Rapid Application Group shop floor.
U.S. advanced manufacturing service provider Rapid Application Group (RAG) has announced a collaboration with Gavco Plastics, a neighbouring plastic injection moulding company, to provide a centralised group that takes parts from prototype to mass production.
The partnership comes in response to supply chain challenges which have been highlighted over the last few months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The two companies hope this amalgamation of 3D printing and injection moulding capabilities will enable aerospace, automotive and industrial customers to protect their supply chains, reduce costs and deliver parts as and when needed.
“This year has shown how fragile supply chains can be and it is time for new innovation in how parts are produced,” said Randall Gavlik, Gavco Plastics. “This partnership with RAG means we can help customers regain balance in their supply chains while maintaining agility and responsiveness to economic conditions.”
Read more: Mission critical: Rapid Application Group's campaign for additive excellence
The offering will see RAG’s AM capabilities, which last year benefitted from a new 15,000 square feet production facility, used for rapid prototyping and iteration of new parts, using the same materials that the part will ultimately be mass produced in. RAG will also provide Low Rate Initial Production using AM, while tooling is being produced, to save time and money before moving to mass production with injection moulding at Gavco. The goal is to reduce the need for costly initial tooling, limit inventory costs and provide manufacturers with the agility to better respond to the demands of today’s economy.
“2020 has demonstrated that additive manufacturing is suitable for production-grade parts, at a low volume,” said Jason Dickman, COO, Rapid Application Group. “It can fill the need for parts while mould tooling is being created, giving customers the time and flexibility to figure out just how many parts will be needed.”
RAG CEO Terry Hill says he believes this partnership will help turn Oklahoma, where both companies are located, into “one of the most responsive hubs for manufacturing OEMs.” He also added that this increased flexibility will allow potentially hundreds of customers to “rethink how parts are produced, when they are produced and how to protect their supply chains.”
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