Surface Finish - Risk Assessment

Can high polished surfaces affect cosmetics & yield rates?

If you have a non standard finish.

A mirror finished area.

Or have draft vs roughness issues.

Then . . .

These are early signs that you may be walking into future problems.
Don't worry. Early bad news is good news.

It's best to chat about and test these things as early as possible.
Hoping that stuff will figure itself out by DVT is not a good strategy.
A bad, bad approach.

So . .

Ask the question. Take time and multiple conversation visits to assess and tackle issues in advance.

Work with your vendor. Don't do this . . .

"Hey vendor, you have seven weeks to figure this out".

This is not an intelligent approach.

Does the vendor have the required finishing technology & track record?

This is a potential danger when you are forming a new relationship with a new vendor.
Your new vendor may be nervous and too eager to please.

Help your vendor when you hear too much "yes sir, yes sir, yers sir".
Give your vendor freedom and confidence to be real.
To deliver bad news early.
To tell you the design concept is a bit crap.

This is when you know you may have a good vendor.

Solid long-term partner potential.

It's your job to do the same for your vendor. Question them on their experience.
Walk around the factory and interrogate capability.

Do not place a technical program with a vendor who is over committing.
It may be too soon for their skill curve.

And tends to end badly for customer and vendor.

Does the vendor have any finishing concerns?

Rely on your vendor.

They probably know more than you about your cosmetic aspirations.

Maybe they have done this finish in the past and have the scars to prove it.

Ask your vendor for their risk thoughts.

Listen.

Say . . . thank you.

How are numbers going to be applied to the finish?

We achieved a finish that everyone likes.

ID cried. PD exhaled.

Before we all get carried away with joyous excitement.
What's the plan to wrap this stuff in numbers?

I can see you reading this and saying . . . "what do you mean exactly?"

Tooling engineers are happy that everyone likes the latest samples.
This makes them scratch their heads.
And start planning how to replicate the finish across four cavities, sixteen tools and three vendors.

What's the spec?

How do we build a spec?

Test molding variation effects.

Determine the plus and minus limits.

Get agreement from all parties.

Phew.