Design Impact on Cost
Often we are presented with drawings where there may be simple changes that could impact the final part cost in a dramatic way. While we understand the need for tight tolerances in many applications and industries, there may still be subtle changes that could help lower the unit cost of your component.

Common criteria to consider:
• Tolerances – Does every surface require same tolerances?
• Internal Pockets – Maximum radius relief
• Surface finish callout on specific side or sides
• Positional tolerances
• Restraint conditions for flatness callout
• Thermal expansion tolerances with dissimilar materials
• Certification and Test Report requirements need to be identified on the drawing
• Material – Do you need the material specified (many times a lower cost alternative is available) – Design within the material stock sizes when possible

 

Design & Engineering

Design Assistance:
Roncelli Plastics has four decades of machining experience that we offer to our customers. We can help eliminate potential problems before the part reaches the production stage based on our experience with how a material reacts when we machine it. The bottom line is that we have the real world experience to look at your design and make sure you are using the right material for your application; we look at the intricacies of your drawing and point out features and design elements that will improve the integrity of the part or reduce the overall cost.

Material Selection:
Our Staff identifies potential problems that might be encountered by the actual materials you have selected for your components. Tight tolerances in the wrong material are a perfect example of this. Some plastics can easily accommodate a tight tolerance while others are "soft" and can only meet basic tolerances. This is where our years of machining experience truly pay off for our customers. Based on your design criteria of such critical areas as temperature range, load, chemical environment, cost (of course), and other factors we can guide you in the process of selecting the best possible material to meet your design specifications while keeping cost (including the cost of machining the parts) in mind.

Material Education:
We are the market leader in educating our customers on what materials are in the industry, in what size and shape these materials are, and whether these materials are readily available or not. Our goal is to ensure that our customers are working with the latest information and knowledge of the plastics industry. This philosophy extends to further educating our customers on how to influence manufacturers on bringing out new materials to meet their unique applications. A central element of our Material Education program is our Material Resource Seminars or "Lunch and Learns" which we conduct in individual, small group, or large group settings at no charge. These seminars are designed with the mechanical engineer in mind. Typical topics include industry specific materials, material selection process, the cost impact of design, how plastics are manufactured and the impact of each process, switching metals to plastics, and other appropriate topics.

Value Engineering:
From Design Assistance and Manufacturability to Material Selection and Education Roncelli Plastics provides a comprehensive engineering/design plan to supplement and enhance our customers' needs. You can be assured that you are using the plastic material that is best suited for your application; that material is going to meet your design specifications; the material for your components will be selected with the required machining in mind; and most of all, your components will be competitively priced.