Why you Should use Replacement Plastic Parts in Manufacturing

Manufacturers across the UK are making the move to having their own bespoke parts made in an effort to keep operations in action, according to Lancashire-based plastic engineering company Partwell. Partwell are a Lancashire based, specialist plastic sheet stockist and bespoke plastic parts manufacturer offering fast lead times and small run orders; with water jet cutting services available.

When a machine breaks down on the production line, this can be incredibly costly. Traditionally, manufacturers would then be tasked with the lengthy and costly chore of finding hard-to-source parts to get the production line back in operation, if such parts are still available at all.

Sometimes waiting weeks for a simple yet essential part can mean thousands of pounds in delays - machine vendors know this and as a result often put a premium on essential replacement parts, making the undertaking of getting a machine back up and running excessively costly and time-consuming.

With the downturn in the UK economy and lower margins due to rising costs, many manufacturers cannot afford these unwelcome expenses and delays. This has led to manufacturers sourcing their own bespoke replacement parts in a bid to get their production line back on track quickly and cheaply.

UK based plastic parts manufacturer Partwell say they have noticed a significant rise in enquiries from local manufacturers looking to do just this. Partwell’s innovative rapid 5 axis engineering solution means that manufacturers can have their essential parts quickly and for a fraction of the cost of other available parts, also solving the issue of parts that are difficult to source elsewhere.

Companies are no longer limited to relying on the original machine manufacturer for replacement parts, or lost for options when struggling to source the exact part they need, a bespoke solution from Partwell means they could have their machine back up and running within a couple of days.

One UK Company required profile strips for a foam block cutting machine, which, although a small job for Partwell, meant that the manufacturer could keep a £400k machine in production.

Another large manufacturer of ground strengthening materials had found problems finding spare sacrificial-wear parts for their conveyor belt system. As these parts are designed to wear away, a constant supply is needed. However, they had become harder and more expensive to source, making the consistent effort required to find and purchase these parts a time consuming and costly process. Partwell’s innovative 5-axis engineering solution allowed them to design and produce a supply of replacement engineered plastic parts for the conveyor belt, at a cost-effective price and in a volume that makes sense.

It is examples like these that create an encouraging trend for the UK plastic engineering market and manufacturers, in need of cost effective and time critical solutions - allowing manufacturers to take back control of their production line operations.

Content writer for Brick technology Ltd, Blackburn, Lancashire.