Experience With Connecting Factories with Each Other

[u/Aorus_]

I have a supplier who makes carbon fiber tubes and can connect them with cnc'd parts. I tell him what kind of hybrid carbon fiber / cnc'd part I need and he is able to make it. His factory only does carbon fiber work and they subcontract the cnc work out. This supplier, quite frankly, shits the bed quite often. Misses critical details. Has bad english. The whole 9 yards. I keep him around because of the ability to give him projects that involve cnc'ing and carbon fiber, as I use both often. I had a thought. Would it be reasonable to find a factory that does just cnc work and a factory that does just carbon fiber work and introduce them to each other? Would it be likely that they would, through each factory's engineers talking with each other, be able to make a mechanically sound product? Can anyone speak about their experience connecting chinese factories with each other for the purpose of combining their specialties?

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[u/justlurking9891]

It happens yea, but it then makes it two companies making your job and will probably increase the price. The tube company puts margin on the product, then the CNC company does too, transport and waste etc may increase. On the other hand it could save you money as a specialist CNC company might just do a better job as you have said.

We have a similar job, we make a fibre glass rod, it goes to a company in offshore that CNCs it to a specific size, then it's sent to another company that uses that product.

[u/Aorus_ → u/justlurking9891]

nies making your job and will probably increase the price. The tube company puts margin on the product, then the CNC company does too

I think that's how things currently work, for my setup. Company A subcontracts work to company B. I would wager they'll find better prices than I will but being able to control quality would be worth the price increase.

[u/Thebillyray]

That would cut out the middle man, which would be you. I think it's a good idea.

[u/Aorus_ → u/Thebillyray]

As in, that'd remove me from the equation which would free up my time?

[u/Thebillyray → u/Aorus_]

And lighten your wallet

[u/rkwadd]

Boeing does this sort of thing all the time.

[u/Ok-Entertainment5045]

The best way to control cost and quality is to do it yourself.

[u/Aorus_ → u/Ok-Entertainment5045]

How does that apply to the context of needing to outsource engineering to other factories. I do think it'd be useful for me to be included in conversations but, to me, the real value is making sure the factories engineers are on the same page about what needs to happen for parts to interface correctly.

[u/Ok-Entertainment5045 → u/Aorus_]

Just giving you another option that could potentially solve some issues for you

[u/mb1980]

We make all sorts of sub-assemblies that require multiple inputs, some of which come from in-house capabilities and some of which are outsourced. Often companies will provide suggestions for suppliers they have had good luck with and we will reach out and vet them, and then add them to our supplier list. The customer only buys the product they want and we manage the supply chain. I avoid the situation where the customer manages our supply chain as much as possible, because while I can normally dual source a material or component, it gets weird if I have to send a non-conformance or other form of non-compliance warning to a customer.