When looking to outsource overseas for Plastic Injection Molds or Stamping Dies there are many things to consider. Usually price is first thing to be looked at, that's probably why you're looking overseas for a new mold or die source-to save money. One of first places to come to mind is Asia. Large labour forces and low wages can get your job done quickly and cheaply. Or so you think.When doing business in Asia you may encounter several common problems:
*communication problems: language barriers, different terminologies, engineers with little or poor English skills
*cultural differences: East and West business practices can be very different which often leads to misunderstandings, mistakes, poor quality, and delays.
*empty promises: sometimes shops you will find can't deliver what you need when you need it, they just don't have technology or resources to provide you with quality you are looking for, many countries have poor infrastructure with communication failures and can't make delivery as promised.
*most shops in Asia are small and cannot do a wide variety of jobs, they may not be able to do everything you need for all your projects, you'll end up looking for other shops for each different project. They may not be able to provide you with after sales maintenance and services.
*quality certifications: getting ISO certified is an expensive and time consuming process, many shops in Asia just aren't qualified, they don't have quality control programs, they don't have proper technology or experience to produce products according to your exact specifications and timetable.