Understanding the Role of Rapid Prototyping for Kanban Fulfillment and Just-In-Time Production

For over 20 years, the MultiSource Manufacturing network has worked to provide high-quality custom-made products from the ground up to OEMs and customers in a wide range of industries. A key component of building reliable, complete products for any industry is the prototyping process. With our multiple facilities, MultiSource is able to provide comprehensive product design services with advanced software and additive manufacturing capabilities. When you partner with the MultiSource network for your project today, you can trust our team to provide the best customer service, design, build, and assembly from start to finish, beginning with our dedicated 3D printing and rapid prototyping, ending with our additional specialized production locations.

Our team of expert, skilled engineers works with state-of-the-art 3D printing and machining equipment seamlessly directed with advanced computer aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) software. Using this software and equipment, MultiSource engineers can create an exact virtual image of a part with geometric specifications and function simulation and then fully-realize the physical prototype for testing and customer approval.

The goal of MultiSource rapid prototyping procedures is not only to provide the quality design and production of a viable part, but also to promote our continued emphasis on and practice of Kanban manufacturing and Just-In-Time fulfillment.

Kanban

Originally developed in Japan at the Toyota manufacturing facilities, Kanban is an early method of lean manufacturing. The word literally translates as “visual signals” or “signboards” because of the original procedure involving customers sending Kanban cards to manufacturers to request supplies, but the concept has expanded to encompass newer lean manufacturing practices. Today, Kanban works to limit waste and improve efficiency in production in a lean manufacturing process that operates based on OEM and customer demand. Our demand-based production benefits greatly from the paired rapid prototyping utilized across the MultiSource network, and without the speed and accuracy our prototyping teams provide, Kanban practices would be severely limited.

Just-In-Time

Like Kanban manufacturing, Just-In-Time fulfillment works as a lean manufacturing system to limit production waste and streamline operations. Where Kanban manufacturing organizes production around the direct request of customers, Just-In-Time fulfillment incorporates Kanban into a comprehensive cycle of design, fabrication, assembly, delivery, and integration. The concept of Kanban manufacturing and Just-In-Time fulfillment work together to provide a production system that meets demands with little to no unnecessary waste of materials, time, or energy. Our rapid prototyping services fit perfectly into the foundation of MultiSource’s support and practice of a full-fledged Kanban and Just-In-Time operation.

To learn more about our Kanban practices and Just-In-Time fulfillment with contract manufacturing, or to find out about our complete services for rapid prototyping, submit a request more information, or request a quote today.

When to Choose Quality Plastic Fabrication for Your Custom Manufacturing Project

Plastics may only boast a relatively recent use in industrial fabrication and manufacturing, but they’ve solidified their role as a viable material for strong, long-lasting parts and components. The development of advanced polymers has opened doors in a wide range of plastic fabrication applications from aerospace engineering to electronic technology. While the increasingly versatile plastic materials available to these industries provide new levels of malleability, complex dimensions, and overall production efficiency for a variety of components and assembled parts, the engineering process for polymers can be much more difficult to approach than that of other materials.

The MultiSource Manufacturing network has worked to constantly improve our abilities for high-quality plastic fabrication, and our experience as a contract manufacturer allows our team of engineers to continually break boundaries in the field of plastics.

Metal manufacturing plays a critical role in the majority of production industries, but in many cases, plastics may be a viable material to utilize in the making of custom parts for several reasons.

 

  1. Efficiency: The engineering approach to plastics is different from that of metal because of the way these materials react to stresses during and after fabrication, but the use of plastics over metal for specific parts can still offer a more efficient production process. Not only do plastics have a lower melting point and higher malleability than most metals—providing a quicker path to forming a part—but the use of plastics in part production also reduces the need for finishing operations. The coloration, treatment, and other finishing processes that would be applied at the end of a machining process for metal parts are applied during the process of plastics fabrication eliminating the need for an extra step and streamlining the efficiency of full part production.
  2. Speed: With the increased efficiency that plastic fabrication provides in the manufacturing of a component or fully assembled part, increased speed in production follows. With MultiSource engineer’s expertise in plastics forming, bending, and welding, your project can be completed from start to finish quickly and efficiently.
  3. Weight: Some metals may fit the description of “lightweight” in comparison to heavier metals (aluminum in comparison to steel, for example) but nothing beats plastics when it comes to weight. The “feather-weight” of plastics means MultiSource customers save money on shipping and can use lighter parts for a greater range of functions. Additionally, the weight and malleability of plastics allows for the production of structurally-sound, extremely complex parts.
  4. Long-lasting: Plastics are resistant to the majority of chemical damages including oxidation and other forms of corrosion where metals are not. This resistance means plastics last longer in certain conditions where any metal part might quickly corrode.

 

The use of plastics may not be fitting for the production of every component or assembled part, but it’s a highly effective and reliable material for a wide range of circumstances. No matter the part you need, the MultiSource network provides the right materials manufacturing services for full design, fabrication, and assembly.

To learn more about our custom metal machining and plastic fabrication submit a request a quote, or request more information today.

Improving Safety Standards and Global Payment Card Use with Custom Manufacturing

As early as 1958—when American Express first developed what can be considered close to the credit cards we use today—charge card systems have been utilized in different ways across the U.S. Throughout the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s, credit cards, debit cards, ATM cards, and other charge cards began to take their place in mainstream spending systems. By the 1990’s, payment cards with magnetic strips were almost commonplace, and today, those without credit cards or debit cards are considered social anomalies. As the cards have evolved, custom manufacturing has had to follow suit.

Despite their familiar role in our lives, payment cards require a strict system of production and secure processing to maintain their viability as a product. MultiSource Manufacturing, LLC provides custom manufacturing for parts used in financial processing.

MultiSource has provided precision manufacturing for parts and components utilized in financial processing for virtually as long as the industry has been used for mainstream consumers. For over 40 years our network of technicians and facilities has worked to improve operations in designing, building, and assembling high-quality precision-based parts, including parts for financial processing of payment cards.

We work with a wide range of clients in financial processing from identification card manufacturing specialists to card stamping and credit card manufacturing companies. More than 75% of payment cards across the globe are manufactured in part by MultiSource engineers and technicians.

Custom Manufacturing for Industry Standards

In 2006, major payment card companies established the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI). This council generates and dictates the development of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). With the PCI DSS the PCI Council outlines for all payment card brands in place today, manufacturing companies must be committed to designing and creating parts that adhere to these standards as well. The MultiSource network is capable of providing the manufacturing expertise and facilities needed to uphold security and quality in the financial processing industry. With precise CAD/CAM design and a wide range of CNC precision machining equipment, we’re able to provide unparalleled, comprehensive services for components used in financial processing.

If the parts and components used in financial processing systems don’t meet the quality and security standards set by the PCI Council and other federal government regulations, payment cards could become a serious risk for consumers. Protecting the identities and finances of those who use any form of payment card starts with quality financial processing equipment.

MultiSource Manufacturing, LLC strives to continue providing the high-quality machined parts for the financial processing industry needed to fulfill our obligation to protecting consumers. To learn more about our complete services and custom manufacturing, contact us at (952) 456-5500, request more information, or request a quote today.

 

MultiSource Clean Room Capabilities and Applications

In any manufacturing process, contaminants should be avoided. Certain manufacturing processes, however, require an avoidance of contaminants far more stringent than others. Semiconductors and semiconductor assembly fabrication, for example, cannot have exposure to common air contaminants.

To protect manufacturing processes like these and the materials involved, fabricators make use of clean rooms with varying levels of contaminant-free standards. MultiSource Manufacturing, LLC provides contract fabrication services for the semiconductor and medical industry, and because of this, our facilities have in-house Class 3/1000 clean room capabilities.

With our clean room capabilities at our Burnsville, MN location, the MultiSource network is able to provide the contaminant-free workspace our engineers and technicians need to perform operations on semiconductor components and full assemblies as well as a range of advanced medical devices.

Clean Room Principles

Clean rooms are designed to prevent the introduction of contaminants in a varying range of sizes to the manufacturing process, as well as other potentially damaging factors such as humidity, pressure, and temperature. This prevention makes use of High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters and a sealed “bubble” of a room. All the air in a clean room is passed through HEPA filters or recycled through them. The level of HEPA filtration determines the categorizing of a clean room. These categories are determined by ISO standards rating from ISO 9 (standard city air quality) to ISO 1 (less than 10 particles measuring 1µm per cubic meter).

Our Clean Room

The MultiSource clean room is rated as ISO Class 3 (Class 1 rated FED STD 209E). This means a maximum of 1,000 1µm particles per cubic meter are left unfiltered. It is one of the highest quality clean rooms utilized for semiconductor and medical parts manufacturing. Our clean room uses advanced HEPA filters to eliminate the potential of any damaging infiltrates during the manufacturing and assembly process.

Protective Equipment

Like the rest of the outdoor and common indoor air, humans carry contaminating particulates such as dander, dirt, skin cells, pollen, bacteria, and mold spores. The technicians who work in our clean rooms are required to wear protective equipment to prevent any potentials of component damage in the manufacturing process. This protective equipment includes full-body suits, gloves, boots, and masks/respirators.

Air Flow Concepts

Acting similarly to a car air flow system set to recycle, clean rooms have a specific movement of air throughout their interior. Our clean room uses laminar air flow which pushes a continual stream of filtered air from ducts in the ceiling. This ensures any potential contaminants are pushed into the air filters immediately, instead of drifting through the clean room on an uneven current.

Our clean room capabilities give our engineers and technicians the contaminant-free space they need for specialized manufacturing processes. To learn more, contact MultiSource Manufacturing, LLC at (952) 456-5500, request more information, or request a quote to get started with us today.

The Importance of Reverse Engineering and Plastic Fabrication for Semiconductor Manufacturing

With the right equipment, skill, knowledge, and management, a manufacturing company can create any quality custom part. With our six locations across the Upper Midwest, MultiSource Manufacturing, LLC works with a comprehensive network of facilities capable of full design, production, and assembly for advanced custom manufacturing services. We offer production operations from CAD/CAM prototyping to in-house finishing, in addition to covering everything in between. One aspect of our network that sets MultiSource apart from others working in electronic assembly, machine automation, and the custom manufacturing industry is our reverse engineering and plastic fabrication.

Our capabilities in plastic fabrication are a key component to a number of the industries we serve, including the production of semiconductor components and assemblies. In fact, MultiSource is one of the only contract manufacturers in the area to provide semiconductor production services including reverse engineering, PFA fabrication and welding, in-house electric, and a Class 1000 clean room.

Plastic fabrication and the utilization of reverse engineering are key to building high-quality semiconductors that are successful and long-lasting when they’re put up against the speed and power utilized in today’s electronics. With our state-of-the-art facilities and reverse engineering applications, MultiSource is able to provide fully-reliable customizable manufacturing for semiconductors.

Reverse Engineering

MultiSource works with advanced CAD/CAM software and CNC automation. This technology, in addition to our network’s experience, knowledge, and skill, allows our engineering team to effectively reverse engineer semiconductor designs and strategically implement the fabrication of those specifications.

Plastic Fabrication

Our network of facilities works routinely with a wide range of industrial-grade metals, but we’re also experts in plastic fabrication, plastic welding, plastic forming, and plastic bending for polypropylene, PVC, CPVA, PFA, and additional thermo plastics. When it comes to semiconductor manufacturing, high quality plastics offer protection against severe ESD in repetition, improved purity in parts, limited wear-related shutdowns, consistency in production, and ease in assembly and external integration. Overall, our plastic fabrication capabilities continually support and improve the manufacturing of standard and custom semiconductors.

This optimization of design and production for semiconductors using both reverse engineering and plastic fabrication includes microchip reticule purge libraries and handling equipment, wet processing, and wafer and device handling system components. In addition to our machining, fabrication, and quality testing of semiconductor components, MultiSource offers custom-crating that protects your parts in shipment from the start of a new design to your own production floor.

To learn more about the custom manufacturing services we provide for semiconductor components and all our capabilities for plastic fabrication, request more information or a quote today.