume as they consume more oven capacity.
- Part complexity or fragility: A part with many orifices, complex shapes, crevices, or is extremely fragile increases the cost and handling of the coating operation.
- Part cleanliness: Parts free of oils or contaminants require less labor to treat. If parts come pre-cleaned, SilcoTek can give the fastest turnaround time, most consistency, and best pricing.
- Handling: Parts requiring individual handling add labor costs to transaction. Handling costs can be reduced by developing fixturing or special re-useable shipping containers that speed the cleaning and oven treatment processes.
- Volume and quantity: If we can consistently dedicate an oven run to your job through blanket purchase orders, we can reduce costs. Rush orders and last minute requests not only increase cost, but rushing can also increase the likelihood of mistakes and failures.
- Delivery and logistics: Repacking each item increases handling costs. Reusable packaging and systemized delivery instructions decrease costs. International deliveries often increase the cost of the transaction.
- Consignment inventories: When applicable, SilcoTek will hold materials needed for your processing to reduce costs based on scale. If you only need a few parts coated, we will hold the remaining in our inventory until your demand calls for the rest.
- Straight chain supply routes: We have saved many of our customer’s money by providing partnerships with high quality machine shops, vacuum brazing, or establishing straight chain supply agreements with tubing, valve, and fitting companies. Either we can ask the supplier to drop ship the parts to SilcoTek for coating and we will send it to your location or SilcoTek can coordinate the entire transaction.
SilcoTek is currently exploring the feasibility of satellite locations closer to large volume customers, licensing the technology, or developing joint venture operations. SilcoTek will be happy to talk to you about the best way to scale production to your needs.