A Look At The Pros And Cons Of Custom-Made Over Made-To-Stock Carbide Inserts

When you rely on carbide inserts for your manufacturing process, finding a good supplier is going to mean everything. In your search for the best supplier, you will probably come across two primary types of suppliers: custom-made carbide suppliers and made-to-stick carbide insert suppliers. The differences between the two are pretty drastic, and you most definitely want the best supplier, so which do you choose to help you out? Take a look at some of the pros and cons of custom-made carbide insert suppliers to help you decide what will work out the best for your operation. 

Pro: A custom carbide insert supplier will get you inserts designed to your specifications. 

The prime perk of working with a custom carbide insert supplier is they will get you the parts you need to be designed specifically to your specifications. Made-to-stock inserts are created to fit most applications, not all. Unfortunately, this means there can be slight discrepancies if what you are working with is unique in size, shape, or form. in some cases, slight discrepancies can mean major issues with your own final product, so working with a custom supplier can mean you end up with a better-manufactured product of your own. 

Con: You may have to wait longer for custom inserts to be made after ordering. 

Custom inserts will naturally take longer to produce than made-to-stock inserts. The pieces will have to be custom manufactured, which means new machinery configurations and a slightly longer manufacturing process will be required. Wait times are usually kept pretty considerate, however. 

Pro: Once you have a custom supplier, it is easy to go back to them to get additional orders. 

Once you have a carbide insert designed to your specifications with a supplier, they usually keep those specs on hand so you can reorder more later on if you need to. If your manufacturing facility switches between designs often, this can be a really valuable thing. 

Con: Sometimes, custom-made carbide inserts can be a little more costly. 

One of the few disadvantages of working with a supplier that offers custom carbide inserts is the fact that their prices can be a little higher. You will get the extra time and attention from an engineer who will help design what you need, and specific processes will have to be adjusted to create the inserts. Therefore, it is understandable why you may have to pay a bit more for what you get. 

Get in touch with a company like Olson Carbide for more information.


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