As an Original Equipment Manufacturer with high volume production, or perhaps as a smaller company, finding the right companies to partner with to complete heat treatment of parts and components is an important part of your business.
Unfortunately, many OEMs don’t take the time to research heat treating companies and assume that all services are the same. When these types of assumptions are made, OEMs may find out that the company they are working with doesn’t have the quality control, the capacity or the ability to work with the bigger picture logistics and supply chain requirements.
Capacity is Critical
For a smaller OEM, finding heat treating companies that have the capacity to process small to mid-sized orders will not be a challenge. In fact, most heat treating services will be able to handle small volume orders and maintain a relatively good track record of processing on the required time schedule.
However, once the OEM starts to grow and needs to scale up production, that good record may quickly disappear. Instead of thinking about a heat treating capacity that is able to manage current orders, think about the capacity needed when your production needs expand over the next 2, 5 and 10 years.
Services Provided
Many heat treating companies specialize in a handful of different services. This is typically a factor of the size of the facility and the investment in equipment and technology required to offer more.
Top companies offering heat treating services provide a much wider range of services, often using different facilities to maximize production and specialization within the company.
Keep in mind that the ability to work with your supply chain and logistics providers is another factor to consider. Experience and expertise in not only heat treatment but working with OEMs to ensure processing is completed on schedule and on time is always an important point to verify.
