Koller Craft, LLC

A Relationship Spread Across 25 Years

Mon, 03 Jan 2022 17:28:00 GMT

Koller Craft & Agri-Fab Have Created Spreaders & Hoppers Together for More than Two Decades 2021 marked the 25th consecutive year that we have worked with Agri-Fab, Inc. to produce equipment the agriculture, and lawn and garden industries use every day. We have been fortunate to have the opportunity to team up […]

Back to Being Made in America

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 14:53:00 GMT

Reshoring Can Pay Big Dividends for Manufacturers

As the pandemic has brought many shipping delays and has ruined production schedules, a wide range of manufacturers are considering reshoring production. Soon they could be slapping the “Made in the U.S.A.” sticker back on their products.

At Koller Craft, we have had many of our Tier 1 customers reach out to us to explore the potential of reshoring, instead of continuing to outsource their production to Mexico and Asia—mainly China. With tariffs, border issues and labor strikes, among other issues, shipments to the U.S. can take weeks, if not months. If there is an issue with a part made in America, it can be fixed in a day. On the other hand, if there is an issue with a part from China, it could take months to be resolved. There is a high level of risk management when you are dealing with a supplier that is six to eight weeks away in shipping time alone.

Tariffs also cause issues for companies. A common misconception is that tariffs are paid by countries, but they are actually paid by the manufacturers. So tariffs, even if they are short-term, make it challenging for companies to invest their dollars in better equipment and improve manufacturing since they do not know if the tariff will last weeks, months or years.

Overseas production is often unreliable and makes it nearly impossible to maintain any control as it travels from country to country. Many companies fail to include the additional costs of offshoring in their plans, which can blow up their budgets and drastically hurt their bottom lines.

These are among reasons manufacturers are looking to bring their manufacturing operations back to U.S. soil.

With all of the time and additional money Tier 1s are losing, that makes Tier 2s like Koller Craft a more appealing option. Shipping from Asia means at least 3 to 4 weeks on the water and additional time in ports. With Koller Craft having the ability to make daily deliveries, it may be time to bring your products back home.

To learn more about how Koller Craft can help you, call 636-343-9220.

The Right Time to Convert

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 19:43:00 GMT

Converting from Metal to Plastic Provides Numerous Benefits for Companies

Metal can be a dependable and well utilized asset in the manufacturing world. It has been used for decades and that will continue with future generations. However, it is not always the best option.

Over the years, plastic components have been shown to outperform the same parts made of metal. They can be manufactured in smaller and thinner sizes and are typically at least 50% lighter than metal parts used for the same purpose. However, despite being more lightweight, plastic can match metal’s strength.

Not only can plastic be customized to meet structural or operational needs, but it also offers more aesthetic capabilities than metal. This versatility creates more options for designers.

Plastics are available in a wide variety of colors, finishes and textures meaning they provide more decorative options than metal. Additionally, the aesthetics of plastic parts can be customized in a variety of ways through part geometry, curves, molded color, secondary decorating and in-molding decorating.

A distinct benefit of plastic is that it does not oxidize over time unlike its metal counterpart. Thus, designers no longer need to concern themselves with corrosion and rust prevention.

Making the conversion from metal to plastic also helps companies both financially and logistically. Plastic parts do not require plating, which brings cost savings to companies. Plastic is also often more affordable than metal due to its more stable market price. Since the injection molding process is easy to repeat, it leads to less scrap material than metal often produces. Injection molding can also improve energy efficiency as it requires lower melting temperatures, and fewer machining steps are needed than when producing metal parts.

Using plastic can provide faster manufacturing cycles and higher throughput. The accuracy of injection molding can eliminate time-consuming processes like grinding. Regarding the aesthetic of the part, final colors and finishes can be added to the molding process, eliminating the need for separate lasering, painting or other decorative options. This can also save the company valuable time and man hours.

Plastic offers the dependability, price point and aesthetics that nearly any project can benefit from. To learn how Koller Craft’s injection molding processes can help you, call 636-343-9220.