Plastics
Injection molding: scrap, cycle time, and the job cost
A molding job is won on a cycle time and a scrap rate that the quote treated as standard. The press then runs a different cycle, and the grinder hides the short shots until the resin is gone.
The useful number is on the open job: resin issued, good parts, scrap, and the hours the press actually ran.
What the open shot has to show
- Resin lot issued to the job, not a silo balance that several jobs share.
- Good parts and scrap counted before the job is invoiced.
- Cycle time compared with the quote while the tool is still in the press.
That is the same kind of gap as seeing the work while it is still open and quoting from a current cost.
The week the record is late
Monday the quote used last quarter’s scrap. Wednesday the tool is flashing. Friday the resin variance shows up in purchasing, and the price has already been accepted.
MFGMAX keeps a job’s material, scrap, and hours together while the job is open. MFGMAX Heavy Metals holds that record. Accounting can stay where it is. Other systems can connect. What moves, and when, is shown before you commit.
Mark the week on Problems and Solutions, or read how integrations stay with the platform instead of replacing it.
Questions
What should stay on the open shot?
Resin lot issued to the job, not a silo balance that several jobs share. Good parts and scrap counted before the job is invoiced. Cycle time compared with the quote while the tool is still in the press.
When should the shot be compared with the quote?
While it is still open. A count after invoicing explains a loss. It does not give the material or the hours back.
What does MFGMAX connect this to?
MFGMAX keeps a job’s material, scrap, and hours together while the job is open.